Not many people predicted exactly what kind of season the Los Angeles Rams would have in 2023. In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Rams surprised many by surpassing expectations with a 10-7 record and making the playoffs.
Even with Aaron Donald’s retirement, the outlook for 2024 is much better.
That’s why Nate Davis of USA Today expects the Rams to finish above .500 again and return to the playoffs for the second straight year. He released his record-setting predictions for every team in the NFL, predicting the Rams to finish 10-7, finish second in their division and clinch a wild-card spot.
Davis predicts the Rams will win a playoff game by beating the No. 3 seeded Eagles in the wild-card round.
Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends: Davis projects the Rams to lose in the divisional round to the top-seeded 49ers, who are coming off a bye week and hosting Sean McVay’s squad at Levi’s Stadium.
(6) Los Angeles Rams (10-7): For the second straight year, the Rams enter the season with big questions about their defense, this time due to the retirement of Aaron Donald and the departure of Morris, who had been their coordinator since 2021. But the Rams invested heavily in their defense in the draft while reallocating significant cap resources to their offensive line. And if WR Cooper Kupp can play his first full season since his impressive 2021 performance, and if Puka Nacua can get closer to matching his record-breaking rookie performance, Los Angeles will have the best receiver duo in the league. October could be a key month for the Rams, given that they will be at home all of October.
The Rams are expected to make a Super Bowl appearance this year, and their fans are hoping for that, but another 10-7 record and playoff win for Los Angeles would be considered a successful season. They are still a very young team, and the loss of Donald will not be easy to overcome.
That being said, if Matthew Stafford, Kupp, Nacua and the entire offensive line can stay healthy, the Rams will be one of the most dangerous offenses in football, and that might be enough to overcome a defense weakened by Donald’s retirement.
You may be wondering who Davis chose to represent each conference in the Super Bowl. He chose the Packers in the NFC and Aaron Rodgers’ Jets in the AFC. New York went on to win the Super Bowl in February.