No other team was as busy as the Los Angeles Rams were during the 2018 off-season. Running back Todd Gurley II and company looked like the team with the brightest future last year and the front office ensured their future would be bright with their latest acquisitions. The marquee acquisitions of Marcus Peters, Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh have Rams fans excited for the season to begin. But before the Rams can think deep postseason run, they will have battle their way through a tough NFC conference.
Last Word on Pro Football is analyzing the schedules of all 32 NFL teams. Each team’s 16-game slate will be split into its’ most difficult (1-8) and easiest games (9-16). This article will break down the Rams easiest games of the 2018 season.
Los Angeles Rams Easiest Games of 2018
9. Week One: at Oakland Raiders
The Rams hosted the Oakland Raiders in the preseason and as expected, the two teams rested their starters and let their backups compete. The Raiders had a disappointing 2017 season finishing 6-10, which forced them to fire most of their coaching staff. The leader of the new staff is a familiar face in Jon Gruden and Raider Nation expects he will take the team back to the playoffs.
Oakland added plenty of new faces to the roster this off-season but a lot of the players added are former stars past their prime. Guys like Jordy Nelson, Doug Martin, Derrick Johnson and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all had their best seasons half a decade ago or so. While they do have some younger talent on the roster, this team gives off the feeling that it will play slow which does not bode well when facing the Rams. The youthful core of Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Robert Woods and others might be too much for Gruden and the Raiders to handle. If you consider the Khalil Mack holdout situation as well, the Raiders will probably be shorthanded on defense come week one.
10. Week 16: at Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals finished 8-8 last season and watched as their head coach and starting quarterback retired this off-season. Steve Wilks, Sam Bradford, and Josh Rosen were brought in to fill the two vacancies as the Cardinals enter a new era. While many fans think the Cardinals are entering a rebuilding year, don’t forget that they will get a fully healthy David Johnson back this season which should spark a lot of life into that offense.
However, their defense was an issue last season, especially against the Rams. In their two matchups during the season, the Rams outscored the Cardinals 65-16. Losing Tyrann Mathieu this off-season certainly does not help their defense going forward either. Sure, the Rams may have the NFC West locked up and the Cardinals may be competing for a wild card berth come week 16, but I do not see Arizona as a serious threat to upset the Rams.
11. Week 13: at Detroit Lions
It may come as a surprise that there are so many road games on this list but it shouldn’t be. The Rams were a very good road team last year going 7-1 when they were the visiting team. Like the Cardinals, the Detroit Lions hired a new head coach this off-season in Matt Patricia, as he looks to turn the organization around.
In the Matthew Stafford era, the Lions have always had a prolific offense, but the defense is the side that holds the team back. In 2017, Detroit allowed the sixth most yards allowed per game and because they did not address the defensive side of the ball thoroughly this off-season, expect more of the same. The Rams might have some trouble slowing down Stafford and company, but Gurley, Goff and the Rams offense should have a field day with the Lions defense in week 13.
12. Week 17: vs San Francisco 49ers
This could very well be a toss-up game due to the week 17 matchup. The Rams may have the division locked up at this point and rest most of their starters. The San Francisco 49ers, on the other hand, may be trying to sneak into a wild-card berth, or they could completely be out of the race. Depending on where the two teams stand, this could be an intense rivalry game that has playoff indications or it could be a snooze fest where both teams decide to play a lot of backups.
13. Week Five: at Seattle Seahawks
No Richard Sherman, no Kam Chancellor, no Michael Bennett. The Seattle Seahawks are indeed a shell of their former selves. The off-season was not so friendly to the Seahawks either as they failed to make a splash in free agency and they have plenty of holes up and down their roster. Last year we saw Russell Wilson run for his life nearly every play and with the offensive line barely addressed, expect to see more of the same. Of course, playing in Seattle is never easy thanks to their loud fans. But their fans will not have much to cheer about this season, which will make life easier for the Rams on the road.
14. Week 14: at Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are one of the younger teams in the NFL and are in the midst of a rebuild. They finished 2017 with a 5-11 record and really struggled to move the ball through the air finishing dead last in the NFL in passing yards per game. While they did make some notable moves in the off-season, the Bears are still a year or two away from being a playoff contending team in this league. Come week 14, the Rams should have no trouble beating the Bears with ease.
15. Week Two: vs Arizona Cardinals
The first matchup of the season between the Cardinals and Rams should be the most lopsided of the two matchups. As mentioned before, come week 16 the Rams might be thinking about resting their starters while the Cardinals are in a dogfight for the last wild-card berth. Come week two, however, the Rams should be eager to compete and perform well enough to beat the Cardinals with ease in their home opener.
16. Week 10: vs Seattle Seahawks
Not to beat a dead horse, but the Seahawks are going to be pretty bad this season. Wilson will create a lot of big plays on his own and keep the Rams defense on their toes, but their defense won’t have enough to slow down the Rams offense. The Seahawks have dominated the Rams on the road the past two years in Los Angeles, but I am sure the Rams will get the better of Seattle this season.
Be sure to give LWOPF’s analysis of the Rams toughest games in 2018 a read.
