After a tumultuous 2022, many in the NFL world questioned the Los Angeles Rams future. Quarterback Matthew Stafford played in just nine games, Los Angeles went 5-12 and head coach Sean McVay even contemplated entering the broadcasting world. This generations' greatest defender, Aaron Donald, dabbled with his own retirement.
Fast forward a year, and thanks to some shrewd pickups from general manager Les Snead, outstanding play-calling and adaptability from McVay,and the triumphant return of Matthew Stafford, the Rams sit on the precipice of a playoff berth. With a real chance to make some noise in a wide open NFC, these Rams are all the way back.
Rocky Road
Last season was a forgettable chapter in Rams' history. Coming off of their 2021 Super Bowl championship, Los Angeles was expected to compete for a playoff spot and possibly defend its title, but it wasn't to be. The team's offensive line crumbled, leaving Stafford vulnerable and the Rams' offense in disarray.
In fact, the 2022 Rams set a record for most adjusted games lost to injury along the offensive line at 71, according to Football Outsiders. They started 12 different offensive line combinations in their first 13 contests, and Stafford took a league-leading 63 hits in the nine games he started.
Those compounding body blows added up, as Stafford dealt with elbow tendinitis that carried over from 2021, and suffered a concussion. He was mercifully ruled out for the year after being diagnosed with a spinal cord bruise.
Los Angeles' 2022 season was a nightmare.
Emergence of New Stars
Recognizing the need to protect Stafford, General Manager Les Snead took decisive action. The Rams used the 36th-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on TCU stalwart Steve Avila and acquired road-grader Kevin Dotson from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Avila and Dotson have been a huge part of the Rams offensive resurgence, with the much-maligned front ranked sixth in the NFL in both DVOA and EPA in 2023.
At the same time, Stafford's shiny new toys, Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua have taken the NFL by storm.
A 5th-round pick in 2022, Williams has done his best Todd Gurley impression. Despite missing four games, he sits second in the NFL with 1057 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry. The Notre Dame product is the quintessential one-cut outside zone runner, and has propelled the Rams attack to new heights.
Kyren Williams gave the ball to his mom after this TD ❤️
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 22, 2023
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/WMu7c2RGGE
Meanwhile, all 2023 5th-round pick Puka Nacua has done is break a host of NFL records. Nacua leads the Rams in receiving with 96 receptions for 1,327 yards and five touchdowns, and sits just 139 yards away from the record for most receiving yards in a rookie campaign. He filled in admirably for Cooper Kupp when the Rams' top target was sidelined to begin the season, and has continued his unbelievable form with the triple-crown winner along side him.
A fully loaded Rams offense has kept NFL defensive coordinators up at night. When Stafford has his entire staple of weapons, the Rams are a force. In fact, when Williams, Nacua, and Kupp take the field at the same time, the Rams offense tops the league in: EPA per play, dropback EPA, success rate, points per drive, yards per play, and rushing EPA.
The 2023 Rams offense may just be the second coming of the "Greatest Show on Turf."
Stafford's Resurgence
Free from a shackle of injuries, and with a solid offensive line and play-makers galore, Stafford has taken his game to another level.
Entering his age-35 season, Stafford was dismissed as a past-his-prime, over-the-hill, injury-riddled quarterback. However, the former first overall pick has been anything but down the stretch.
Nasty sidearm from Matthew Stafford. 🔥#ProBowlVote | @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/lotoSx1P4G
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
With Sean McVay doing an outstanding job of putting his play makers in position to succeed, Stafford is cooking. Since Week 11, the Georgia product ranks 3rd in EPA/play (.239), while completing 69% of his passes for 1,578 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions. The aging gunslinger is back to slinging side-arm passes into tight windows with the very best of them.
Betting on the Los Angeles Rams
Behind Stafford's rebirth, the league's second-youngest squad have won five of their last six games to get back into the playoff race.
More importantly, Stafford and company have covered the spread in five straight games, with the over hitting in four of those contests. Sean McVay has regained his status as one of the NFL's premier play callers, and all of a sudden, these Rams look like they can beat anybody.
With a winnable game against the New York Giants on deck, you can still bet on Los Angeles to make the playoffs at -230. More intriguingly, the Rams are +3000 to win the NFC, and +7000 to win the Super Bowl.
If the season ended today, Stafford and the Rams would head to his former NFL home of Detroit and battle the NFC North champion Lions. With a dangerous offense, and Matthew Stafford slinging the football as well as he ever has, the Los Angeles Rams are a genuine threat in the wide open NFC playoffs.
