1 Reason the Rams Can Remain Super Bowl Contenders

In last season's playoffs, they were victorious over the Minnesota Vikings due to their impressive defensive performance against Sam Darnold and the Vikings' explosive offense. Next season, Darnold will be on the Seahawks, which means that the Rams will have no problem dismantling their offense as well.

They advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs, where they faced the Philadelphia Eagles, and presented the eventual Super Bowl champions with their toughest challenge in the playoffs. After the eventful offseason the Rams have had, can they get even further this year?

Are They SB Contenders?

FOX Sports released its list of the teams that can win a Super Bowl next season, and the Rams are incredibly disrespected. They're listed under the teams that are on the fringe of Super Bowl contention, but they claim a lot has to happen in order for them to get there.

"Sean McVay’s genius is probably enough to keep them in contention most years and this year could be no different. Last year felt like a slog, yet they still managed to win nine of their last 12 to get to 10-7 and into the playoffs, where they pushed the Eagles hard in a divisional game in Philly in the snow".

Everything was going against the Rams last season, including an injury to Puka Nacua early in the season, which hampered their offense greatly. This team has shown nothing but resilience against adversity, and I don't understand how they can be so low on this list.

"L.A.'s ability to build on that really depends on the health of 37-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford. Right now, the club is being awfully mysterious about his back injury, which is rarely a good sign. But if he’s OK, the Rams will be more than OK, too".

Matthew Stafford has been participating in practices recently, and while it's never a good sign for a player as experienced as him to miss time, he looks ready to start his 16th campaign in the NFL. While it's true that an injury to him would derail their Super Bowl hopes, what team isn't relying on their starting quarterback to stay healthy?

In Good Hands

Sean McVay and the rest of the Rams coaching staff aren't oblivious to the fact that their Super Bowl hopes rely on Stafford, which is why they kept Jimmy Garoppolo around for another year, because they know he's one of the best backups in the NFL.

If Stafford were to go down with an injury that doesn't keep him out for the entire season, Garoppolo is more than capable of coming in and keeping them afloat with how stacked the Rams offense is. Garoppolo already has a prior connection with offseason acquisition Davante Adams, paired with Nacua, it makes Garoppolo's job a lot easier.

The Rams being so low on their list of Super Bowl contenders is dismissive of the Rams' backup plan in place in case something were to happen to their starting quarterback. They acknowledged McVay's excellence but failed to consider how simple he can make this offense for Garoppolo and lean on their defense to win games.

All in all, the Rams have all the tools to make a deep playoff run next season, and even with a division that got tougher, they should still be the favorite to come out as the top team in the NFC West. As long as the worst doesn't happen to Stafford, they should be fine.

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