Rams Given Blueprint to Win the NFC West

In 2025, the Los Angeles Rams will be going after their fifth NFC West title in the McVay era, continuing what has been an enormously successful return to Southern California. Recently, CBS Sports' Jared Dubin provided the reasons how the Rams can accomplish that goal.

"They seamlessly integrate Davante Adams and the young defense takes a significantly leap," wrote Dubin.

I'll tell you right now, if Adams and the Rams' defensive line stay healthy, those things will happen. How do I know? They're already happening. Adams is already loved in the locker room, and trust me, the Rams' defensive line looks faster and more intune than they were last season.

"Adams coming over to replace the departed Cooper Kupp should, in theory, make the Rams' offense even more versatile. Adams brings more inside-outside flexibility than does Kupp, who is more of a slot-only option. Being able to deploy Adams and Puka Nacua all over the formation will make the Rams more difficult to defend, and we've seen what happens with this offense whenever Matthew Stafford is healthy and has a pair of top-flight weapons. It's wheels up, all the time."

It's already happening. While we can't go into detail yet, Adams is being put into advantageous positions that utalize his natural abilities while Stafford and Adams have continued to develop an unwritten language that has translated onto the field.

"The defense, though, checked in just 27th in EPA per play last season, via Tru Media. Some of that is unsurprising given that the Rams last Aaron Donald, were integrating a new defensive coordinator (Chris Shula) and had so many young players being counted on to play major roles."

Shula himself stated that learning how to coach without Donald was his biggest challenge, a challenge that Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley, and Raheem Morris never had to face. Shula did learn and that's why the Rams' defense were playing lights out in the second half of the season.

"Some of those young guys, however, look like they can be really good players. Between Jared Verse, Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner, there's a lot to work with up front. Each of Byron Young, Omar Speights, Kamren Kinchens and Quentin Lake has flashed at times. All seven of those guys, still on their rookie contracts, are expected to be starters. The Rams also used several Day 3 picks on front seven players and brought in Poona Ford to play on the nose. If all of that can congeal into an average-or-better defense, then the Rams are cooking with gas and can be even better than they were last year."

The Rams' front seven is the best they've had since Super Bowl LVI. Kinchens looks comfortable and will have a better start to 2025 than he did in 2024, as he's taking proper angles and playing with elite anticipation. Speights also doesn't need to carry his linebacker partner as Nate Landman looks like he can hold his own.

Dubin has it spot on. If the Rams keep the faith, they will win the NFC West.