Aug 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; The Los Angeles Rams logo at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rams Underestimated in Their Season Debut

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Los Angeles Rams kick off their 2025 season at home against the Houston Texans, in what should be a competitive match against two contenders in the NFC and AFC, respectively. When I looked over the Rams' schedule and analyzed each of their games, I believed the Rams had the clear advantage over the Texans, and they'd start the season off with a win.

John Breech, sports writer for CBS Sports, published an article where he predicts where every NFL team will receive its first loss of the season, and he thinks differently. He believes the Rams will lose their season opener, with his reasoning being the question marks around Matthew Stafford's health.

Win or Loss?

"The Rams have a starting quarterback in Matthew Stafford who didn't practice a single time from Aug. 1 through Aug. 17. When you have a banged-up QB and a big question mark at left tackle, like the Rams do, the last thing you want to do is face a Texans team that is led by two premier pass rushers in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr", said Breech.

I agree that the Rams' biggest weakness at the moment is their pass protection, and that the Texans have a relentless pass rush led by a defensive-minded head coach who's going to want to attack the quarterback, but the Rams also have a way of making things uncomfortable on the other end.

The Texans are in the same boat as the Rams with their pass protection being their biggest red flag as contenders, and the Rams similarly have a pass rush that's going to want to wreck the game for CJ Stroud and the Texans' offense.

Ultimately, what differentiates the Rams from the Texans is their experience. I believe that experience will come through for them and allow them to come out victorious. This is a team that knows what it's like to win a Super Bowl, against a team that's just starting to get accustomed to being contenders.

As great as DeMeco Ryans has been for the Texans, Sean McVay has more years with the Rams, and he has some of the best offensive weapons he's ever had in his time as the head coach for the Rams at his disposal in 2025.

Even if Stafford hasn't been practicing as much in the preseason as Stroud has, I have more faith in him than I do in a quarterback who's trying to recover from a sophomore slump. These two teams are evenly matched, but I think the experience the Rams have on their roster will help them prevail against the Texans.

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This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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