Should The Rams Be Considered The Heavy Favorites?

Last year, the Rams were one game away from the Super Bowl. They lost 31-27 to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game. Sam Darnold had the best game of his career, throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers, and the issue became clear: the defense. 

Los Angeles was great in a lot of areas last year, but pass defense was not one of them. They were ranked 19th against the pass, allowing 216.7 yards per game in that category. One way to remedy a poor back end is to strengthen the defensive line. 

Garrett’s arrival enables the Rams to elevate their defensive front. They were good last year, getting after the quarterback. They were ranked eighth in the league with 47 sacks. Now, they get significantly better and are on watch to have the best pass rush in the league. 

Los Ángeles acquired Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs earlier in the offseason. The added combination of Garrett and McDuffie means pass defense should not be an issue. 

The Super Bowl Blueprint

Teams need one of two components to win a Super Bowl, in my opinion. They need an elite quarterback or a dominant pass rush. The last two Super Bowls have shown the latter. 

The Seahawks won Super Bowl 60 with their defense. They sacked Drake Maye six times and forced three turnovers because of that pressure. The Philadelphia Eagles did something similar the year before against the Chiefs. 

The Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times and forced three turnovers. An identical stat line occurred in back-to-back years, leading to truly uncompetitive football on the big stage. Winning teams had either Tom Brady or Mahomes in seven of the eight years prior.

The Brady and Mahomes championship run illustrates how an elite quarterback is essential to get over the mountain top. The only other signal caller to win during that span was Stafford. The Rams took the exceptional quarterback approach in 2021, and it worked. 

The franchise traded Jared Goff for Stafford and instantly went from being a first-round exit to Super Bowl champs the next year. The league, however, continues to evolve, and Los Angeles knows that. As a result, it shifted gears and adopted the second approach: a dominant defensive line. 

Adding the single-season sack record holder boosts a line already ranked eighth in sacks. With Stafford coming off an MVP season, the Rams now have both elite quarterback play and a dominant pass rush. 

Teams strive to find a premier QB or build a stellar defense. Los Angeles possesses both assets. 

End Of My Los Angeles Rams Rant

The Rams, which were four points away from making the Super Bowl, just added the reigning defensive player of the year. Their quarterback is coming off an MVP season and has shown no signs of slowing down. 

Seattle lost Kenneth Walker, so the gap between Los Angeles and the rest of the NFC may have widened. No team in either conference can match up with them in terms of top-to-bottom talent. 

This Rams team may not be the final product, however. Aaron Donald has sent out some cryptic posts that hint at a potential return to the NFL. 

Now that would be a scary sight for opposing quarterbacks.