Why Rams Look Ready for Championship Push

However, this year's Rams team bolsters a young roster with a great mixture of veterans that seem poised for another deep postseason run. They have the talent to get there, the coaching staff, to push them toward it, and the ceiling to be the representive of the NFC in Super Bowl LIX.

As with any potential championship team, concerns await, flaws are unhatched, and danger could loom. The same can be said for this Rams team.

The Rams are ready for a championship push, but risks remain

Everything is in place for the Rams to win games, make a deep postseason push, and potentially reach Santa Clara in early February. Matthew Stafford remains one of the top passers in the league while he is surrounded by great playmakers at running back, wide receiver, and tight end. The trenches are a key strength of the team along with a back seven that, while it lacks high-end talent, remains steady overall.

One of the things that could hold this team back is injuries, specifically with Stafford's lingering back issues that hampered him all summer and could continue to linger into the season and throughout. Games could be decided by Jimmy Garoppolo or, at worst, Stetson Bennett. If I'm the Rams, I'd rather not be in that position.

After analysing this franchise throughout the summer, it's clear that the younger players are ready to take the next step, especially pass rusher Jared Verse and interior defensive linemen Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner. An improvement of play from either three players could mean a dominant defensive front in 2025, and that should be exciting and a key reason why to believe in the Rams as a serious championship contender.

Back to Stafford, I think this is likely his last shot at a championship. I don't know how much his body can withstand at age 37, and a successor should be on the minds of college talent evaluators this fall as they scour the country for a potential future franchise quarterback. Stafford could still be an elite quarterback this season, but Father Time will catch up, and it always does.

Stafford will provide a litany of uncertainty this season, but he has a talent roster around him on both sides of the ball. What Los Angeles has done to build from within and lean on coaching and development of its players instead of a win-now mentality has flown the championship window wide open. Should Stafford go down, Garoppolo would be in a similar situation as he was in San Francisco in 2019 and 2021 under Kyle Shanahan.

As the Rams begin their season in Houston this Sunday, I view them as the winners of the NFC West and a top-two seed in January. I'm happy to be wrong, and you can slaughter this article if none of this happens, but I have an immense amount of confidence in this roster and Stafford, despite the back injury concerns.

Until the end of the line is confirmed for Stafford, the Rams are back into full-blown postseason contention.