Can Rams make playoff push with star players now healthy?

Over the last two games, both Rams victories, Kupp has accumulated 16 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown. Nacua only caught one pass in last week's victory over the Seattle Seahawks after getting ejected in the second quarter, though he was the main focal point of the passing attack in the team's upset win over the Minnesota Vikings a week prior. With their two star receivers healthy, head coach Sean McVay has been able to take the training wheels off of the offense.

Now, the Rams still have issues that even Kupp and Nacua can't solve. Their -24 point differential is an indictment on a defense that is struggling in its first year without Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris (24.25 points allowed per game). Williams is as sturdy as any bell-cow back in the league, though he's averaging just 3.7 yards per rush after averaging 5.0 yards in 2023. And Stafford has already taken 17 sacks, putting him on pace for roughly 36 if he plays a complete 17-game schedule (which would be his most since arriving in L.A.). 

Whereas being this flawed would've been a death knell in the ultra-competitive NFC West in previous years, the Rams have as good a shot as any team in the division to finish first.

The Seahawks are now in last place after their overtime loss to the Rams, and while they've scored the most points of all four teams (tied with the San Francisco 49ers at 210), they've also allowed the most (221). Geno Smith leads a highly efficient offense, but it won't do Seattle any good if Mike Macdonald's defense can't get stops.

The 49ers are tied with the Rams at 4-4, though they're perhaps the most injury-ravaged team in the league right now. Deebo Samuel has been in and out of the lineup with various ailments this season, Brandon Aiyuk is out for the year with a torn ACL and star defenders Javon Hargrave, Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga are all currently on IR. At least Christian McCaffrey has returned to practice.

The Arizona Cardinals are the big surprise, leading the division with a 5-4 record through nine weeks of action. They're riding a three-game winning streak against solid competition, though they've routinely lost against upper-echelon teams, like the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. They did blow the doors off the Rams in Week 2 and upset the 49ers in Week 5, though their status as a true contender will be in doubt until they can knock off someone else in that tier.

And that's where the Rams find themselves at the halfway point of the 2024 season. They and the Cardinals are hot, the Seahawks are not and the 49ers are just trying to make it through the season without any more major injuries. Though they may be overly reliant on their star playmakers, it's clear that a healthy squad in L.A. will be a team to watch in the second half.