3 positive takeaways from the LA Rams 2021 NFL schedule

III. Late BYE week

The first positive is the fact that the LA Rams will play ten NFL games before they get to their BYE week. Why is that a good thing? Well, this is a 17-game schedule this season, and if the LA Rams earn an NFL Playoff berth, their season could extend another three or four games.  A BYE week at week 11 ensures that the Rams will have the benefit of a week off before resuming their season and making a run at, into, and through the NFL playoffs.

Los Angeles Rams

Considering that BYE weeks can occur after just four games, the Rams risked playing up to 13 consecutive games in the latter part of this very long season before ever competing in post-season play. Just to place this in perspective, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their 2020 BYE week in week 13 on their way to win Super Bowl LV. The Kansas City Chiefs had their 2019 BYE week in week 12 on their way to win Super Bowl LIV.  And the New England Patriots enjoyed their 2018 BYE week in week 11 on their way to win Super Bowl LIII. Even the Philadelphia Eagles enjoyed their 2017 BYE week on week 10 on their way to win Super Bowl LII.

Now, this is not asserting that there is some mystery correlation that a late BYE week automatically translates into a Super Bowl victory.  But the pattern is enough to be a bit encouraging.  And with the Rams BYE week, the team interrupts what may have been a brutal Monday Night Football contest on the road against the tough rival San Francisco 49ers, and another brutal road contest at the Green Bay Packers after Thanksgiving Day.

The LA Rams also get the benefit of a mini-BYE when the Rams follow a road to the rival Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football with another road trip all the way to the distant East Coast to take on the New York Giants the following week. Thanks to the TNF contest, the Rams will have added days to rest up before pushing themselves to board another plane. All in all, it’s the best scenario for consecutive road games.