3 positive takeaways from the LA Rams 2021 NFL schedule

II. It could be… worse?

The LA Rams have nine road games but do not face three consecutive games on the road, thankfully. That’s just one of a number of horrific circumstances that this schedule helps the team to avoid.  After all, the ingredients with a second-place team’s schedule, facing teams in the NFC North and AFC South, and 17 games with nine of those games had plenty to work with to turn this year’s schedule into a Freddy Krugar special.

While the Rams September is a series of three very difficult contests, it does ensure that the Rams should be at or nearly at their healthiest when facing some of their toughest opponents of the season. In fact, the LA Rams’ first five games of the season, where they face teams with a cumulative 2020 record of 50-30, is likely one of the most difficult stretches for any team in 2021.

So what’s so good about that gauntlet? Well, the Rams play three of those five hugely competitive opponents at home at SoFi Stadium and do so within the first 26 calendar days of the 2021 NFL schedule.  So in less than a month’s time, the Rams will face five of their toughest season’s opponents and will have done so at their strongest point of the season.

From that point on, the Rams face a less difficult schedule that is a nice blend of very competitive teams followed by teams attempting to rebuild and rebound. Of the five rookie quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Rams may face three: Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Trevor Lawrence. While this trio may be in store for some great things in their future NFL careers.

The Rams made some intriguing moves in the offseason that could be very rewarding or be somewhat disappointing. For now, let’s dare to be impressed.