LA Rams: 5 games that mean more to Rams than a win or loss

Rematch with the Ravens

The 6-4 LA Rams hosted the then 8-2 Baltimore Ravens on November 25, 2019. Win that game, and the team would be in contention for a playoff berth, lose that game, and the team’s playoff aspiration would be reduced to life support in the Intensive Care Unit.  The Ravens were on their way to the playoffs, and the Rams wanted to strengthen their chances. But if you recall what happened, that game was perhaps the worst of the season, of many seasons, for the Rams.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a true threat to run, appeared every bit the part possessing Peyton Manning’s throwing arm. Well, in terms of five touchdown passes, that is. The Rams could only must 212 yards passing and quarterback Jared Goff shot himself in the foot by throwing two interceptions. Running back Todd Gurley rushed just six times for 22 yards. It was an ugly horrorfest and was punctuated with the LA Rams in their all-yellow uniforms.  The final score? 45-6.

When the LA Rams finally get a rematch with the Baltimore Ravens, there will be plenty of reasons to watch this one. Both teams will be striving to improve their playoff chances. Both teams will face a road to the playoffs through a very competitive division. And both teams will be seeking to emerge from this game healthy, as they face off in the next to the last game of the season.

The Ravens are one of the NFL’s most proficient rushing offenses. Even though they are more infantry than aerial assault, they are quite adept at putting points on the board. The Rams, on the other hand, are trying to turn their offense around. The scoring output of the Rams offense has been in steep decline over the past several years. Who better to test the ‘new and improved’ scoring abilities of the Rams offense against than the Ravens, a team that smacked an injured Rams team around all night?

This game is less about revenge and more about building the momentum of winning in time to enter the NFL Playoffs with a good head of steam. The Ravens are nobody’s pushover. That’s why the Rams must be capable of knocking them down and moving on.