Can LA Rams handle the brutal start to the 2021 season?

With the 2021 NFL season quickly approaching, the LA Rams are preparing for the first game of the season. They host the Chicago Bears at Sofi Stadium on September 12th on Sunday night, one of the five primetime games the LA Rams will play this year.

Even though the Bears made the playoffs last year after finishing with an 8-8 record, they could be the easiest matchup for the Rams in the first five weeks. You see, they are looking at a change at quarterback this year, which always brings some uncertainty.  The Bears project to open the season,  no longer with veteran Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback, but rather starting veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. As of right now, the Rams are a +7.5 point favorite according to the latest odds from WynnBET.

After week one, the Rams face the Indianapolis Colts on the road. The  Colts have one of the better overall rosters in the league, and as the Bears, their biggest question could be at quarterback. However, recent reports say Carson Wentz should be ready to play. If he does, this line could be very close and the game could ultimately come down to a few plays in the fourth quarter.

Octoberfest

In week three, the Rams host the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even though this game is at home, the Rams could very well be underdogs. Tampa Bay is one of the most talented teams in the league, and they are bringing back every starter from last year. The Rams, on the other hand, said farewell to a number of key starters. In their stead, the Rams welcome four new starters on defense, and three on offense, including quarterback Matthew Stafford. It’s asking a lot for the Rams to beat a team this good so early in the season.

Los Angeles Rams

The following week, the Rams host their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams may need a win here, especially if they have trouble with the Colts and Bucs. Out of the first five matchups for the Rams, the Cardinals are the only ones who didn’t make the postseason last year. But, due to the upside potential of this young Cardinals team, this could still be a tough matchup. The Cardinals surprised the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks early in the 2020 season. The Rams hope that is not the case this year.

After playing the Cardinals on Sunday, the Rams have only three days to plan for their next opponent, facing the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle with fans packed in the stands. The Seahawks will be dealing with a very short week as well, as they will be visiting San Francisco the Sunday before this matchup. Even though Sean McVay has won six out of the nine matchups against Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (including last year’s wildcard victory), it’s usually a tough back and forth game with these division rivals.

Rams need to get out to a good start

In a lot of ways, this Rams team is very new and could be lacking chemistry during the first couple of weeks of the season. While the team should be better than last year, they could be a bit vulnerable before they get more reps together. This, coupled with a tough start to the schedule, could make for some early-season drama.

Ideally, the Rams would love to start the season at 5-0, but even a 4-1 beginning to this season would be ideal.  Even two losses could be considered a solid beginning, as the Rams jump right into the deep end of the pool by facing some of their stiffest competition right out of the gates.

A team with Super Bowl aspirations starting off the season 2-3 is not ideal, but if it happens, it’s important to remember that the NFL season now has 17 regular-season games. And there are 14 teams that make the NFL playoffs, up from 12 just two years ago, giving the Rams some leeway. Even if the Rams are below .500 after the first five games of the year, they have more time to improve in the standings, and one more spot to qualify for a playoff berth in the NFC.

Another thing to consider is that following this brutal start, the Rams catch a significant break in the middle of the season. In week six, the Rams play the New York Giants, then the Detroit Lions, followed by the Houston Texans. The Rams should be huge favorites in all three of these matchups. Hopefully, they are able to meet expectations in these matchups because after this easier stretch, things get tough again, due mostly to more cutthroat division games. Whatever happens, I can’t wait to watch.