Which LA Rams opponents will be better than advertised?

LA Chargers

Not to be outdone in the AFC West, the Chargers added a lot of value-added players to the defense, a unit that clearly underperformed for the team last year. It was new head coach Brandon Staley’s first season with the team, and he was more than happy to err by making fewer roster moves in his first season to know exactly what he had to work with going into his second season with the team.

Even with that patience with the team’s roster, the Chargers finished with a 9-8 record for the 2021 NFL season, and just missed out on an NFL Playoff berth. This offseason, with a much better handle on what the roster needed, the Chargers made several key-but-under-the-radar moves that could result in significantly improved results for the team this year.

Combine that with the fact that Staley’s defense (albeit with Rams players) practiced against McVay’s offense on a daily basis. As a result, he probably knows this offense better than any other head coach in the league. Thanks to those offseason moves, he has the right personnel to put up one helluva fight.

This game is a Week 17 thriller, played on Sunday Night Football on New Year’s Day. The LA Rams will likely view this as one more game. But the Chargers could see this as a game to put the NFL on notice. McVay and Staley are friends. but Staley would love to get the jump on this new rivalry.

The Chargers were barely over .500 in 2021. They should be better this year. And even though this game is played at SoFi Stadium, it will be considered a home game for the Chargers. The Rams may still win this one, but this one will be tougher than you imagine.