From tears to cheers: LA Rams sense of urgency rocked the NFL

The gauntlet of adversity

The LA Rams 2021 roster was not the island of misfit toys. This was a group who were no longer believed to be or were never thought to be, capable of winning it all. They were hand-picked, chosen specifically for their belief in themselves to be capable of winning it all. And they needed every bit of swagger.

The NFL analysts and pundits were brutal. The roster was too young. The team was too top-heavy in salary distribution. The LA Rams were too beaten up in the secondary, at outside linebacker, at running back, and at wide receiver. The team was too ‘cute’. The team wasn’t physical enough.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford could not win the big one, and Aaron Donald could not carry this defense on his own. The Rams supposedly could not fill the seats of SoFi Stadium. DC Raheem Morris was called to be fired each week.

The journey to the top

That gauntlet for the Rams did not end at Lambeau Field. In many ways, it was just the start of the gauntlet of adversity that would remain in lockstep with the team all year.

The LA Rams, players, coaches, and fans, watched as Aaron Donald cried tears of pain, frustration, and perhaps despair on Lambeau Field. At that moment, he likely asked himself the most basic of all questions: What more could he do to win a Super Bowl ring? He could not do it alone.

But he was not alone, as he would soon discover.