Why LA Rams are more than a postseason tune up for the Chiefs

Do NFL fans still enjoy those David versus Goliath underdog tales? Well, the LA Rams are certainly doing their darndest to give the audience what they want in Week 12, as the team’s starting lineup to face the Kansas City Chiefs is a bit unrecognizable.  The Rams are the deepest dog in Week 12 and could be the deepest dog so far in the 2022 NFL season. Of course, there are good reasons for that.

There will be no veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford under center today. Instead, the Rams will likely be going with backup quarterback Bryce Perkins, who will be making his first NFL start. And neither WR Cooper Kupp (IR) nor WR Allen Robinson (foot) will not be running routes for the Rams’ offense today. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs secondary will face WR Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell, and Brandon Powell, with a chance to see a bit of Lance McCutcheon and Jacob Harris to boot.

There will be no Darrell Henderson running with the football today. He was released with little fanfare a week ago. Instead, the Rams will likely be relying upon rookie running back Kyren Williams. Despite plenty of praise from the Rams coaching staff, Williams has only carried the football a total of eight times this season for 45 yards.

The Kansas City Chiefs (8-2) are projected to compete for, and perhaps win, Super Bowl LVII. The LA Rams are now projected to finish among the we’ll-get-them-next-year NFL teams whose fans have already begun to shop the NCAA for promising prospects to select in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The LA Rams haven’t surrendered just yet

And this is only Week 12 of an 18-week NFL regular season.

But there may be a stone or two in the LA Rams sling this week. And with a well-placed aim, perhaps this team can bring down the Goliath that is the Chiefs in this one.

There is no way that the pride of the Rams cannot be rankled with a gameday spread of +15.5 points. Yes, the Rams are only a shell of the team they once were, but there are still stars on the Rams team that could step up in a big way if the planets align.

The Rams could get a solid rushing attack going with the dual threat of mobile quarterback Bryce Perkins. And if the Rams leverage that, they could deploy plays that threaten to run Perkins in one direction and the running back in the other. If the Rams can get any kind of momentum going on the ground, they have a chance to get a solid ball-control passing game going. The longer the Rams’ offense controls the football, the better chance the Rams have of keeping this one close.

The Rams need to play a perfect game to have a shot. But we’ve seen just about everything go wrong for the Rams so far this season. Does this team have one good game in them? I think so, and that is why this one will be more than a postseason tune-up for the Kansas City Chiefs.