It's becoming clear that these 3 questions will pose huge impacts on Rams season

Okay, we know (or have a pretty good idea) what the Los Angeles Rams need to address and resolve in training camp in time for the 2025 NFL season. We've even named the top five questions facing the team this season, and the answers are vital to the direction the team goes this year. And that is not unique to the Rams football team. All 32 teams must identify, analyze, and address questions and concerns that hampered their teams' success last year.

It simply seems that the Rams do a pretty good job of fixing weaknesses on the fly. Call it the discerning eye of GM Les Snead, or the compact and confident coaching of HC Sean McVay, but the LA Rams have a knack for finding great fits for the roster even when the chips are down.

But that is only part of the story. The other aspect of the Rams' 2025 NFL season lies beyond their sphere of control. While 32 teams play 17 games, the Rams only have a direct impact on 17 games, or approximately 3.1 percent of the outcomes. Math tells us that there is a huge amount of football this season that is beyond the Rams' control.

Still, it's these outside forces that will play a significant role in determining the success or failure of the Rams' season. And like it or not, the Rams must not only address the variables that they can control in-house, but also be aware and prepare for what is happening around them. In short, the Rams can't stop the rain, but they can carry an umbrella.

That means it's not foolish to peer outside the corners of our own eyes to see what is happening in our peripheral vision. Factors that impact other NFL teams can eventually play a huge part in what transpires for the Rams. I do not subscribe to the belief that paying attention to other potential postseason opponents only matters in the final month of an NFL season.

Every game counts in that final record. Yes, teams that get hot, making a late-season playoff push, may have more momentum. That still does not mean that early-season games are meaningless.

Some games matter. Some teams stand as roadblocks to the Rams' hopes for a Super Bowl LX victory. Who might those teams be, and why? Let's discuss: