LA Rams 1-0 start is the result of hard work, with much more to come

The first week of any NFL season comes with some surprises. Some teams simply prepare better than other NFL teams. At full strength and an entire season to prepare, the LA Rams had a lot of pride to show up and play hard in Week 1. And then, as if the LA Rams needed any bulleting board fodder, Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf dissed the Rams' secondary.

Thankfully, the Rams made him pay.

This not a Super Bowl or bust article. The LA Rams are going to experience the highest of highs, oftentimes following the lowest of lows. The Rams lost their last game, a 41-0 drubbing in their third and final preseason game, to the Denver Broncos.

So yes, this season is going to be a wild roller coaster ride. So how do you avoid the emotional whiplash that accompanies a team with the likelihood of extremes this season? Always keep one foot on the ground. Even in the most optimistic scenarios, the LA Rams will likely win 9 or 10 games. Starting off the season at 1-0 means that the LA Rams will lose some games

Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best

The LA Rams were a well coached team in Week 1. It was more than just winning. It was the way that the team won the game.

1. The Rams did not lose the football
2. The Rams followed up a cheap hit in the back from Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf with two consecutive QB sacks on Seahawks
3. The Rams did not allow a QB sack
4. The Rams defense did not allow 100 yards rushing
5. The Rams pass defense did not allow 100+ yards passing (net 95 yards)

Fundamentally fit does not just 'happen,' in the NFL. It only comes from a coaching staff with tough love messaging throughout OTAs, training camp, and preseason games. But it gets nowhere without a group of players who accept and embody corrective messages. Young talented players who are not willing to fade or wilt at the first signs of adversity.

Adversity builds character. After all of the Rams roster moves and the influx of young players, this Rams roster appears to be well on its way to forging a solid team. The best part is that the team still has the accomplished veterans to lead the locker room, keep players in position, and keep this team rolling:

If you think this is all about the players? It's not. This is a team that has been willed back into relevance by a recharged LA Rams head coach Sean McVay. After the flabbergasting 5-12 record to 2022, Rams head coach had to rethink his future with the team.

Coming out of the Dark

We pointed out the transformation in LA Rams HC Sean McVay on multiple occasions this offseason. He was all smiles and loose in the press conference leading up to Week 1. Clearly, he knew how well the LA Rams were capable of playing.

Now the Seattle Seahawks know as well:

This was just one win. The Rams have 16 more difficult games ahead. No game is a gimme. With the Rams goal of competing for the NFL Playoffs next season, they have some wiggle room to find their passion for the game once more.

The LA Rams did not enter this game trying not to lose the game. This was an entire team effort by the Rams roster to win. What a difference that seems to make.