LA Rams remain on track to season's expectations

The saying that 'Patience is a virtue,' may be true, but it's not exactly in overabundant supply among fans of the LA Rams today. At least not based on a quick by unscientifically representative survey taken of social media, comments, and Rams forums the day after a disappointing Week 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a record of 3-4, the likelihood of the LA Rams earning a berth in the NFL playoffs are fading. The Rams are not necessarily a bad team. It's just that this young Rams roster struggles to compete consistently in all aspects of the game simultaneously. And worse yet, when the Rams do seem to resolve one issue, two more seem to spring up in their place.

The LA Rams are under-.500, but they have been competitive in all seven games. The problem is that the Rams have now played four home games at SoFi stadium. Yet the team has only mustered one win of those four games. But are games at SoFi Stadium truly home games when the visiting team fanbase takes over the stadium? The LA Rams have played the equivalent of road games at SoFi Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rams could fall further before BYE week

Perhaps not so coincidentally, those games were all home losses. The Rams will play two more road games before their BYE week. They must first travel to face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 10:00 am PT. That game will be followed by a trip to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 10:00 am PT. The LA Rams are 3-4 now. They could very likely be 3-6 at the BYE week.

This is a young team. And we continue to believe that the LA Rams will get better over time. But it's hard to beat veteran NFL teams after their BYE week. It's tough to deliver wins with a changing list of errors and problems. And curiously, the problems right now are not limited to young players, as veteran QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp both had forgettable performances in a Week 7 loss.

The LA Rams are turning to younger players for the foreseeable future, and that may be a better strategy than first expected. The best players on the Rams roster right now include their rookies. And with the way young players take a huge step in their second NFL season, the real payoff for this team could be just around the corner.