Quentin Lake turned Rams' hidden challenge into best motivation

The Los Angeles Rams have one of the league's toughest schedules this season. It starts with a bang, a rivalry clash against the 49ers in Australia, and save for a short-lived soft spot in the middle, the burner only gets hotter. There's nothing like ending the season with two games in three weeks against the defending champs, the Seattle Seahawks. 

Rams safety and designated locker room hype man Quentin Lake pinpointed another, less obvious challenge that also lies in wait. 

"I know this for a fact: we're going to get everybody's A-game. Everybody is highlighting us on the schedule to say, 'The Rams are the team to beat.'" 

Lake is exactly right. Adding Myles Garrett was the defining blow in an offseason that has painted a bright red target on their backs, elevating LA to the odds-on Super Bowl favorites by a comfortable margin. 

But the upbeat DB isn't about to wallow in dread or nervousness. In fact, he feels the opposite. 

A lot of people talk about, 'it is pressure or is it not,' but pressure is for the unprepared. We're trying to be the most prepared team that we can be, so that we can go out there and dominate, and play fast and play physical and win games. So I hope we get everybody's A-game, because then when we beat them, it'll be like, 'You know, this team's for real.'"

Lake puts perfect spin on Rams' tall task

When we beat them. Rams fans like the sound of that. Lake isn't putting the cart before the horse. That's not what he means. He is simply confident that if this team puts in the work, they can be anybody, any day. If they can do that, onlookers will have no choice but to acknowledge the greatness on the roster that, right now, is still waiting to be realized. It's all about turning those sky-high projections into cold, hard facts.

And you know what? That's the perfect spin to put on the Horns' grueling slate. 

On top of their fifth-ranked strength of schedule by projected win totals, they will once again be subjected to an exhausting amount of travel. Only San Francisco will traverse more than LA's 34,847 estimated air miles. 

When the Rams touch down in Denver, in Philadelphia, in Seattle, they will then be tasked with going out to beat some of the best teams in the NFL. Even lower-profile matchups against adversaries like the Giants and Commanders won't be any piece of cake when the other side is getting up for the game like the Super Bowl came early. 

Lake isn't complaining, though, and neither are the Rams. They're focused on the task at hand, which is taking the process of preparation day by day.

Defensive coordinator Chris Shula already has his players in the right headspace amid the crashing waves of giddy enthusiasm coming at them from all sides. His comments echoed those of head coach Sean McVay during an introductory press conference with general manager Les Snead and Garrett.

Lake's spin on the pressure and challenges the Rams will face is motivating in the best possible way. So you think you're great? Go out there and prove it. Prove this team is for real.

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