Rams fans already bracing for pain after NFL screws Matthew Stafford early on

The Los Angeles Rams may not have the worst Strength of Schedule (SOS) in 2025, but the Rams are not getting an easy ride this year. Thanks to finishing first in the NFC West Division in 2024,
the Rams have drawn the short straw in 2025 as they must face the best of the other NFL divisions this season. Unfortunately, the 2025 Rams schedule wastes no time throwing the Rams to the wolves.

Or in this case, at the Houston Texans (10-7) and Philadelphia Eagles (14-3).

The Rams coaxed veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford to return for 2025 and will continue to revisit whether Stafford is still passionate about returning to play football for one more year. But after facing the Texans and then going on the road to face the Tennessee Titans and then the Philadelphia Eagles, the following two weeks, he may have second thoughts about what he's willing to put his body through.

When it comes to getting after quarterbacks, the Texans and Eagles know the drill. In 2024, the Texans sacked opposing quarterbacks 49 times, good enough for the fourth-most proficient pass rush in the NFL. The Eagles were not far behind, coming in with 41 quarterback sacks, which was 13th-best in the league.

For comparison purposes, the Rams' pass rush recorded 38 quarterback sacks, only good enough for 21st place in the NFL. But don't let the Rams' numbers fool you. By the time the playoffs rolled in, the Rams were able to record 16 quarterback sacks in just two games. It just took time for the Rams' pass rush to heat up.

Can Matthew Stafford stay upright in 2025?

The key to the Rams success in 2025 remains keeping Matthew Stafford healthy. And the key to keeping Matthew Stafford healthy is to protect him from opposing pass rushers. Despite the uncertain nature of the Rams offensive line at times in 2024, the group did a solid job of keeping Stafford upright last season.

But even with only allowing Stafford to be sacked 28 times in 16 games, he still suffered a rib injury in Week 15 in a win against the San Francisco 49ers.

So, how fierce will opposing pass rushes be in 2025? Let's add last year's QB sack totals to the schedule to see for yourself.

• Week 1 - Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams (49 QB sacks, 4th)
• Week 2 - Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee Titans (32 QB sacks, 30th)
• Week 3 - Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles (41 QB sacks, 13th)
• Week 4 - Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams (36 QB sacks, 25th)
• Week 5 - San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (TNF) (37 QB sacks, 23rd)
• Week 6 - Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens (54 QB sacks, 2nd)
• Week 7 - Los Angeles Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars (@ Wembley Stadium) (34 QB sacks, 28th)
• Week 8 - BYE
• Week 9 - New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (39 QB sacks, 18th)
• Week 10 - Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (37 QB sacks, 23rd)
• Week 11 - Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams (45 QB sacks, 9th)
• Week 12 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams (SNF) (46 QB sacks, 6th)
• Week 13 - Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers (32 QB sacks, 29th)
• Week 14 - Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals (41 QB sacks, 13th)
• Week 15 - Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams (37 QB sacks, 23rd)
• Week 16 - Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (TNF) (45 QB sacks, 9th)
• Week 17 - Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons (MNF) (31 QB sacks, 31st)
• Week 18 - Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (41 QB sacks, 13th)

Of course, with a new season comes new players, and last season's stats get scrambled a bit in the new season. The Rams' young pass rush was entirely more effective at the end of 2024, so you can reasonably expect quarterback sacks to rise for second-year DC Chris Shula. We also know that the Atlanta Falcons made it a point to double up on rookie pass rushers in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, opting to send their Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Rams to do so. So their pass rush should improve this season as well.

The Rams offensive line faces four of the top 10 pass rushing defenses from 2024 this season. While those defenses may have new faces, the philosophy will be the same. They will still be getting after quarterbacks.

It will be up to the Rams' offensive linemen to protect Stafford long enough to deliver crisp, accurate passes. They were able to do so in 2024. Let's hope that history repeats itself.

As always, thanks for reading.

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