Sideways glance at Rams 2025 opponents proves schedule is not something to fear

2025 road games

If you examine the road games in the Rams 2025 schedule, the scariest part is not just the opponent, but the travel miles and the time zone changes. At least four teams are in Eastern Time Zone, a full three hours ahead of the Rams natural Pacific Time Zone. But if the team can manage the jet lag and the back-and-forth flip to new time zones, the Rams have only a handful of tough travel games ahead.

Carolina Panthers (5-12)

The Carolina Panthers invested the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. So far, Young has not been the NFL quarterback that they believed him to be. They have a young core of offensive weapons around Young, and invested heavily in the defense in the 2025 NFL Draft. They may improve in the future as the roster starts to congeal, but they still face an uphill battle to break .500 in 2025.

Atlanta Falcons (8-9)

The Atlanta Falcons are going to get plenty of vitriol from Rams fans who see that Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as the key to landing a proper rookie quarterback to take over the team from veteran QB Matthew Stafford. And those fans are on the right track. The Falcons invested heavily in a pass rush that only generated 31 QB sacks in 2024. With two Round 1 rookie pass rushers in Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker and Tennessee edge rusher Jalen Pearce Jr., they are on the road to doing better, someday. But the offense will be led by second-year QB Michael Penix. The Falcons have a bright future, but a rainy day present. They will regress just a bit in 2025.

Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

This is going to be another tough road game. The Eagles reloaded in the offseason and could finish 2025 with even more wins. As long as the Eagles have a healthy Saquon Barkley at running back, they are going to put points on the board. Did the Rams do enough to stop Barkley from gashing them for 200+ rushing yards? Yes. But Barkley can still be a factor if he rushes 90+ yards, if he scores, and he can still punch it into the endzone against the Rams' run defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)

The Jacksonville Jaguars poached former Rams personnel executive James Gladstone to become their new General Manager, and so far, he is rolling the dice to make rapid improvements to that team. But Brad Holmes needed time when he took over as Detroit Lions GM, so expect a similar pattern for Gladstone. An unconfirmed NFL schedule leak pits the Rams in Wembley, England, to face the Jaguars. If true, it sets the stage for WR Puka Nacua to match Cooper Kupp's sensational game in 2019, a game that found Kupp putting up 220 receiving yards. Nacua will have his work cut out for him, as the Jags loaded up their secondary with impressive rookies. But they are a five-win team in 2025.

Tennessee Titans (3-14)

The Tennessee Titans selected Miami QB Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. While the Rams did not spoil Chicago Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams' first NFL season, I do see the Rams spoiling Ward's rookie season. The Titans struggled to score points last season and did not do much to help out Ward in this offense. And the team now has an abundance of young rookie QBs, in that they have young Will Levis to back up Ward. That is not a great situation. The Titans are a four-win team in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens (12-5)

The Baltimore Ravens are set up almost identically to the Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams boast an offense built around an elite running back, a mobile quarterback who can win games by running but boasts a solid passing arm, and a rock-solid defense. How ironic is it that the Rams pushed the Ravens to the limit in 2023 before falling, and then repeated a similar narrative in 2024 against the Eagles? The only weakness of the Ravens is a new kicker. But that could be the difference when these two teams meet. Otherwise, the Ravens remain the cream of the AFC North Division crop.