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

The Los Angeles Rams will learn when they play their 2025 opponents this week, as the NFL schedule is due for release on May 14. When the Rams' schedule is finally made official, fans can begin to pick and choose which games make the most sense to attend and cheer on the team in person. It also creates opportunities for all NFL fans to glance at rival NFL teams and applaud or disparage the difficulty or simplicity of other teams' schedules.

Rams fans are incentivized to cheer for all Atlanta Falcons' opponents this year. For every game that appears in the Falcons' loss column, the Round 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft traded by the Falcons to the Rams becomes that much more valuable.

And it's becoming more and more probable that the Rams will be shopping for a rookie quarterback to take the baton from veteran QB Matthew Stafford in the 2026 NFL Draft. Still, there is a 2025 NFL season to face, and as the NFC West Division Winner, the Rams will get the league's best queued up as opponents this year.

But how scary is the schedule, even before we check the boxes of when and where those games will be played?

Can that be right? Can the Rams have the 17th-ranked strength of schedule in 2025? Let's examine how that can be, and if there are any wrinkles in the calculation.

NFC West Division Opponents

The NFC West Division has been a battle ground for years between Rams HC Sean McVay and San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan. Whichever team struggles, the Seattle Seahawks have been opportunistic enough to slide into the mix.

Arizona Cardinals X 2 (8-9)

The Arizona Cardinals finished 2024 with a record of 8-9. But they are a team that has made subtle but impressive moves in the offseason. The Cardinals picked up defensive lineman Josh Sweat and drafted rookie DT Walter Nolan to join him. While that can help their defense, the Cardinals invested little into the offense. Is that a winning strategy? I can't see the Cardinals doing much better in 2025.

Seattle Seahawks X 2 (10-7)

The Seattle Seahawks pushed the Rams to Week 16, and ultimately ended the season with the same 10-7 record. But this is a Seahawks team that shed QB Geno Smith and WRs Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Instead, they are going with former Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold and former Rams WR Cooper Kupp. The Seahawks draft was a bit underwhelming for 2025, but they did add speedy QB Jalen Milroe to learn behind Darnold. New QB though? Hate to say it for Kupp's new team, but they will struggle to break .500 this year too.

San Francisco 49ers X 2 (6-11)

Finishing 6-11 in 2024, the San Francisco 49ers win the easiest schedule in the NFC West and the easiest schedule in the NFL. But is that enough to rebound? This is a team whose offense has QB Brock Purdy, WRs Demarcus Robinson, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall, and RB Christian McCaffrey. But it is a defense attempting a soft reboot (think of the Rams in 2023), and I'm just not a believer that will make everything AOK in 2025. The 49ers are going to win more games, but I put their ceiling for victories at nine wins.

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.

2025 home games

Home games at SoFi Stadium are a mixed blessing for the Rams. Experiencing a game at SoFi Stadium to cheer on the Rams is a must for all fans. It's a panorama of high-tech futuristic engineering with the simple comfort of a backyard barbecue under the gazebo. But the average ticket price of $225 per ticket, as per Vivid Seats, cuts far too deeply into a family budget. But if you can swing the price, here are the teams you can see:

New Orleans Saints (5-12)

With the news of the unexpected retirement of New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr, the Saints are facing a season behind rookie QB Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, or Jake Haener. Those are not exactly household names. While the Saints could make a last-minute deal to pry a quarterback from a deep depth chart elsewhere, I look for the team to bite the bullet, play out the 2025 NFL season, and look for roster help in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Saints struggled to win five games in 2024. They will struggle to win three games in 2025.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)

The Rams face a former ally when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by QB Baker Mayfield. You can bet that LA Rams HC Sean McVay knows the Bucs, as he cited their offensive success in 2024 as the template for his offensive strategy in 2025. But admiration is a far cry from confidence. Still, I think the Rams will have a bit of an edge in this game. The Rams know Mayfield, but Mayfield is not as familiar with this new iteration of the Rams roster. And the Rams get the Buccaneers in SoFi Stadium. The Buccaneers will win the NFC South Division, but will do it despite losing to the Rams.

Detroit Lions (15-2)

The Los Angeles Rams have lost the last two games against the Detroit Lions. But let's be honest with ourselves. The 2024 season opener that had the Rams competing without either starting offensive tackle or starting cornerback, with a ragtag tandem of inside linebackers, and with multiple players leaving the game due to injury (Puka Nacua, LT Joe Noteboom, and LG Steve Avila) did not bode well for the visitors. And yet the game was not settled until a TD scored by the Lions in overtime ended the game. The Lions are good for 12 wins in 2025, but will not get one against the Rams this year.

Houston Texans (10-7)

The Houston Texans were a quiet NFC South Division winner in 2024, and may have done a lot to do even better in 2025. They picked up both Iowa State rookie wide receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, both of whom would be solid additions to the Rams' roster. They also added rookie OT Aireontae Ersery to compete for the vacated spot of Laremy Tunsil, now with the Washington Commanders. The Texans are for real, and they could improve to a 12-win team in 2025.

Indianapolis Colts (8-9)

The Indianapolis Colts always seem to be a bridesmaid and never a bride when it comes to winning the AFC South Division, and even in landing a seed in the NFL Playoffs. They seem to be a team that is a quarterback away from competing in the Super Bowl. But yet they are sticking with Anthony Richards, and backing him up with New York Giants outcast Daniel Jones and Notre Dame rookie Riley Leonard. Can Richardson unlock his full potential in 2025? I can't see it. He is a talented and promising young quarterback who was thrown into the fire too soon. It didn't help that seasoned veteran Joe Flacco performed significantly better. The Colts drafted TE Tyler Warren, but did little else to help Richardson in 2025. Look for the Colts to win seven games and fall short again in 2025.

The Rams face some tough games in 2025, yes. But the scariest games are not scary at all. The Rams have to respect the Eagles, Ravens, Texans, and Lions this year. But the Rams are strong enough to win two of those four games.

While we await the schedule, and the indepth analysis and reactions that accompany it, Rams fans can pause a moment and breath deeply. There are no boogeymen or monsters in the closet embedded in the Rams schedule this year. Some tough games? Sure. But competition only serves to make this team better.

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