Tom Brady's harsh prognostication about Rams season may be correct after all

When the 11-4 Los Angeles Rams peaked at number one on Tom Brady's NFL power ranking, the team was 9-2. But four games and two losses later, Los Angeles no longer gives off the same aura. This team can and has been beaten. The worst part of it all is that the one stingy defense has become porous and generous.

At the time, LA was winning, and winning big. The team was atop both the NFC West Division and the NFC, and the team seemed virtually unstoppable. Still, the praise bestowed on the team was a bit over the top. Fans became cocky. While the team may not have been complacent, injuries were beginning to stack up. So, as Brady considered the Rams as the best team in the NFL, he had one prophetic concern.

Were the Rams peaking too early?

And now, at 11-4, it seems that they may have.

Peaking too early? Well, the team just lost starting right guard Kevin Dotson, who joins starting right tackle Rob Havenstein. The team just played a vital game without wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) and tight end Tyler Higbee (IR). And the defense has not been the same since losing defensive back Quentin Lake.

So yes, he has a point.

Rams need to rest, regroup, refocus, and rework the roster

Right now, the best medicine for an ailing Rams roster is to rest up and heal. The team has too many bangs, bumps and bruises right now. Of course, the most critical players to get back on the football field are RG Kevin Dotson, WR Davante Adams, and DB Quetin Lake.

The team almost certainly views the Week 18 contest with the Arizona Cardinals as an opportunity to sit starters. It's been a trend for LA to give starters the 17th game off, and that is unlikely to change in 2025. That means the guys who seem to be weary and aching will have time to recover. That will make a huge difference.

The team hopes to have Davante Adams, Quentin Lake, and Kevin Dotson back on the football field for the playoffs. With the team's priority to get healthy, I suspect that any decisions to play injured players in the last two games of the season will result in those players sitting out. This team will not risk injuries to players in an attempt to squeeze the Falcons to rise in the draft order.

As far as coaching, the team has already turned over the reins to special teams to Ben Kotwica. And the defense remains in the hands of Chris Shula. For now, that's as good as it gets.

The Rams may have peaked early. But there is still time to recover. This team knows how to turn it up a notch. Los Angeles may not be the number one seed in the NFC. But this team was not the number one seed when it won Super Bowl LVI.

As always, thanks for reading.