Nate Davis doesn’t have the Rams winning the NFC West, but he does predict a rematch with the Eagles in the playoffs

As disappointing as the end of the Los Angeles Rams’ 2024 season was, they were a team that exceeded expectations – especially after starting the year 1-4. A lot of people counted them out just before they went on a 9-3 run to finish the regular season and took down the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the playoffs.

This year, there’s much more hype surrounding the Rams. They’re viewed as a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the NFC, a team capable of taking down the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Rams 2025 season prediction

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis released his full-season predictions on Wednesday, picking each team’s record and the full playoff picture. Davis likes the Rams’ chances of making a deep run despite picking them to go 11-6, finish second in the NFC West and barely sneak into the postseason as the No. 6 seed in the NFC.

Here’s what he wrote about Los Angeles.

Again, it’s worth noting that this team came the closest to knocking off the loaded Eagles on the road to Super Bowl 59, the Rams nearly pulling off the upset … on the road … in the snow. Imagine what they can do with a promising young defense one year better, not to mention being somewhat past the LA wildfires that affected this team and its city last January. So much hinges on the health of QB Matthew Stafford, 37, whose back has kept him sidelined during training camp, though by design, according to ESPN. But if he can continue posting on game day, as he usually does, he and his team have a legit shot at a second ring in a five-season span.

In the playoffs, Davis has the Rams making a lot of noise. He picked them to upset the No. 3 seed 49ers in the wild-card round, beating their rivals on the road. Then in the divisional round, he picked them to take down the top-seeded Eagles in a rematch of last year’s snowy playoff game.

In the NFC Championship Game, it’s the Packers and Rams playing for a spot in the Super Bowl. Davis picked the Packers to advance and face the Ravens in the big game, crowning Baltimore as Super Bowl champions in the upcoming season.

It would be quite the run for the Rams to make it to the NFC title game for the third time since 2018, but fans would certainly be disappointed by a loss to the Packers. The road to the playoffs is going to be tough for Los Angeles but on paper, this is one of the best teams in football – provided the Rams can stay healthy.

Elsewhere in the NFC West, Davis has the Rams winning the division at 11-6, with the Cardinals and Seahawks both finishing 9-8. The other playoff teams in the NFC not previously mentioned are the Commanders (7), Lions (5) and Buccaneers (4).