The Los Angeles Rams gave the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles a run for their money in the NFC playoffs. Not only did the Rams fall to the Eagles but only six points, but they had a legitimate shot at taking them down in the waning moments of the game.
L.A. didn’t, though, and now heads into 2025 with revenge on the mind. The Rams will get their first shot to see the Eagles in Week 3, but they hope to at least make it further in the playoffs than Philadelphia.
There are plenty of contenders across the NFL in 2025 who could unseat the Eagles, but NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha ranked the Rams as his fifth team who could do it behind the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.
“It might be surprising to some that the Rams are rated higher on this list than the Commanders, seeing how Washington was the team that faced Philadelphia in January’s NFC title bout. It actually shouldn’t be a stunner when considering how both teams performed against the Eagles in the postseason. The Commanders gave up 55 points to Philadelphia and lost by 32. The Rams lost after a pass from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua fell incomplete with 26 seconds left in what would be a 28-22 Divisional Round defeat. The Rams gave the Eagles all they could handle on that snowy day, and it’s not hard to think Sean McVay’s bunch could do so again in the coming season.
“Los Angeles was supposed to be the franchise festering in salary cap purgatory after going all in to win a Super Bowl in the 2021 season. Instead, the Rams have remade their roster with savvy personnel moves and smart drafting. The team that relied heavily on expensive stars to win a Lombardi Trophy four years ago is now young, confident and eager to chase another title.
“Stafford is still around after flirting with other teams in the offseason before eventually signing a new contract with L.A. Free-agent signee Davante Adams replaces Cooper Kupp as the complement to Nacua at wide receiver, while running back Kyren Williams (1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024) remains one of the most underrated weapons in the league. The Rams are just as impressive on the other side of the football, specifically in the front seven. Combining interior defensive linemen Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner with edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young, defensive coordinator Chris Shula can create havoc for opposing offenses. Los Angeles proved as much in Philadelphia back in January. The Rams should be even more dangerous as this upcoming season plays out.”
The Rams have an uneven team in terms of experienced veterans versus younger players. The offense is split between Stafford and Adams’ longevity versus Nacua and Williams’ youthful exuberance. The defense is even younger, with a cadre of defensive linemen with fewer than four years of experience.
But the Rams have Sean McVay as their head coach, and that certainly helps going against one of the more creative offenses in the NFL.