The hallmark of the Los Angeles Rams under head coach Sean McVay has been their offense. Even before trading for Matthew Stafford and winning a Super Bowl, the Rams’ offense powered the team through each season even if the defense sputtered.
This could be the case once more in 2025. The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia ranked the Rams as the 11th-best offense in the NFL heading into the season despite concerns about the health of Stafford. The infrastructure around him — schemes and players alike — play a big role in the prediction for this Rams’ squad.
They might be the hardest team to project right now. Matthew Stafford has been with the Rams for four seasons. He’s started 10-plus games three times. All three of those seasons, the Rams have produced a top-10 offense. This should be simple: Sean McVay plus Stafford plus Puka Nacua plus Davante Adams should equal another top-10 offense. The only problem? Stafford was sidelined for several weeks with a back issue this summer, and he suited up for practice for the first time on Monday.
But it’s not just the back issue. There were some signs of decline for Stafford going back to last season. Remember when McVay rested his starters in Week 18, even though the Rams had playoff seeding on the line? That seemed to be part of a strategic plan to take care of their aging quarterback. And then in the offseason, the Rams gave Stafford permission to seek a trade. I know a big part of that was financial, but would they have been willing to go that far if they were hellbent on bringing Stafford back eventually?
When Stafford was pressured last season, he ranked 28th out of 36 quarterbacks in EPA per pass play. On snaps where the Rams did not use play-action, Stafford ranked 21st in EPA per pass play. In other words, he could be at the stage of his career where he needs specific conditions to be effective. Stafford’s A game is still as good as almost any passer in the NFL. I’m just not sure how often he’s going to be able to deliver that A-game over the course of a 17-game season. By the way, I haven’t even mentioned that the Rams have a shaky offensive tackle situation. I hate to doubt the infrastructure here, and I do see a high ceiling. But in case you can’t tell, I have concerns!
It all hinges on Stafford, which is something everyone knew this offseason when the Rams made concerted efforts to keep him despite his contract demands. Jimmy Garoppolo is a fine backup quarterback, but not one who can lead them to a Super Bowl the way Stafford literally has done since he joined the team in 2021.
The Rams need to focus on keeping Stafford upright, healthy and happy. The offensive skill position players are great with Nacua, Adams and Kyren Williams. They even added another tight in Terrance Ferguson through the draft.
This is a team that can compete offensively with the best in the NFL, so long as its franchise quarterback remains under center. And pundits know this.