The Los Angeles Rams have played five games and it is still difficult to discern how well they stack up against the NFL’s best this season.
LA has notched wins over the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans,
and Indianapolis Colts. They fell short against the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
Which Rams win was most impressive?
1 – Week 4 over Colts: 27-20
2 – Week 1 over Texans: 14-9
3 – Week 2 over Titans: 33-19
The Rams will get their shot at the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7 with a chance at a sweep of the entire AFC South. This division seems to be a race between the Colts and Jaguars, and the Rams have already taken down one of the two more formidable foes. Indy has notable wins over the Dolphins, Broncos, Titans, and Raiders. This is not a murderer’s row of the NFL elite, and they are still a candidate to fade down the stretch even if their are real elements in their surprising start to the year.
The Texans started 0-3 with losses to potential playoff teams in the Rams, Buccaneers, and the Jaguars. This probably puts them in the mediocre to possible wildcard category, and they’ve collected wins over the Titans and hobbled Ravens. Simply put, the Rams ought to beat a team like the Texans but it’s not necessarily a victory you can or should hang your hat on.
Beating the 1-4 Titans was expected. The Rams saw a rookie quarterback in his second ever game.
Why the losses may be more concerning than they seem
While the Eagles started 4-2 and seemed on the path to contend for their second straight Super Bowl, they just don’t feel nearly as dangerous as they were a year ago. Philly barely defeated the middling Cowboys and a challenged Chiefs teams to start the year. They should be proud of their win over the Bucs; however, dropping two straight games against the Broncos and Eagles shows this team is nowhere near as talented or well-rounded as they were in 2024.
Along the same lines are the 49ers who are 4-1 with wins against the bottom feeding Saints and all three of their NFC West rivals. San Francisco hardly feels like a team capable of contending in 2025. Sure, it’s impressive they’ve been able to stay afloat without key players like Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and others who are set to return, they will not be getting back Nick Bosa and they are just 1-1 when Purdy has started.
It’s difficult to measure the 49ers’ success in the NFC West. Division games are usually close and surprises can happen. There remains plenty of time to decide the pecking order within the group, and San Francisco stands to benefit from a favorable schedule.
A challenging path ahead
Week 6 – at Ravens
Week 7 – at Jaguars (in London)
Week 8 – BYE
Week 9 – vs Saints
Week 10 – at 49ers
Week 11 – vs Seahawks
Week 12 – vs Buccaneers
I don’t think it is too soon to chalk up wins against the Ravens and Saints. The Rams should be heavy favorites in these games.
The contests against the Jaguars, 49ers, Seahawks, and Buccaneers will be much more closely matched. LA would be fortunate to go 2-2, and it’s important that they balance the scale against San Francisco and do not get swept.
