The Denver Broncos host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. Both teams are coming off impressive Week 2 wins after faltering in their season openers. Here is a deeper look at the Broncos’ Week 3 opponent.
2025 Los Angeles Rams Season Review
The Rams finished their 2025 regular season with a 12-5 record earning second place in the NFC West. They would go on to lose the NFC Championship game to the Seattle Seahawks 31-27.
2026 Los Angeles Rams Offseason Additions and Departures
After failing
to make the Super Bowl, General Manager Les Snead made a series of high-profile trades and moves this offseason. The big focus was on improving their defense.
They made a gargantuan trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire Myles Garrett. However, he suffered a knee injury in Week 1 and won’t be available for their matchup versus the Broncos on Sunday Night Football. They also made a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for star cornerback Trent McDuffie to improve their secondary.
Versatile defensive back Jaylen Watson was also added into the mix on a three-year deal. And the big surprise? Defensive lineman Aaron Donald came out of retirement to help the team’s pursuit of another Lombardi Trophy.
Instead of getting a player to help them win now in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Rams picked Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round. With Matthew Stafford getting up there in age, it’s understandable, but a lot of their fan base was certainly hoping for a player that could have provided a year one impact for the team.
In the second round, they took Ohio State tight end Max Klare—another curious decision since they brought back Tyler Higbee and had drafted Terrance Ferguson in the second round in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Offensive X-Factor: Quarterback Matthew Stafford
A handful of players could have earned this designation for the Rams. However, choosing last year’s MVP makes the most sense. That’s longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford who is in his eighteenth season in the NFL. Stafford’s productivity and longevity will certainly result in him eventually being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Last season, Stafford threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns with just 8 interceptions. It was arguably one of the best seasons by a signal caller in NFL history. The Rams touted the best offense in the NFL in 2025.
His primary target last season was Puka Nacua, who reeled in 129 of 166 targets for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, his availability for Sunday’s primetime matchup is uncertain and it seems unlikely he will be able to play.
Even so, Davante Adams gives them a top-notch wide receiver. Adams was the Rams’ second leading receiver with 60 receptions on 114 targets for 789 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. He is coming off a huge game versus the New York Giants where he had nearly 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The longtime veteran could be a huge problem for Denver.
There’s no doubt the Rams have a prolific passing attack with Stafford at the helm. He’s also been a hard quarterback to sack over the years. Dialing up the heat on Stafford and limiting Adams’ impact will be crucial for Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph. They can’t let their passing attack go wild on Sunday Night Football.
Defensive X-Factor: Cornerback Trent McDuffie
Myles Garrett certainly would have earned my designation here, but he won’t be playing. That’s good news for the Broncos. Aaron Donald earned some consideration, but I ultimately wound up going with two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.
The Rams gave up a lot of draft capital to acquire McDuffie and gave him one of the biggest contracts at the position in NFL history. In his first two games for the Rams, so far so good for the fifth-year cornerback. McDuffie has been targeted six times and allowed four receptions for just 23 yards. Against the Giants, he was able to pick off Jameis Winston after starting quarterback Jaxson Dart left the game due to injury.
Bo Nix already has a few bad decisions and turnovers this season. Denver can’t afford to have him get picked off by McDuffie in primetime. It’ll be interesting to see who McDuffie ends up trailing the most in coverage. Conventional wisdom says Courtland Sutton, but with the way the Broncos are trying to involve Jaylen Waddle in their aerial attack, it wouldn’t be surprising to see McDuffie matched up against Waddle on occasion.
How the Broncos can secure a victory over the Rams
ICYMI: I offered a blueprint for a Broncos’ victory yesterday. This is going to be a very tough game for Denver to win, but I do like the fact Denver will have homefield advantage. Some people will discount that, but the stadium was absolutely rocking due to fan noise against the Jaguars.
The Broncos need to have a strong rushing attack and have time consuming drives. This also means better execution on third down. The Rams have an offense that can strike quick and score a lot of points. This isn’t a game where I want to see Nix have to throw forty times and try and outduel Stafford.
I’d also like to see them do much better with starting field position. They did not do well in this regard against the Jaguars and were routinely inside their own fifteen-yard line to begin several drives. Hopefully Marvin Mims Jr. is able to return from injury and offer some impact as a returner on special teams.
And as I say most weeks—no more penalties. This is absolutely crippling the offense’s ability to be efficient. Somehow, someway, I think the Broncos will squeak out a victory in primetime.
Hart’s Prediction: Broncos 24, Rams 23.
