... is how would the season have gone under more "normal" or typical health conditions. Let's say Stafford played 15+ games and they still had some OL go down- Edwards, Allen, Noteboom, etc. all missing chunks of the season but not all three backups and not some of the backups' backups, etc.
My best guess is they'd have gone 8-9 or maybe 9-8. I think losses to Tampa and Arizona don't happen, for example, if they were even somewhat healthier.
Anyway, my point is the 2022 Rams were going to be a noticeable step back from the 2021 team. They just were. We all saw it in week 1 vs. BUF. A play I remember in that game was a no-look pass Stafford tried. Very similar to the game winning drive no-look to Kupp in the Super Bowl that he threaded. But this time
it was tipped and intercepted. And I thought, "yep, those magical plays are magic for a reason. They don't happen most of the time..."
The OL injuries were unprecedented. Totally. And their health as a team was 2nd worst in the league. I just had a hard time being really that bothered by it because (a) they had been SO healthy for the previous 5 seasons and (b) they'd just won the Super Bowl...
I don't know where I'm really going with this frankly. Other than perhaps the wholesale changes we are seeing now maybe would not be happening if they'd gone 8-9 or 9-8. And maybe (?) in the long run they are better off that 2022 was as bad as it was? For McVay to figure himself out? For the team to make the moves they have to get 'clean' for lack of a better term for 2024?
Anyway.....
