3 tough stretches on Rams' schedule that could define their 2023 season

[theramswire.usatoday.com] 3 tough stretches on Rams' schedule that could define their 2023 season


Cameron DaSilva
May 16, 2023 7:19 am PT
If the Los Angeles Rams are going to have a successful season and make the playoffs, they’ll need to overcome what’s viewed as a difficult schedule. When looking at their 17-game slate, there are three specific stretches that could end up deciding their season.

There are three-game stretches at the beginning of the season, right in the middle and at the very end that the Rams will have to play well during. If they go 1-2 or 0-3 during any or all of those stretches, it could cost them a playoff spot.

Let’s look at those three three-game stretches, beginning with a brutal open to the season for Los Angeles.

1
Weeks 1-3: at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, at Bengals

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Right off the bat, the Rams will be tested by three teams that made the playoffs last season. The Seahawks got better, the 49ers are one of the top teams in the NFC and the Bengals have one of the best rosters in the AFC with Joe Burrow at quarterback.

We’ll quickly learn whether the Rams can compete with legitimate Super Bowl contenders or if they’re going to endure another sub-.500 season. If they can manage to go even just 1-2 to open the year, it would keep them afloat in the NFC West. Three straight losses, including two to division rivals, would be a brutal way to open the year.


2
Weeks 7-9: vs. Steelers, at Cowboys, at Packers

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The Steelers may not look like a terribly impressive team, but Kenny Pickett will have a year of experience under his belt and Mike Tomlin’s teams are always competitive. Even last year they managed to go 9-8 with poor quarterback play.

After that home game, the Rams go on the road to face the Cowboys and Packers in back-to-back weeks – and both of those games are 10 a.m. PT kickoffs. Early games haven’t bothered the Rams under Sean McVay, but that’s a brutal travel stretch against two solid teams in the NFC before the Week 10 bye.


3
Weeks 16-18: vs. Saints, at Giants, at 49ers

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The Saints and Giants are both tough teams to gauge in the NFC. New Orleans should be much improved with Derek Carr at quarterback and it has had a top-10 defense in each of the last three years. That’s unlikely to change in 2023.

The Giants made the playoffs last season and Daniel Jones seems to have blossomed into at least a top-16 quarterback in the NFL. The Rams will be on the road playing at 10 a.m. PT in that game, which makes it even more difficult.

Then to cap off the season, they’ll visit the 49ers in Week 18, which could decide the Rams’ playoff fate. San Francisco has the Rams’ number, winning eight of the last nine meetings, and by this point in the season, the 49ers should have their quarterback situation sorted out.