The Truth About the 2024 Los Angeles Rams
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Los Angeles Rams have the second-best odds to win the NFC West. The oddsmakers are saying that the Rams have a 50/50 chance to make the playoffs, but I don’t think it’s as close as they are making it seem. Why is the second youngest team in the NFL whose best players are injury-prone ranked so highly amongst the oddsmakers? I am expected to believe a team that won 10 games last year but lost their best player due to retirement isn’t due for regression. If you ask me, there are too many questions surrounding this year's Rams team.
Last season, only two out of the top six youngest teams in the NFL made the playoffs. In the 2022-23 season, three out of the top six youngest teams made the playoffs. In the 2021-22 season, only one of the top six youngest teams in the league made the playoffs. Are you noticing a trend? The likelihood of making the playoffs while being in the top six youngest teams in the league is less than the 50% chance the Rams have this season. The Rams being young isn’t the only problem, it’s also the positions they are young in that concern me. The Rams are young at offensive line and defensive line. On the offensive line, they only have one starter over 30 years old. On the defensive line, they have zero starting players over the age of 30. Being young in two of the most important parts of the field is not an advantage.
Although everyone is trying their best to stay healthy for the entirety of an NFL season, some players are more injury-prone than others. In back-to-back seasons Cooper Kupp has played less than 13 games because of injuries. Kupp is 31 years old and the history of the NFL tells us that wide receivers don’t get healthier/better in their 30s. Matthew Stafford is someone who has also had his fair share of injuries. Last year, he played in 15 games but the year prior he only played in nine. Stafford suffered a hamstring injury in camp this summer and although head coach Sean McVay said “I am not concerned” we all know how soft tissue injuries can linger. For a team that I believe is going to have to rely on both Kupp and Stafford heavily this season if they want to compete, it’s hard to imagine they can maintain perfect health for an 18-week regular season. The All-Time rookie receiving yards leader Puka Nacua also got hurt during training camp. It was a knee injury that team doctors expected him to return from before Week One, but given Nacua’s injury history, it isn’t good that he has already missed practices due to injuries.
In my opinion, the Rams aren’t a smart bet to make the playoffs. Teams like the Bears, Seahawks, Falcons, Cardinals, and even the Panthers made moves to improve their roster. Meanwhile, the Rams got worse. If I were a betting man, the under-on wins/playoff appearance this season would be something I heavily consider.
