Los Angeles is threatening to blow up the postseason celebration following a miserable 2022.
The Green Bay Packers’ unexpected victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night would have given the Los Angeles Rams the final NFC playoff spot. Since their bye week, they have won three straight games, and despite Cooper Kupp missing his second straight game due to injury, the offense is clicking.
The Rams have scored more than 35 points in a row, including a 36-19 triumph over the Cleveland Browns and their excellent defense in Week 13. The Rams, a team that finished last season in the cellar, have quickly turned things around with a schedule that is light on competition until a Week 18 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
In 2022, their “F them picks” tactic finally fizzled out. Add to that the serious injuries suffered by Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford, and they simply lacked the fighters to defend the title. The Rams had the third-worst record in the NFC at the end of the 2022 season, going 5-12. They did not have a first-round selection, as usual either. Since they selected Jared Goff first overall in the 2016 draft, the Rams have not had a pick in the first round.
They did, however, hit a home run in the 2023 NFL Draft’s fifth round. Offensive Rookie of the Year will go to CJ Stroud, but Puka Nacua made him earn it. Ever since making his debut this season with ten receptions for 119 yards, the rookie wide receiver for the Rams has been on a roll.
He has caught 77 passes for 1,029 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. His speed worries caused him to fall in the draft. This season, only Nacua, Tyreek Hill, and Deebo Samuel have recorded times of 20 mph or more on both a reception and a rush. In his final year of college, Nacua scored five rushing touchdowns; the Rams finally allowed him to run some jet sweeps against the Browns. He accumulated 34 yards on two carries.
There have been other standouts in Sean McVay’s explosive offense besides Nacua. Despite missing five games due to injury, second-year running back Kyren Williams, another fifth-round pick, has rushed for 687 yards and seven touchdowns. With Kupp missing so much time, Tutu Atwell has performed admirably as the No. 2 receiver for the majority of this season. Royce Freeman, who averages 4.6 yards per carry, has been a reliable No. 2 back.
Stafford has participated in every game this season as well. With nine interceptions, he has a high turnover rate, but that was to be expected when he paired his gunslinging approach with a group of inexperienced wide receivers. In 2023, Stafford has passed for 2,768 yards and 16 touchdowns on 60.7% of his passes. By DVOA, the Rams’ offense is ranked ninth.
The defense has had difficulties this season, despite the offense mostly being on fire. The Rams lack any well-known talent on that side of the ball except for Aaron Donald. However, they haven’t let a team score more than 20 points since the bye week. In his contract year, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon has been a no-fly zone for opposing offenses.
The Rams will release $80 million in dead money from their books at the end of this season. Additionally, they still possess their first-round pick in the NFL Draft of 2024. During the offseason, pitching young professional athletes to work in Los Angeles should not present any difficulties.
The Rams have put together one incredible 2023 thus far. Holding them back were seven years without a first-round pick and all that dead money on the books. With five games left on a favorable schedule, the Rams are well on their way to making the playoffs after charging ahead with their horns up.
The Rams have amassed an incredible debt load while losing over five years of top draft picks. They have done this by participating in two Super Bowls, of which they have won one, and having only two losing seasons since moving back to Los Angeles in 2022. “F them picks,” I suppose, was the “F’n right” tactic.