To even think that the Los Angeles Rams and their young coach Sean McVay are serious about winning now is clearly an understatement. They’ve made more moves than a Steph Curry crossover in the early part of 2018. The key additions (with more to come) so far are Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, and Brandin Cooks.
Let’s start on the defensive line which will be a nightmare matchup for any opposing offense, particularly in the trenches. The combination of Suh and the Defensive MVP of the league in Aaron Donald will cause havoc, particularly in the NFC West. Teams can no longer double team Donald, as they’ll have Suh to worry about regarding penetration on the line of scrimmage. The Rams will be very hard to run and pass on this year. I’m sure teams like Arizona, Seattle, and San Francisco are playing close attention, particularly on the offensive line.
Let’s also focus on the secondary as you have two of the best corners in the league on each side of the field in Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. Peters has led the league in picks since he entered the NFL in 2015. He has 19 interceptions during that time frame. He’s also a two time Pro Bowler (2015, 2016) and was the NFL Defensive Rookie of The Year in 2015.
Talib is a savvy veteran player who can make big plays as well. He has 34 career interceptions, 10 defensive TD’s, and 4 forced fumbles. He’s played for powerhouse teams in the past like the Patriots and the Denver Broncos. He earned a Superbowl ring while in Denver as they won Superbowl 50. I already had high praise for the Rams defense prior to these acquistions, but beware in the NFC West!
Let’s also consider that the young QB Jared Goff has blossomed right before our eyes into a rising star, something that wasn’t happening under the former coach in Jeff Fisher. Goff has good pocket presence, can read defenses well, and a canon for an arm. He not only can utilize weapons in the backfield like Todd Gurley, but he has four deep threats on the outside including the newly acquired Brandin Cooks to go along with Robert Woods, Tavon Austin, and Cooper Kupp. Woods had a great season last year with (56 receptions/ 861 yards/5 TD’s) while Kupp set Rams rookie records with (62 receptions/869 yards/5 TD’s).
The only way I see the Rams underachieving is if they beat themselves with costly mistakes or injuries. Suh can be known to make some foolish and unsportsmanlike plays on the field at times, and Aqib Talib despite lots of talent can be a hot head as well, just ask Michael Crabtree about that. Hopefully he’ll play smart and lose this upcoming season and not make the kind of mistakes that will hurt him and the team. I can’t question the competitive nature of any of these players, for they play hard and with a lot of passion.
I love what general manager Les Snead and coach McVay have been doing thus far to keep a winning environment and momentum heading into the 2018 season. Their 11-5 regular season and capturing the NFC West Division crown wasn’t a fluke. The scary part is, the Rams are only going to get better. With their powerhouse of a defense and some electric offensive players, watch out NFC , and quite frankly, watch out NFL. They are my favorite’s to come out of the NFC for Superbowl 53.