LOS ANGELES RAMS
2022 Record - 5-12
Head Coach - Sean McVay
Offensive Rank - 32nd (281 YPG); Scoring - 27th (18.1 PPG)
Defensive Rank - 19th (341 YPG); Scoring - 21st (22.6 PPG)
Matthew Stafford returns for another season with the Rams as the starting quarterback after passing for 2,087 yards with ten touchdowns and eight interceptions in an injury filled season. Rookie Stetson Bennett IV (Georgia) will be the backup. Running back Cam Akers went for 786 rushing yards a year ago (4.2 YPC average) and scored seven touchdowns. Kyren Williams is in the fold along with Ronnie Rivers and rookie Zach Evans (Mississippi) to run the football. Cooper Kupp missed time with injuries last season and he caught 75 passes for 812 yards and six touchdowns. Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek (39, 376), Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua (BYU) and tight end Tyler Higbee (72, 620, three TD) are the other targets in the passing game.
All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald spear heads the Rams defense and he could have three rookies playing along with him this season. Defensive tackle Kobie Turner (Syracuse), defensive end Nick Hampton (Appalachian State) and linebacker Byron Young (Tennessee) are three of seven draft picks on defense by the Rams heading into the 2023 season. Veterans Marquise Copeland (DT) and linebackers Ernest Jones and Michael Hoecht round out the front seven. In the secondary, corners Cobie Durant (three interceptions) and Derion Kendrick and safeties Quentin Lake and Jordan Fuller will lead the way along with rookie Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson (TCU) and Robert Rochell.
OUTLOOK FOR 2023 - The Rams won the Super Bowl just two years ago, but now they find themselves in a spot with a lot of new faces on the roster and the unenviable task of competing with Arizona to stay out of the NFC West basement this season. Head Coach Sean McVay returns for another season amid all the speculation he was going to leave this past off-season.
The key for the Rams to improve in 2023 will be having a healthy Stafford at quarterback and Kupp returning in top physical health to put up the eye popping numbers he did two years ago. The running game was not good last year, but Akers has shown the ability to make things happen. The defense was average at best last season, but again with so many new faces coming along this year, it will take time for everything to mesh. It could be another long season for the Rams, but they should do better and win more than just five games this season.
TEAM SCHEDULE
Week One - at Seattle
Week Two - vs. San Francisco
Week Three - at Cincinnati
Week Four - at Indianapolis
Week Five - vs. Philadelphia
Week Six - vs. Arizona
Week Seven - vs. Pittsburgh
Week Eight - at Dallas
Week Nine - at Green Bay
Week Ten - BYE
Week Eleven - vs. Seattle
Week Twelve - at Arizona
Week Thirteen - vs. Cleveland
Week Fourteen - at Baltimore
Week Fifteen - vs. Washington
Week Sixteen - vs. New Orleans
Week Seventeen - at N.Y. Giants
Week Eighteen - at San Francisco
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