The Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl in their own stadium following the 2021 NFL season but then imploded last year. It’s much more likely the Rams are bad again in 2023 than it is that they compete for another championship. Here is our pick for LA’s season win total.

A Closer Look at the L.A. Rams 2023 NFL Season

Shelton's key role in the rotation
Avila's valuable position flexibility
➕ More updates on the OL ahead of training camp

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 11, 2023

• NFL Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• NFL Week 4: at Indianapolis Colts — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 6: vs. Arizona Cardinals — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 8: at Dallas Cowboys — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 9: at Green Bay Packers — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 10: BYE
• NFL Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals — 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 14: at Baltimore Ravens — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints — 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• NFL Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills — 8:00 p.m. ET (Peacock)
• NFL Week 17: at New York Giants — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 18: at San Francisco 49ers — TBD (TBD)

The Downfall of a Champion

In a span of about 11 months, the Rams went from the absolute pinnacle of the sport to enduring the worst season ever by a defending Super Bowl champion as they finished 5-12 last year, the most losses ever by a team that won the Super Bowl the season prior. LA was the 17th team to miss the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl and just the eight defending champ to miss the playoffs with a losing record. It was also the second time under Coach Sean McVay that the Rams have missed the playoffs; both coincidentally came after the team’s Super Bowl appearances.

McVay pondered retirement after winning the Super Bowl and then again after last season but will return: “My plan is that is something that I’m committed to for the long term.” He’s compiled a 60-38 regular season record over six years, currently standing as the third-winningest coach in franchise history behind John Robinson (75) and Chuck Knox (69). He is also tied with Robinson for the most playoff games coached (10) and is the sole leader in postseason victories (7).

Will the Roster Be Strong?

Star defensive tackle Aaron Donald also has made some noise about retirement – he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year – but also is back. Might the Rams actually trade Donald as they rebuild? Not out of the question. Donald hasn’t requested any trades but there would be a bidding war if he did.

With just 615 snaps last season due to injury — by far the fewest he’s had in a campaign in his NFL career — Donald still put up five sacks, seven quarterback hits, 28 quarterback hits, and 33 stops. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled NFL coaches, executives, scouts and players to find out who the best defensive tackle is entering the 2023 season and Donald was voted No. 1 again. What could hurt Donald this season is the lack of help he has on defense, which could lead to more double- and triple-teams on the interior. Leonard Floyd, Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson are all gone.

QB Matthew Stafford barely played last year due to serious injury and the Rams did try to deal him this offseason but they couldn’t find a taker for his huge contract. In his first year with Los Angeles, Stafford posted a 12-5 record, throwing for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns to go along with 17 interceptions. Last season was a different story as Stafford was rattled with injuries and eventually sidelined after nine games with a spinal contusion. While also battling through a recurring elbow issue, Stafford threw an average of 231.9 yards per game –– his lowest since 2010 –– and the team was 3-6 in games he started. Stafford’s backup this year might be rookie fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett, who led Georgia to the past two national titles. Bennett was the first quarterback drafted by the Rams since they took Jared Goff No. 1 overall in 2016.

Cam Akers enters the year as the clear No. 1 running back, although he was nearly traded last season. Akers finished with 188 carries for 786 yards and seven touchdowns, plus 13 catches for 117 yards in 15 games (nine starts). The team also selected tailback Zach Evans in the seventh round of this year’s draft. Darrell Henderson Jr. was waived last year, so it made sense the Rams added to the position via the draft. Evans led the SEC with 6.5 yards per rush last season. Although he split carries with freshman Quinshon Judkins, Evans still ran for nearly 1,000 yards and nine rushing touchdowns.

One rookie who could contribute right away is fifth-round receiver Puka Nacua of BYU as the Rams are really thin at the position. Nacua led BYU in receiving yards during the 2021 and ‘22 seasons, including 48 catches for 625 yards and five touchdowns last season. He also can act as a running back at times.

What Will the 2023 NFL Season Look Like for the Rams?

The Rams have the ninth-toughest strength of schedule (.533) of any team this year, based on their opponents posting a combined record of 152-133-3 in 2022 according to NFL Research. Los Angeles will face seven teams that qualified for the playoffs last season in the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers (twice), Seattle Seahawks (twice), New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. LA is a 4.5-point underdog Week 1 in Seattle, where the Rams lost in OT to close the 2022 regular season.

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READ MORE: L.A. Rams 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide