Buy or sell: Will the Rams be relevant in the NFC playoff picture?

Following a Week 1 win, will the Rams be more competitive than originally thought?

Following an offseason in which many thought that the Los Angeles Rams would be tanking, Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, and co. surprised by pulling out a 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The question now becomes how good exactly are the Rams and can they be an actual threat in the NFC and relevant when it comes to the overall playoff picture. It’s something worth discussing, especially as we move forward and Week 1 overreactions become Week 2 overreactions. While the Rams may not defeat the 49ers as they are 7.5 point underdogs according to DraftKings Sportsbook, we’re at the very least going to find out where they stand among one of the NFL’s top contenders.

However, even if the Rams don’t beat the 49ers, that doesn’t mean that their season still can’t be successful and they can’t still make some noise in a wide-open NFC. Even at the top, outside of the 49ers and Eagles, the NFC is a conference that remains wide open for the taking. That’s especially the case as you get into the three wild card spot that will be up for the taking.

Reasons to Buy

Now, it’s far too early to be talking playoffs, but the question here is whether or not the Rams can be relevant in the NFC playoff picture. For the NFC, that can range anywhere from winning eight to ten games.

Prior to the season, Vegas had the Rams’ win total at 6.5 wins. It always felt like there was a chance that Los Angeles would be able to surpass that number. After last week, both Stafford and McVay reminded people that they are still a good head coach-quarterback duo.

There were some obvious concerns about the offensive line heading into the season, and there still will be to a point over the next few weeks. However, it’s an offensive line that makes sense and this is an offense that took a look in the mirror and made some changes. While the Rams didn’t run the ball well against the Seahawks, looking at the film, you can see some of the things that they are trying to do.

This is an offense that’s still without Cooper Kupp who is without a doubt their biggest playmaker. As a young team that doesn’t know what they don’t know, there are going to be bumps along the way, but they are also only going to get better as they continue to learn.

The Rams do have a difficult schedule, namely against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, and 49ers. However, that doesn’t mean that the can’t or won’t be in the thick of it come November or December. As we learning last week, the games are played on the field, not on paper.

Reasons to Sell

Despite having a fantastic second-half performance against the Seahawks, there are still some legitimate questions about this defense and how good it can be. There are going to be games where it may not look very good and others where they are playing like a top-15 unit. The edge rushers and the talent in the secondary is still the biggest question mark for this Rams team.

The schedule also remains one of the more difficult in the NFL. In three of the next four weeks, the Rams have the 49ers, Bengals, and Eagles. While the Bengals and Eagles haven’t looked their best in games they’ve played this year, those still won’t be easy matchups.

As the season goes on, they will also inevitably deal with some injuries. They managed Kupp’s injury well in Week 1, but will that go over the same at other positions?

Conclusion

This is a Rams team that is going to be competitive against tougher teams and win the games that they should win. That alone, will keep them relevant in the playoff race. Does that make them a playoff team? We’ll have to check back in on this conversation in November. It’s way too early to tell exactly what type of team the Rams are going to be. Another surprising win on Sunday against the 49ers changes everything.

With that said, it’s very possible that the Rams are sitting at 6-6 or 5-7 heading into the final five games. Even if they aren’t leading the wild card race, they should most definitely be relevant.