NFL
By George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams enter the 2022 season as the defending Superbowl champions with the goal of defending their championship. The road to defending their championship will be tough as they will have a target on their backs with teams looking to knock down the defending champs. The Rams rank first in strength of schedule this season. Their opponents have a combined winning percentage of .567 from the 2021 season.
One of the main keys for the Rams to be able to repeat as champions will be their ability to remain healthy. Going into this season, there are some concerns regarding their team’s health. The biggest concern the Rams are facing is the health of quarterback, Matthew Stafford. During training camp, it was disclosed that Stafford is dealing with an injury to his right elbow. The injury is similar to the same elbow issues he dealt with during last season. Earlier this year, Stafford did receive an injection to help ease the pain. The injection did not have the complete effects the team has hoped. To help ease the pressure on Stafford’s elbow, the Rams have decided to limit his participation in practice. Stafford is being kept out of team drills, but he does continue to work in individual drills. If Stafford is not able to play, John Wolford would step in to take over play-calling duties. The lack of quality depth at quarterback is a weakness the Rams do need to address.
The Rams enter the season with some new players expected to play a big role. The predicted depth chart for the offense is as follows:
QB: Matt Stafford
RB: Cam Akers
WR: Cooper Kupp
WR: Allen Robinson II
WR: Van Jefferson
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Joe Noteboom
LG: David Edwards
C: Brian Allen
RG: Bobby Evans
RT: Rob Havenstein
Allen Robinson was brought in to replace WR Robert Woods who was traded to the Tennessee Titans in the offseason. 2021 wasn’t a very productive season for Robinson with the Chicago Bears. He ended the season with 38 receptions and only 1 touchdown. The Rams are looking for numbers similar to his 2020 season where he had 102 receptions for 1250 yards and 6 touchdowns. If Robinson can approach those numbers, the Rams passing attack will not miss a beat. Cooper Kupp had a season for the ages in 2021. He led the league with 145 receptions for 1947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Kupp is expected to put big numbers again this season. Van Jefferson is expected to be a big factor in the Rams offense this season. The availability of Jefferson at the start of the season is in question as he will undergo surgery on his knee. The surprise of the camp so far is the work of WR TuTu Atwell who is coming back from an injury that ended his season early last year. Expect Atwell to see more playing time in Jefferson’s absence.
Joe Noteboom takes over at LT for Andrew Whitworth, who retired at the end of last season. Noteboom did see playing time last year at LT when Whitworth was out with a leg injury. The Rams do expect Noteboom to maintain the continuity at LF to protect Stafford’s blind side.
On defense, the Rams added inside linebacker Bobby Wagner from the Seattle Seahawks. Wagner will be playing alongside 2nd-year player Ernest Jones, who came strong at the end of last season. The addition of Wagner improves the inside linebacker position for the Rams which was a question mark last year. The trade for Von Miller last year greatly improved the Rams outside pass rush. Miller chose to sign with the Bills in the offseason. The Rams did not look to a free agency to replace Miller. They have inserted Justin Hollins to replace Miller as the strong side linebacker to play opposite Leonard Floyd.
The Rams defense line starts with all-pro Aaron Donald. He is one of the best defensive linemen in the history of the NFL. He enters this season even more motivated to win another championship. The day after the Rams held their victory parade, Donald was back in the gym preparing for the upcoming season. Greg Gaines will look to continue steady play at the nose tackle position in the Rams 3-4 defense.
In the secondary, Jalen Ramsey leads this unit. Currently, Ramsey is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and is being held out of most activities. He did participate in 7-on-7 drills this past weekend. The Rams also welcomed back cornerback Troy Hill who was brought back via a trade with the Cleveland Browns. Hill will start opposite Jalen Ramsey at the cornerback position. Taylor Rapp and Jordan Fuller will start at the safety positions. Do expect to see a lot of playing time from Terrell Burgess, David Long, Jr., Nick Scott, and Robert Rochell in the secondary as the Rams will play a lot of nickel and dime formations.
This season the Rams face a much-improved AFC West division where all teams are very capable of making the playoffs. The season begins with a marquee matchup with the Buffalo Bills, which could be a Superbowl preview. With the schedule the Rams face this season, they have the possibility of finishing with a 12-5 or 13-4 record. Health and how hungry the Rams remain will be key factors in their quest to repeat as champions. If they play with the same intensity as they did last year, the Rams have a very chance to be the first team to repeat as champions since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots. Rep the champs with the newest gear by going here.
