Rams Go From Forgotten Los Angeles Team to NFC West Dark Horse

The Los Angeles Rams weren’t good early in the season. But they were, in a sense, lucky.

Because nobody noticed.

Their 1-4 start was generally ignored as L.A. fans were captivated by Shohei Ohtani leading the Dodgers to a World Series title.

By the time the Rams returned from their bye in Week 6, Angelenos were just getting over their hangover from their first Dodgers championship parade since 1988 (yes, they won the World Series in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but there was no city-wide celebration due to social distancing).

And since their bye week, the Rams (7-6), who play Thursday night at the rival San Francisco 49ers (6-7), have been good. 

Very good, in fact.

Last Sunday’s thrilling 44-42 victory against the Buffalo Bills was the sixth in the past eight games for the Rams and pushed them over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

And with games against each of the three other NFC West foes remaining (plus a matchup with the woeful New York Jets), they have a real shot at the division title.

“The work we’ve been putting in on the practice field and the meeting rooms and all that over the last however many weeks has been starting to show up,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “And then just having guys back and getting some continuity is a plus for us as well.”

About that last part. The Rams’ less-than-stellar start was due, in part, to injuries that sidelined star receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Nacua sprained his posterior cruciate ligament in the season opener, had to go on injured reserve, and missed five games. Kupp suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2 and sat out four.

They showed against Buffalo what they can do when healthy, as Nacua had 12 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for a score, and Kupp had five catches for 92 yards and a TD.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been more than efficient. He passed for a season-high 320 yards against the Bills and hasn’t thrown an interception in the past four games, tying a personal best.

“Just trying to keep our team in it as best I can, be as disciplined as I can while still being aggressive and giving our guys opportunities to make plays,” said Stafford, “because they’re doing a great job of that for me right now.”

The Rams’ lone victory in the first five weeks of the season remarkably came against San Francisco, as they rallied from a 14-point deficit to claim a 27-24 decision without either Nacua or Kupp.

Which means Thursday’s game provides the Rams a chance at their first season sweep of the 49ers since 2018.

Sure, the 49ers are missing some of their stars, with running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) and left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) out and defensive end Nick Bosa questionable after being sidelined for the past three games with a quad injury.

But at this point they aren’t going to get any sympathy, especially from the Rams.

“No matter what’s really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they’re going to be ready to go,” McVay said of the 49ers, “and we’re going to do our best to get our guys ready to roll … It’s going to be a great challenge and opportunity.”

And this time, Angelenos will be watching.