Very few people expected the Los Angeles Rams to start the year 2-3, especially after they caught the Cardinals without DeAndre Hopkins, the 49ers without Trey Lance and the Cowboys without Dak Prescott.
Buy Rams TicketsThe Rams have had injury problems of their own and they’re far from fully healthy, but this is a team that should be better than 2-3. Yet, with all the trouble they’ve had in the first five weeks, they can ease some concerns by beating the Panthers and getting back to .500 today.
The rams are once again at home, as they were last week against the Cowboys. And for the second week in a row, their opponent will be trotting out a backup quarterback: Cooper Rush and now P.J. Walker. Baker Mayfield is out with injury, Matt Rhule has been fired and the Panthers bring one of the worst offenses in the NFL to Inglewood.
Just about everyone believes the Rams will win this game against a new-look Panthers team, but nothing is certain – not with this inefficient and ineffective version of the Rams. Los Angeles will need to improve offensively against a capable Panthers defense, albeit one that could be missing some starters.
Matthew Stafford can’t keep turning the ball over the way he has, nor can the offensive line afford to keep giving up four-plus sacks the way it has. Very simply, Stafford isn’t getting much help from his supporting cast, and he’s also not doing enough to make up for the Rams’ deficiencies.
Fortunately, the Panthers don’t boast a pass rush like the one the Bills, 49ers and Cowboys have. This will be a much easier matchup for the Rams’ offensive line, hopefully leading to Stafford getting some time in the pocket.
That should also lead to some bigger holes in the running game against a defensive front that’s just average for Carolina. Of course, it’ll be Darrell Henderson Jr. and Malcolm Brown carrying the workload after Cam Akers was ominously ruled out due to personal reasons, bringing his future with the team into question.
Los Angeles is favored by 9.5 points, but I don’t think this game will be a blowout the way the spread suggests it could be. The Rams should win, but in a one-score game.
Final score prediction: Rams 21, Panthers 17
