It’d be a stretch to say the Los Angeles Rams are likely to make the playoffs in 2023. They missed the postseason for just the second time under Sean McVay last season and they’re hoping to avoid doing so for a third time this year.
With a lack of star power and a difficult schedule upcoming, it’ll take a lot for the Rams to make the playoffs. It’s why so many analysts have them finishing below .500 and expecting them to compete for the No. 1 overall pick before they contend for a postseason berth.
Adam Rank of NFL Network predicted the outcome of every Rams game this season and he has them going 7-10. He predicts the Rams to begin the year 4-3 with wins over the 49ers, Colts, Cardinals and Steelers, but the road after that gets tough.
Rank predicts the Rams will lose seven of their last 10 games to the Cowboys, Packers, Cardinals, Browns, Ravens, Giants and 49ers, with their only wins coming against the Seahawks, Commanders and Saints.
It’s not hard to see the Rams beating the Colts, Cardinals and Steelers in the first five weeks of the season, but taking down the 49ers in Week 2 will be a huge challenge. Whether it’s Trey Lance or Brock Purdy at quarterback, the 49ers are viewed as one of the best teams in the league and have won eight straight regular-season games against the Rams.
It’s going to be an uphill climb all season for Los Angeles, which lost Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner and Jalen Ramsey in the offseason. But if the Rams can get off to a hot start, they could take advantage of a somewhat easier finish to the year against the Cardinals, Browns, Commanders, Saints and Giants.
