The Los Angeles Rams will finally kickoff the 2025 season on Sunday when they take on the Houston Texans. This will be a matchup between two defenses with a handful of proven pass rushers ready to take over the game. Both teams have Super Bowl aspirations, but only one will start the season 1-0. Here are five keys to victory for the Rams to get the win against the Texans.
1. Take advantage of matchups on the DL
There is a very good chance that this game between the Rams and Texans is a defensive battle. The over/under for the game is 43.5 which is tied for the third-lowest of the week. DeMeco Ryans has one of the better defenses in the league while the Rams defensive line against the Texans offensive line might be one of the more lopsided matchups of Week 1.
The Texans have talent at wide receiver and CJ Stroud is one of the more cerebral quarterbacks in the NFL. For the Rams to win this game, the defensive line has to win its matchups. Jared Verse will be going up against a rookie left tackle in Aireontae Ersery who was very raw coming out of Minnesota. Tytus Howard is fine on the right side, but Ed Ingram comes over from the Minnesota Vikings and ranked 61st out of 65 guards in pass-blocking last season via PFF. Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske need to cause havoc inside.
Last season, the Texans offense ranked 31st in success rate and a lot of that was because of the offensive line. It’s hard to see a lot of improvement. That’s something that the Rams should be able to take advantage of on Sunday. The Texans will likely try to mitigate the pressure with screens and quick-game passes. In passes under 2.5 seconds, Stroud ranked 19th in EPA per dropback. He was pressured on 18.8 percent of those dropbacks which was the fourth-highest rate in the NFL.
In 2024, the Rams generated consistent pressure when blitzing, recording the fourth-highest pressure rate at 46.4 percent. Meanwhile, the Texans struggled to protect against the blitz, allowing the sixth-highest pressure rate. Stroud ranked 24th in EPA per dropback against the blitz. For the Rams to win this game, the defensive line has to take over.
2. Commit to a Run Game
Overall, the Texans were a good defense against the run in 2024. They ranked sixth in run defense EPA and ninth in stuff-rate. However, they had a tendency to allow explosive runs. The Texans defense had a six percent explosive run rate allowed which was the fourth-highest in the league. However, they were just 14th in success rate and 11th in yards per carry.
This Texans defense is somewhat boom or bust in the run game. They have the linebackers who are more than capable of stopping the run. We’ll find out very quickly whether or not Kyren Williams has gotten more explosive in the offseason. The opportunities should be there for Williams to break off a chunk run or two. At the end of the day, this is something that Sean McVay will need to be patient with and commit to. While the Texans may dare the Rams to pass and give favorable looks, the Rams need to muck the game up and commit to a run game that keeps the offense on track.
3. Protect Matthew Stafford from the edges
This is more than just about protecting Stafford from getting hit and the aggravated disc that he managed all of training camp in his back. The Texans may be just as good on the edges as the Rams are on the other side. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are one of the best edge duos in the NFL. Alaric Jackson managed blood clots all summer and is just getting back into action. Rob Havenstein is another year older on the right side. Jackson and Havenstein will need to hold up at tackle and protect Stafford from the Texans’ primary pass rush threats.
Last season, the Texans ranked second in the NFL in pressure rate, creating a pressure on 37.8 percent of opposing teams’ dropbacks. That was while blitzing at the 14-highest rate. Hunter led defensive linemen in pressure rate at 19.1 percent last season while Anderson ranked fifth at 16.9 percent. As a defense, the Texans had the fourth-highest sack rate. For the Rams to create the explosives that they want to in the passing game, the tackles have to be able to hold their own.
4. Be efficient, not special throwing the ball
The Rams will be going up against a very opportunistic Texans defense. While interceptions and turnovers can be volatile, the Texans had the second-most interceptions last season with 19. This is a secondary with an All-Pro at cornerback in Derek Stingley and Jalen Pitre at safety. CJ Gardner-Johnson is a player that has caused the Rams some trouble in games against the Philadelphia Eagles last year.
With Stingley, Pitre, and Gardner-Johnson, the Texans secondary can feel suffocating to an offense. While they may show some advantageous looks, McVay and Stafford need to not take the bait and simply remain efficient. Finding an explosive play could be a difference-maker in this game, but they need to be ok with the 4-5 yard chunks. This Texans defense allowed the third-fewest yards per pass last season. There’s no reason to force a big play that isn’t there. If Stafford can remain efficient and not turn the ball over, that should be enough.
5. Take advantage of opportunities
When this game is headlined by names such as Stafford and Stroud at quarterback and then Puka Nacua and Nico Collins at wide receiver, you might expect an offensive shootout. However, it will probably be the opposite on Sunday. Points are going to be at a premium and the offense will need to take advantage of its chances. It’s possible that a turnover or defensive score wins this game.
Over the past two seasons, the Rams have sometimes been unable to capitalize on opportunities early in the season. A red zone interception against the Detroit Lions last season in Week 1 was a turning point. The Rams went 1-for-4 in the red zone in a loss against the Chicago Bears. A week later, the Rams led against the Green Bay Packers at halftime, but a second-half fumble from Williams changed the game. Good teams capitalize on their opportunities and Sunday’s game against the Texans will be a big test against a team that wants to make everything difficult.
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