The Athletic projected win totals and playoff odds for each of the 32 NFL franchises
The bye week came at the right time for the Los Angeles Rams to recover from an early season string of injuries and be honest in their reflection of a 1-4 record.
Read: Who do the Rams face out of their bye week?
Some parts of the team just aren’t working as intended. This includes a bandaged together secondary that features veteran free agent signings in Tre White, Darious Williams, and Kamren Curl. Williams just made his return from an ankle injury and stint on IR and helped the defense earn a key stop in the latest matchup against the Green Bay Packers, but White was one of the worst corners in the NFL and was sent to the bench upon Williams’ return.
Injuries have also presented opportunities for players who weren’t supposed to be on the field quite yet. Jordan Whittington has been excellent the last two games considering his late round draft status. Logan Bruss looks like a new player in his third year. It will be difficult to send rookie center Beaux Limmer to the bench once Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila are healthy.
And LA’s top draft choices in Jared Verse and Braden Fiske are each playing like defensive rookie of the year candidates. Verse lives in the backfield and earns consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, though he has a missed tackle problem that dates back to his college days.
For all that’s bad about the Rams, there are certainly some silver linings that suggest a week off could help them get back on track and make the NFC playoff picture interesting.
What will be the Rams’ final record?
Before the San Francisco 49ers’ Thursday night win over the Seattle Seahawks that helped even out the records in the NFC West, the Rams held just an 11% chance to earn a spot in the post season. The Athletic also pegged their record at 7-10, which would put them in the top 10 of the order in next spring’s NFL Draft.
The Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants were also projected to win seven games. The only teams that fared worse were the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders at 6-10 with the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers at 5-12.
