Last summer, some were picking the Los Angeles Rams to finish with the worst record in the NFL, but instead, they zoomed to a 10-7 record and made the playoffs, where they nearly upset the NFC North champion Detroit Lions.
Thanks to a group of young studs, the Rams therefore believe they can not only make the playoffs this season but possibly even do some damage there.
How far they ultimately go will likely depend on the play of 36-year-old starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.
While on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, he said he hopes he has three or four more years left in him.
Stafford is a very accomplished signal-caller, as he led the Rams to the Super Bowl championship in the 2021 season and ranks 11th in both career passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Before that, he spent 12 years carrying a Detroit Lions team that was consistently bad or mediocre while racking up impressive numbers.
Unfortunately, he has appeared a bit brittle over the last two seasons — he was limited to just nine games in 2022 because of a concussion and a spinal cord injury, and he missed two games last year due to a sprained UCL.
But when healthy, he is still very effective, and in 2023, he threw for 3,965 yards and 24 touchdowns while earning his second career Pro Bowl nod.
Los Angeles has a young star wide receiver in Puka Nacua, last season’s runner-up for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, as well as a young star running back in Kyren Williams and a promising nose tackle in Kobie Turner.
Of course, they still have Cooper Kupp, the wideout who was an All-Pro in 2021, as well as an offensive wizard in head coach Sean McVay.
