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Los Angeles Rams 2025 NFL Season Preview and Picks: Is Sean McVay Primed for Another Super Bowl Run?

Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar24/07/2025 - 11:51 am
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 19: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams stands for the national anthem prior to the NFC Divisional playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Rams 28-22.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 19: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams stands for the national anthem prior to the NFC Divisional playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Rams 28-22. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

Maybe the most overlooked story of the 2024 NFL season is the way the Los Angeles Rams were 13 yards away from beating the Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFC divisional round. With the Eagles blowing out the Commanders and Chiefs the rest of the postseason, that final drive against the Rams was their breaking point on their path to a Super Bowl win.

Forget that the Rams turned the ball over twice in the snow. Forget that they allowed another 205 rushing yards to Saquon Barkley, including a 78-yard touchdown run that put them in a 28-15 hole with 4:36 left. The Rams sacked Jalen Hurts 7 times and put themselves in position to score a go-ahead touchdown in the closing seconds.

It would have been one of the all-time playoff comebacks, and maybe the only fanbases more bummed out it didn’t happen than the Rams were, the Commanders and Chiefs, who lost big to the Eagles. The Rams played them better than anyone in the playoffs.

But on that fateful 3rd-and-2 at the Philadelphia 13, Jalen Carter sacked Matthew Stafford to bring up 4th-and-11. The final pass wasn’t close to doing anything. This is one of the biggest sacks in NFL history when you consider the implications it had on the season.

When the Rams lost 37-20 to the Eagles in Week 12, they were an afterthought at 5-6 before getting hot. But after that playoff loss in Philadelphia, they should be thinking about the Super Bowl this season.

Why not? The NFC loves fresh blood, but the Eagles have shown some level of consistency with a 2-1 Super Bowl record over the last eight seasons (2017-24). Guess which team could do the same thing this year with a Super Bowl LX win in San Francisco? The Rams would be 2-1 in the Super Bowl under coach Sean McVay, going back to the 2018 season, a period of eight seasons.

Hell, maybe they can even play the Chiefs in it as we’ve been close to that 54-51 rematch in the 2018, 2021, and 2024 playoffs, but have yet to see it. Maybe the Rams can be the next elite NFC team that gives Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs all they can handle on the big stage. A fourth-quarter duel between Stafford and Mahomes would be great, right?

Or maybe I’m just overrating the Rams, who have the sixth-highest odds (+1700 at FanDuel) to win Super Bowl LX. Sure, they are a very slight underdog (+175 at FanDuel) to win the NFC West, a tough division where the 49ers (+170) should be much healthier, the Cardinals have some impressive talent, and the Seahawks have a shot to be competitive again.

But in a league this decade that’s usually boiled down to the Chiefs against a great NFC team, why not the Rams in 2025? Having one of the only active coaches (McVay) and quarterbacks (Stafford) in the NFL who can say they’ve won a Super Bowl should count for something.

Let’s look at why this could be the Rams’ third Super Bowl trip under McVay, the changes they’ve made, and the best Rams bets for 2025.

Previously on RAMS: 13 Yards from Wiping Out a 13-Point Deficit

We kind of gave it away in the introduction, but the Rams are proof that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. The last two years, this team hasn’t started well before turning it around in the second half. Even in 2023, the Rams were 3-6 going into their bye week, finished 10-7, and lost in the wild-card round, 24-23, in Detroit.

Last year, the Rams were only 1-4 going into an early bye week. Their only win was that crucial 10-point comeback in San Francisco. But they went on a 9-2 run, only losing at home to Miami and Philadelphia, before resting starters in Week 18 and losing to Seattle. This team could have finished 11-6 if it needed to, but the NFC West was still their division title at 10-7.

Why the slow start? It hurt the offense that Puka Nacua was injured early in Week 1 in Detroit, a game where the Rams still took the eventual No. 1 seed to overtime. When Nacua returned, the offense started rolling again as Cooper Kupp was no longer on top of his game, so Nacua has never been more important, and he looks like a great receiver after two years.

But the defense also picked it up down the stretch and was actively carrying this team to the playoffs. In Weeks 15-17, the offense was only averaging 14.7 points per game, but the Rams still were 3-0 in those games because they allowed 8.0 points per game. That was pretty wild since it came right after the Rams won a 44-42 game against Buffalo.

It wasn’t the strongest field of candidates in 2024, but Jared Verse won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Then in the playoffs, the pass rush was next level for this team. The Rams sacked Sam Darnold 9 times in the wild card round, then got Jalen Hurts 7 more times the following week. That’s 16 sacks in two playoff games – that’s an NFL record for any 2-game span in playoff history.

So, the 2024 Rams definitely struggled to have games where the offense and defense were both clicking. But at the end of the day, they gave the Eagles all they could handle in the snow despite Barkley shredding their defense once again. The Rams were 13 yards away from wiping out a 13-point deficit in under 5:00.

It just didn’t happen this time, but let’s not forget who is the only team in NFL history to win three straight playoff games by 1-to-3 points. That was the 2021 Rams, the Super Bowl champions.

Better luck next year?

Los Angeles Rams Offseason Review

If you want a secret about building a Super Bowl team, the key is to be elite on at least one side of the ball. You stand a better chance of getting to a Super Bowl with one elite unit and one below-average unit than you do a team that’s merely “solid” (top 12) on offense and defense.

For example, the 2006 Chicago Bears may have been limited by quarterback Rex Grossman, but that defense (and special teams) was so good that it still got the team to the Super Bowl. That’s better than being solid like the Andy Dalton-led Bengals, who never won a playoff game in the 2010s because he was always bad in the playoffs and the defense was nothing special.

In the case of Sean McVay’s Rams, his most balanced elite team may have actually been his first one in 2017, but they were too green and lost a home playoff game to the more experienced Falcons.

When McVay took the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018, they were led by an elite offense and a subpar defense despite the presence of Aaron Donald. However, they obviously lost a 13-3 Super Bowl to the Patriots, so that one wasn’t on the defense. Likewise, the 2020 Rams had a statistical No. 1 defense and below-average offense, but that defense was lit up in the playoffs by Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

In 2021, McVay again had an offense-driven team with Stafford in his first year, but the defense acquired Von Miller in a trade, and they did just enough in the playoffs to get Donald and company a ring.

In the three years since, the Rams have been below average on at least one side of the ball and not elite on offense or defense in any year. That’s not good. But if the Rams play their cards right, the 2025 team has the potential to be McVay’s best team yet.

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 23: Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass during the NFC Divisional game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 23, 2022 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Offense: Replacing Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams

Since this is a Sean McVay team, we know offense is still going to be the driving force of success in 2025. While Stafford allegedly mulled retirement, he’s back for his age-37 season and still has something in the tank.

The offensive line in front of him should be familiar and solid enough. Kyren Williams returns at running back and is fairly consistent for the team. They drafted tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round, so maybe they could get a little more out of that position with Tyler Higbee still there.

But the big change on offense is coming at wide receiver. Cooper Kupp (Seahawks) is out, and Davante Adams is in, so it’s not like they’re getting any younger. In fact, Adams is roughly 6 months older than Kupp.

Kupp may have had the best wide receiver season ever in 2021, but the team clearly sees diminishing returns in the three years since, as Kupp’s durability has always been an issue. He averaged a career-low 7.1 yards per target in 2024 and was clearly passed on the depth chart by the younger Puka Nacua, who is seemingly always open.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 09: Cooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams leaves the field after a 27-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

But adding another high-volume, outside target like Adams is very interesting. Adams averages 6.9 catches per game since 2018, and that’s just higher than Nacua’s average of 6.6. For reference, Kupp is 6.1 for his career, and there aren’t a lot of receivers who touch the ball this often in NFL history.

But if any quarterback can handle some high-volume receivers, it’s Stafford. Only two receivers have ever had a 1,900-yard receiving season, and he was the quarterback for both with Calvin Johnson in Detroit and Kupp in 2021. He can do this, and unless Adams falls off a cliff before his 33rd birthday in December, this should be a better pairing in 2025 than Nacua and Kupp were in 2023-24.

The Rams did lose a solid fourth wideout in Demarcus Robinson to the 49ers, but they still have Tutu Atwell (562 yards last year), and we mentioned the tight ends already. They have enough weapons here, and ideally, Nacua and Adams would both produce over 1,000 yards.

Staying healthy is obviously always key, especially with older players, but this offense with Stafford, Nacua, Adams, Atwell, Williams, and the tight ends can certainly be a top unit this year. Maybe not a top 3 offense, but good enough to score 44 points in a game if they had to beat the Bills again or whoever.

Also, let’s not fear that Adams is some product of Aaron Rodgers. He proved that false in 2022 with the Raiders when he was catching touchdown bombs from Derek Carr with absurd frequency. He still has something in the tank as well, and Nacua is so good that he could even win Offensive Player of the Year with a receiving yardage title in this offense.

It should be fun to watch.

Defense: The Young Front Seven

Last season was the first for the Rams after Aaron Donald retired. There simply is no replacing a defensive tackle of that caliber with any one player. But the Rams started doing a great job of finding their next wave of pass rushers even while Donald was still playing.

In the 2023 draft, the Rams found Byron Young and Kobie Turner in the third round. Those players have combined for 32.5 sacks in the last two seasons, and Will Anderson Jr. (Texans) is the only player in that draft class with more sacks than Young and Turner through two years. Pretty great for third-round picks.

Last year, the Rams used their first-round pick on edge rusher Jared Verse. While he only had 4.5 sacks in the regular season, he led the team with 33 pressures, and he had 2.0 sacks in the playoffs and a fumble return touchdown. He antagonized the Philadelphia crowd before the game, but held his own that day against a great offensive line. He could certainly take a big leap in 2025.

The Rams also used their 2024 second-round pick on edge rusher Braden Fiske, and he led the 2024 draft class with 8.5 sacks. The Rams didn’t make many high picks in the 2025 draft, but they used the No. 90 pick on defensive end Josaiah Stewart (Michigan), so let’s see if they can keep this hot streak going in the draft.

But between Verse, Fiske, Young, and Turner, the Rams have quickly rebuilt their front seven with young, productive talent that could carry them far this year. It’s going to be hell in a couple of years trying to decide which of these players to pay and which to let go, but for 2025, you’re looking at a great situation up front.

Now, the secondary does give you some pause on this being a Super Bowl-ready team. The Rams are basically rolling with last year’s cast (Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, Kam Curl, Kamren Kinchens), and none of those players had particularly good coverage stats in 2024.

But if the pass rush is doing its job and they don’t get blown up by 70-yard touchdown runs from Saquon Barkley again, they might be able to get by. If you’re playing Jared Goff in the playoffs, he could be charitable with the football, right? We saw the Commanders win in Detroit in January without having a quality defense or secondary. It can be done.

Also, it’s the Rams, so you can never rule out a midseason trade from GM Les Snead, who acquired Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller during that 2021 Super Bowl season.

With the ages of Stafford and Adams, and the young front seven playing on their rookie contracts, 2025 is the time for this roster to go all-in on a Super Bowl run.  

Best Bets for the 2025 Rams

Based on the current odds, the 2025 NFC West is the closest division race at the top between the Rams (+170 at FanDuel) and 49ers (+175). In fact, things are so close that those odds just flipped from the time I started writing this to the conclusion here. I swear they had the Rams at +170 and the 49ers at +175 just two hours ago.

But a reason it’s this close is that the Rams will play a “first-place schedule” by virtue of winning the NFC West last year, and the 49ers will play a last-place schedule since they finished fourth in a 6-11 season ravaged by injury and blown leads.

What does that mean in 2025? Well, consider the impact this has on three of the 17 games:

  • The Rams have to play the Eagles and Ravens on the road and host Detroit in Week 15 – the 49ers don’t have to play any of those three Super Bowl favorites.
  • The 49ers get to play the Giants and Browns on the road and host the Bears in Week 17.

Something like that could swing the division title as the 49ers get a much easier draw here, and they could easily go 3-0 in those games. They even get the most likely toughest one (Bears) at home. That’s why the two head-to-head games between the 49ers and Rams should be huge for the division title.

You could make the case that the Rams have the slight edge in those games, because they get to host the 49ers on a short week (Thursday night in Week 5) and the rematch is Week 10, two weeks after the Rams have a bye week.

Otherwise, the NFC West teams have a favorable schedule as they’re playing the NFC South and AFC South, which are considered the weakest divisions in the NFL. That’s why the Rams are a good bet to win a fair number of games even without winning the NFC West again.

In fact, that’s how I’m going to bet this team this year. Let’s go with over 9.5 wins and the playoffs, since the addition of Adams and that front seven should help this team against a soft schedule.

But instead of worrying about the NFC West dynamics, let’s get risky and bet on the Rams to copy the Eagles’ feat and appear in their third Super Bowl in eight years under McVay.

If the key players stay healthy, and if I’m not just hung up on how they got to the 13-yard line in Philadelphia in January with a chance to win, then this could even be McVay’s best squad yet.

  • NFL Pick: Los Angeles Rams over 9.5 wins (-140) at FanDuel
  • NFL Pick: Los Angeles Rams to make playoffs (-170) at FanDuel
  • NFL Pick: Los Angeles Rams to win NFC Championship Game (+1000) at Bet365

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Photo of Scott Kacsmar Scott Kacsmar24/07/2025 - 11:51 am