In Week 12, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of one of the greatest games from the 2018 NFL season.
The Rams have one of the most talented rosters in the league and are all in for a repeat. They restructured superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s contract, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. They also bolstered their wide receiving corps by signing former Pro Bowler Allen Robinson, making an already dangerous offense even better.
Although Los Angeles has plenty of playmaking weapons, they did lose a couple of key pieces along their offensive line after Andrew Whitworth retired and Austin Corbett left in free agency. Longtime backup Joseph Noteboom will try to fill Whitworth’s shoes and rookie Logan Bruss will compete to fill the void left by Corbett.
The Rams also lost a couple of key defenders in tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Darious Williams. They made a big splash signing for their linebacker corps, however, inking linebacker Bobby Wagner to a five-year, $65 million contract. With those moves in mind, let’s take a look at some of the Rams’ key players and their outlooks heading into the regular season:
QB Matthew Stafford
Stafford has resurrected his career in Los Angeles. Last season he tied a career-high with 41 touchdown passes and threw for his most passing yardage (4,886) in nine years. Stafford has an elite arsenal of weapons and one of the best offensive minds in the NFL for a head coach in Sean McVay. Now that he has a Super Bowl ring Stafford will look to cement his legacy as a potential Hall of Famer.
He will likely pass John Elway for 11th all-time in passing yards and Frank Tarkenton for 11th all-time in passing touchdowns this season. If he plays out his current contract and stays healthy, Stafford should relatively easily be in the top 10 all-time in passing yards and top five in touchdowns. If he accomplishes those goals and gets another ring before he retires, his case for Canton will be undeniable.
WR Cooper Kupp
In 2021 Kupp became just the fourth receiver ever to lead the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16). That earned him the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award as well as First Team All-Pro honors. Kupp carried his regular-season success to the postseason as he set a record for most receptions in a single postseason game with 33 and won Super Bowl LVI MVP.
With the addition of Allen Robinson and starting running back Cam Akers returning from injury, Kupp’s stats will likely dip a tad in 2022. He’ll still be plenty productive, however. He had an instant connection with Stafford and is one of the best route runners in the league. He also graded out as the best receiver in the NFL against man coverage per Pro Football Focus last season.
WR Allen Robinson
Robinson signed a three-year, $46.5 million contract with the Rams this offseason. He’ll look to bounce back from a disappointing, injury-plagued season with the Chicago Bears in 2021.
The eight-year veteran is still just 28 years old with an excellent combination of size and speed. Robinson has recorded three 1,000-yard seasons and has caught at least six touchdown passes in four of his NFL seasons.
DT Aaron Donald
What can you say about Donald that isn’t obvious at this point? He’s a sure-fire future Hall of Famer who has one of the greatest resumes of any defensive lineman in NFL history. Donald is a seven-time First Team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler, 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
He was named to the 2010’s All-Decade Team and has been voted in the top 10 of the NFL’s Top 100 Players four times. Donald has recorded double-digit sacks in six of his eight NFL seasons and set a career-high in total tackles last season with 84. Now that he’s a Super Bowl champion, everything else in Donald’s career will be icing on the cake.
CB Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL since his rookie season in 2016. In 2021 he was named the fourth-best defensive player in the NFL by Pro Football Focus after setting career highs in tackles (77) and interceptions (4).
Ramsey is a three-time First Team All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowl selection. He underwent shoulder surgery this offseason, having played with tears in both shoulders during most of the 2021 season.
Training camp storylines
Matthew Stafford received an anti-inflammatory injection in his elbow in March and did not throw a single pass this offseason. During his first practice of training camp, however, Stafford participated in all passing drills, although on a pitch count. Stafford should be able to knock the rust off and get back into the flow of things by the time the regular season starts, but the Rams will be cautious for possible setbacks.
Jalen Ramsey is not yet cleared for full participation in practice but can participate in “above the neck drills.” He is expected to be available by Week 1, but like with Stafford, the Rams will proceed carefully with Ramsey. With Ramsey sidelined, it will give the rest of the Rams’ inexperienced cornerback group plenty of much-needed work.
The right side of the Rams’ offensive line is up for grabs at guard and tackle. Rookie Logan Bruss will be in the mix for both spots depending on which spot he plays best at. Watch for Coleman Shelton to make his case for the right tackle spot.
While the middle of the Rams’ defense is set with Donald and Wagner, there are questions at edge rusher. Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd is a solid player, but there’s not much to complement him. Justin Hollins, Terrell Lewis, and Chris Garrett will compete to start opposite Floyd, none of which are very proven. Keep an eye on the Rams to be possible players in the edge market either by trade or free agency.
