Not many people have lofty expectations for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, and Mike Martz doesn’t envision them being a playoff contender. In his season preview for the Rams on The 33rd Team, Martz iterated that a .500 season would be an impressive feat for Los Angeles this year.
Here is what Martz had to say about the Rams ahead of the 2023 campaign:
If the Rams can finish the year with a .500 record, it would be a great year for them. Offensively, they might be better than a .500 team. I just don’t know how the defense will hold up with CB Jalen Ramsey and Wagner moving on.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams’ success is going to hinge greatly on the health of Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and the offensive line. Kupp is currently dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered early in training camp, but he’s expected to be a full-go by Week 1.
While the offense has a handful of veterans, the defense is littered with inexperienced players outside of Aaron Donald. Following the departures of Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner, and Leonard Floyd, the Rams are expected to start a handful of first or second-year players on defense.
Amid injury woes and struggles across the board, the Rams finished with a 5-12 record in 2022, which was by far the worst finish by the franchise under Sean McVay. With a reinvigorated McVay at the helm, the Rams are hoping to show improvement on both sides of the ball in 2023.
