The spotlight may be off the Los Angeles Rams after a 5-12 season in 2022, but there are still some marquee matchups on their schedule this season. The full 18-week slate was revealed on Thursday night and though it only features two prime-time games for the Rams, they’ll face teams such as the Eagles, Cowboys and Bengals.
Of course, the Rams will also take on the 49ers twice, including an early Week 2 matchup at home that could set the tone for Los Angeles’ season.
With the full schedule out, we view these five games as the biggest – not necessarily the toughest – on the Rams’ 2023 slate.
Week 2 vs. 49ers
The Rams’ first contest against the 49ers is always one of the biggest, especially considering they’ve lost eight of their last nine overall to San Francisco. This year, these two division rivals will meet early on, squaring off in Week 2 – the Rams’ home opener. The Rams look like they’ll be less competitive this season than they have been in recent years, but they can send a strong message in their second game of the season by taking down the reigning NFC West champions at home.
And because this game is so early, we don’t know who San Francisco’s quarterback will be; Brock Purdy might not yet be fully recovered from his elbow injury.
Week 3 at Bengals
This Super Bowl LVI rematch won’t have the same luster that it would have if the Rams were still in win-now mode, but seeing them face the Bengals again sure will be fun – especially being so early in the season when everyone will hopefully be healthy. We’ll get Aaron Donald vs. Joe Burrow again, but we’ll be missing Ja’Marr Chase vs. Jalen Ramsey, unfortunately.
The Bengals are one of the favorites in the AFC and could very well represent the conference in the Super Bowl, making this a huge game for the Rams as they try to prove they’re ready to compete now.
Week 8 at Cowboys
The Rams and Cowboys have squared off five times since Sean McVay took over in 2017, with Los Angeles winning three of those five contests. The Rams managed to score just 10 points against Dallas in a 22-10 loss last season, but these are typically high-scoring matchups; three of the five games have had at least 52 total points.
Expecting the Rams to beat the Cowboys and their high-octane offense is tough to do at this point, but you never know with Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp on the field together. If the Rams offense is firing on all cylinders, this could turn into a shootout in Dallas.
Week 5 vs. Eagles
The last two NFC champions will square off in Week 5, another early-season test for the Rams. The Eagles might be even better this season than they were a year ago when they reached the Super Bowl, continuing to bolster one of the best rosters in the NFL on both sides of the ball.
If the Rams can somehow knock off Philadelphia at home, it will let the rest of the league know that perhaps they can make some noise this season. On the other hand, a blowout loss in front of the SoFi Stadium crowd would be extremely deflating for a team with already low expectations.
Week 9 at Packers
Another year, another road game against the Packers. This is the third straight season the Rams will visit Lambeau Field and the fourth time since January 2021 that they’ll play a game there. The biggest difference this time around is Aaron Rodgers’ absence after he was traded to the Jets, but the Packers are high on Jordan Love and believe he’ll be their next franchise quarterback.
It’s possible the Rams and Packers could be jockeying for a wild-card berth come January so winning this road matchup in November may prove pivotal down the stretch.
