Turf Show Times
49ers, Ravens, and Jaguars will test Rams ahead of scheduled bye week
We’re diving deep into the Los Angeles Rams’ schedule. Taking it piece-by-piece and breaking into natural segments based on strength of opposition and key matchups.
Next up are weeks five through eight of the regular season, which will bring a tough test heading into the bye:
There will be tougher matchups on the Rams’ calendar than the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts, both of whom LA will see in their first four games. Still, the Rams cannot afford to enter a tough stretch against three playoff hopefuls at worse than 2-2.
Los Angeles has started slow each of the past two seasons. With the way the schedule falls in 2025, they will not be afforded that luxury this year.
On an optimistic note—if LA does emerge from The Opening Quarter at 3-1 or better—they can cement their status as a top contender by winning at least two of the next three. Should that happen, we could be discussing the potential of the top seed in the NFC conference and the team hosting playoff games at SoFi Stadium.
But in a glass half empty view—should LA once again start slow—dropping multiple of three games against the 49ers, Ravens, and Jaguars could prove insurmountable over the second half of the year.
I’m personally not too bullish on San Francisco’s prospects this upcoming season. Their star core is aging and oft-injured, and despite taking the team to a Super Bowl the jury is still largely out on whether Brock Purdy can elevate a lesser supporting cast.
The 49ers are never an easy out. That’ll be true again in 2025, especially as defensive coordinator Robert Saleh returns and attempts to regain a lost sense of physicality.
The Rams bucked a historic trend by taking down the 49ers twice last season. This is still a division rival that’s had LA’s number since Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan joined the NFC West in 2017.
Matchups against the Ravens haven’t been kind to the Rams in recent years.
Back in 2019 following the acquisition of Jalen Ramsey and trading Marcus Peters to Baltimore amidst a playoff push, Lamar Jackson scored five TD’s in a 45-6 rout of LA.
In Matthew Stafford’s first season in Los Angeles, the Rams edged out the Ravens 20-19 on their way to winning Super Bowl LVI. Jackson did not play in this game and Tyler Huntley was under center instead.
The latest contest came during the 2023 season and ended in overtime with a game-winning TD by Ravens...
