Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams’ Week 3 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles was heart breaking. They were in position to take the lead with seconds on the clock before Philly blocked Josh Karty’s field goal attempt.
The unfortunate truth is that the going won’t get easily for Los Angeles for some time. After falling to 2-1 on the season, they’ll face the better-than-expected Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and Jacksonville Jaguars over the next four games.
Is it time to worry about the Rams?
The Colts are 3-0 with wins over the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and Tennessee Titans. While the Dolphins and Titans victories are nothing to write home about, it’s impressive Indy was able to take down a playoff team from last year in Denver.
Daniel Jones is amidst a career renaissance with 816 passing yards and six total touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor is also on pace for a big year on the ground with 338 yards.
While this looked like a sure-win for Los Angeles entering the regular season, the Rams get no reprieve the week after falling short in Philadelphia.
Brock Purdy is injured and likely to miss at least two games, though he’s almost certain to be back in time for Thursday Night Football at SoFi Stadium. San Francisco started the year 2-0 and have a battle against their NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. Depending on the outcome of that game, the 49ers could be in the driver’s seat in the division race.
The Ravens may be the best team in football on any given day. Lamar Jackson continues to play at an MVP level. Derrick Henry is impossible to tackle and he’s still capable of ripping off long runs deep into the fourth quarter.
Baltimore always seems to have LA’s number since Jackson arrived. The Rams cannot afford to come into this matchup in desperate need of a win, which underscores how important it is to stay on schedule versus the Colts and 49ers.
Out of these four games, the Jaguars seem like the weakest opponent. I would still warn against looking past them, however.
The Rams will travel from Baltimore in Week 6 to face the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in Week 7. They’ll kickoff at 6:30am PT.
Trevor Lawrence has yet to hit his stride. Brian Thomas, Jr. and Travis Hunter aren’t in the swing of things either. But even with three of their best players not firing on all cylinders, this looks like a much improved Jacksonville team.
Trevon Walker has taken a step forward on defense. This pass rush can absolutely get after quarterbacks and give them hell. The Jags’ run game is potent and capable, and Liam Coen is doing a fine job pulling the strings so far.
