(News4usonline) – The Los Angeles Rams will have to prove their mettle as one of the best teams in the NFL during the 2023 season. A year after winning Super Bowl LVI, the Rams went down under during the 2022 season and finished with a 5-12 record, a mark that a Sean McVay team has never produced.
Injuries were a big part of the slide the Rams encountered last season. Now, with Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford back and the team adding a slew of draft picks and signed free agents, McVay and the Rams are looking to improve on their 2022 mark.
But just how much of an improvement will the Rams be able to make considering who they will be playing in the upcoming season? And it looks like it’s going to be a really tough schedule to navigate for Los Angeles.
Even with the McVay magic in the midst of things, judging by their schedule that they released on May 11, the Rams have some stiff competition to go up against.
That’s not a surprise because there are no gimme wins in the NFL. Every game is a challenge. Each game matters. Let’s look at the first two weeks of the season. The Rams have back-to-back games against NFC West opponents Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
The Rams travel to Seattle in Week 1 before returning home to host the 49ers. It’s a bit tougher in Week 3 when the Rams hit the road to play Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Beginning Week 5 in a SoFi Stadium matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, last season’s NFC champs, the Rams will play three straight games at home.
After hooking up with Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, the Rams will also host the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Once their three-game homestand is completed, the Rams will then embark on a two-game road trip to visit the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8 and fly into Milwaukee in Week 9 to play the Green Bay Packers before entering their bye week.
It does not get any easier in the second half of the season for the Rams. With a Week 11 home date with Geno Smith and the Seahawks, the Rams take on Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 13 before flying to Baltimore in Week 14 to play Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
The Rams then have two last remaining home games in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders, and Week 16 against the New Orleans Saints. The Rams end their season with away games against the New York Giants (Week 17) and against the 49ers (Week 18). The Rams will prep for the regular season with preseason games against the Los Angeles Chargers (Aug. 12) and Las Vegas Raiders (Aug. 19).
Lead Image: Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers (3) hits the hole against the Las Vegas Raiders during a Thursday Night Football game played at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 8, 2022. Akers rushed for 42 yards on 12 carries in the Rams’ 17-16 win. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, social justice, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University.