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No team in the NFL ever has a schedule made up exclusively of playoff teams from the year prior. There are always favorable matchups against teams that finished last in their division a season ago, as well as difficult battles with rivals and cross-conference foes.
The Los Angeles Rams will face the AFC South and NFC South in 2025, as well as their own divisional opponents and teams such as the Lions, Eagles and Ravens. It's a mix of easy and difficult battles, though no matchup is ever considered a guaranteed win in the NFL.
With the full schedule out, we ranked each Rams game from easiest to toughest.
The Titans are the weakest team on the Rams' schedule. They had the worst record in football last season and though Cam Ward makes them more exciting, it's hard to see them winning more than six or seven games.
The Saints would've been a more difficult opponent had Derek Carr been healthy, but he's retired and it'll likely be either Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler at QB against the Rams. That's hardly a daunting task for L.A., especially with the added benefit of coming off a bye.
Another team with quarterback questions, the Colts could be interesting if Anthony Richardson develops as a passer. But as of now, they don't have the complete roster of a playoff contender and much of that starts with the lack of reliability and consistency at quarterback.
If Bryce Young continues to play the way he did at the end of last season, the Panthers could be a tough out. And now they have Tetairoa McMillan, which makes the offense a bit more dangerous. Still, this isn't a team the Rams should lose to.
It's now or never for Trevor Lawrence, who's equipped with Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter at wide receiver now. Lawrence has a ton of talent but he has to put it all together on the field and prove he can be a top-tier quarterback. Defensively, the Jaguars have some question marks, which the Rams can exploit.
Michael Penix Jr. will be the quarterback for Atlanta in 2025 after playing briefly last season. There are high expectations for the 2024 first-round pick but also plenty of concerns. There's no doubt the Falcons have the weapons to contend for a playoff berth, from Drake London and Kyle Pitts to Bijan Robinson and Darnell Mooney. But the defense will rely heavily on young players, including two rookies as their top pass rushers.
The Cardinals are always a team that looks exciting and frisky on paper but always tends to come up short late in the year. The Rams have owned Arizona under Sean McVay and that probably won't change this year, even with the Cardinals adding Will Johnson in the draft and Josh Sweat in free agency.
The Seahawks are going with Sam Darnold at quarterback after trading Geno Smith. They believe it'll be an upgrade but he was seeing ghosts again when the Rams pummelled him in the playoff win over the Vikings. The Seahawks are never an easy matchup for the Rams but they'll be a mid-tier team this season, most likely.
This one is slightly more difficult because it's on the road but the Rams could still be favored against Arizona, depending on how the season goes up to this point.
Seattle is never an easy place to play, especially late in the year when the weather gets cool and there's a higher chance of rain. Still, the Rams are the better team on paper.
The Rams get Houston in the season opener, which will be new Texans OC Nick Caley's first time calling plays on offense. The Texans won't have Tank Dell either after his devastating leg injury last year, so that's a blow for Houston, as well.
The Buccaneers could be a dangerous team in 2025. Baker Mayfield's career has been revived and Mike Evans is Mr. Reliable with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons. Their ground game took off last season, too, with Bucky Irving taking over, so they're as loaded as any team offensively.
No matter the situation or year, the 49ers are always a thorn in the Rams' side. Last year was probably an anomaly for San Francisco with all the injuries it dealt with, so the Rams can't take them lightly in 2025. If Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are all healthy, look out.
The Rams will head north to Santa Clara for this matchup with the 49ers, hopefully with a chance to sweep their division rival. It'll be an important game with playoff implications, in all likelihood.
The Lions were stunned by the Commanders in the divisional round last year but they're still going to be one of the best teams in the NFC. And by this point, Aidan Hutchinson should be 100% healthy, which adds a different dimension to an improved Lions defense.
The Rams nearly pulled off the upset against Philadelphia in the playoffs last year and will get a shot at redemption in Week 3. This game will once again be in Philadelphia, a challenging place to play no matter the time of year. Whether the Tush Push is banned by then or not, the Eagles are a tough team to beat, especially when Saquon Barkley is rolling – which he always seems to be.
The Ravens are the best team on the Rams' schedule. It's close with the Eagles and Lions, but they match up well against the Rams with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and a quick receiver like Zay Flowers. Baltimore's defense should be great once again in 2025 after hitting its stride late last year, so this is going to be a massive test for Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams 2025 schedule: Ranking every game from easiest to toughest
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The Los Angeles Rams will face the AFC South and NFC South in 2025, as well as their own divisional opponents and teams such as the Lions, Eagles and Ravens. It's a mix of easy and difficult battles, though no matchup is ever considered a guaranteed win in the NFL.
With the full schedule out, we ranked each Rams game from easiest to toughest.
17. at Titans, Week 2
The Titans are the weakest team on the Rams' schedule. They had the worst record in football last season and though Cam Ward makes them more exciting, it's hard to see them winning more than six or seven games.
16. vs. Saints, Week 9
The Saints would've been a more difficult opponent had Derek Carr been healthy, but he's retired and it'll likely be either Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler at QB against the Rams. That's hardly a daunting task for L.A., especially with the added benefit of coming off a bye.
15. vs. Colts, Week 4
Another team with quarterback questions, the Colts could be interesting if Anthony Richardson develops as a passer. But as of now, they don't have the complete roster of a playoff contender and much of that starts with the lack of reliability and consistency at quarterback.
14. at Panthers, Week 13
If Bryce Young continues to play the way he did at the end of last season, the Panthers could be a tough out. And now they have Tetairoa McMillan, which makes the offense a bit more dangerous. Still, this isn't a team the Rams should lose to.
13. at Jaguars, Week 7
It's now or never for Trevor Lawrence, who's equipped with Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter at wide receiver now. Lawrence has a ton of talent but he has to put it all together on the field and prove he can be a top-tier quarterback. Defensively, the Jaguars have some question marks, which the Rams can exploit.
12. at Falcons, Week 17
Michael Penix Jr. will be the quarterback for Atlanta in 2025 after playing briefly last season. There are high expectations for the 2024 first-round pick but also plenty of concerns. There's no doubt the Falcons have the weapons to contend for a playoff berth, from Drake London and Kyle Pitts to Bijan Robinson and Darnell Mooney. But the defense will rely heavily on young players, including two rookies as their top pass rushers.
11. vs. Cardinals, Week 18
The Cardinals are always a team that looks exciting and frisky on paper but always tends to come up short late in the year. The Rams have owned Arizona under Sean McVay and that probably won't change this year, even with the Cardinals adding Will Johnson in the draft and Josh Sweat in free agency.
10. vs. Seahawks, Week 11
The Seahawks are going with Sam Darnold at quarterback after trading Geno Smith. They believe it'll be an upgrade but he was seeing ghosts again when the Rams pummelled him in the playoff win over the Vikings. The Seahawks are never an easy matchup for the Rams but they'll be a mid-tier team this season, most likely.
9. at Cardinals, Week 14
This one is slightly more difficult because it's on the road but the Rams could still be favored against Arizona, depending on how the season goes up to this point.
8. at Seahawks, Week 16
Seattle is never an easy place to play, especially late in the year when the weather gets cool and there's a higher chance of rain. Still, the Rams are the better team on paper.
7. vs. Texans, Week 1
The Rams get Houston in the season opener, which will be new Texans OC Nick Caley's first time calling plays on offense. The Texans won't have Tank Dell either after his devastating leg injury last year, so that's a blow for Houston, as well.
6. vs. Buccaneers, Week 12
The Buccaneers could be a dangerous team in 2025. Baker Mayfield's career has been revived and Mike Evans is Mr. Reliable with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons. Their ground game took off last season, too, with Bucky Irving taking over, so they're as loaded as any team offensively.
5. vs. 49ers, Week 5
No matter the situation or year, the 49ers are always a thorn in the Rams' side. Last year was probably an anomaly for San Francisco with all the injuries it dealt with, so the Rams can't take them lightly in 2025. If Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are all healthy, look out.
4. at 49ers, Week 10
The Rams will head north to Santa Clara for this matchup with the 49ers, hopefully with a chance to sweep their division rival. It'll be an important game with playoff implications, in all likelihood.
3. vs. Lions, Week 15
The Lions were stunned by the Commanders in the divisional round last year but they're still going to be one of the best teams in the NFC. And by this point, Aidan Hutchinson should be 100% healthy, which adds a different dimension to an improved Lions defense.
2. at Eagles, Week 3
The Rams nearly pulled off the upset against Philadelphia in the playoffs last year and will get a shot at redemption in Week 3. This game will once again be in Philadelphia, a challenging place to play no matter the time of year. Whether the Tush Push is banned by then or not, the Eagles are a tough team to beat, especially when Saquon Barkley is rolling – which he always seems to be.
1. at Ravens, Week 6
The Ravens are the best team on the Rams' schedule. It's close with the Eagles and Lions, but they match up well against the Rams with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and a quick receiver like Zay Flowers. Baltimore's defense should be great once again in 2025 after hitting its stride late last year, so this is going to be a massive test for Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams 2025 schedule: Ranking every game from easiest to toughest
Continue reading...
