Forget the Monday Night Football game against the Bills for a second, because no matter what happens, the Los Angeles Rams are about to hit a stretch that could redefine their early season. Sitting at 2-2, a win on Monday would obviously feel better, putting them at 3-2 instead of a losing record. But the real story is that from Week 6 and beyond, this team is in a prime spot to go on a serious run. This isn’t to say their schedule suddenly gets easy overall, because it absolutely does not. Plenty of tough matchups are still looming. However, there’s a good chunk of time coming up where LA won’t be severely tested, and that’s huge for getting key starters back to full health.
The “Softer” Stretch That Sets Up a Run
Let’s talk about this schedule because it’s wild how it breaks down for the Rams right after Week 5. They’ve got a chance to pile up some Ws and build real momentum.
First up, in **Week 6**, they’re hosting the Arizona Cardinals. C’mon, the Cardinals are 1-3, dead last in the NFC West, and honestly look like they’re just setting themselves up for a top quarterback pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Rams HAVE to keep them on that trajectory. Then, in **Week 7**, it’s a road trip to face the Las Vegas Raiders. Let’s be real, if this game was at SoFi, Raiders fans would probably take over the stadium, so traveling might actually be a preference for LA. Yeah, the Raiders are playing better than anyone expected, but the Rams should still walk away with an easy win here.
**Week 8** brings a cross-town matchup against the other LA squad, the Chargers, led by Justin Herbert. They’re winless, but you cannot sleep on them. They have enough talent to hang around and make games dangerous when they shouldn’t. The Rams absolutely cannot get caught by surprise. After that, in **Week 9**, they head to Washington to take on the Commanders. The NFC East isn’t exactly a gauntlet this year, and the Commanders are firmly in last place with major ongoing questions about their quarterbacks’ health. They look like an older team whose window has slammed shut. The Rams can’t let it creak back open, even for a single week. After a return visit to the **Arizona Cardinals in Week 10**, the Rams get a much-deserved **BYE in Week 11**. And after that breather, in **Week 12**, they’re up against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are 2-2, but honestly, they might be one of the worst .500 teams in the entire NFL. Their offensive line is historically bad, and Jordan Love is operating under a ridiculous degree of difficulty. His situation might even be, dare I say, inoperable. This is where the Rams’ pass rush, if back in full force, could spell disaster for Green Bay.
‘Super Team’ Defense on Deck?
Now, here’s where it gets really exciting, especially for that defense. The source tells us Jaylen Watson and Aaron Donald could be back as early as this week, Week 5! And Myles Garrett, yeah, he’s eligible to return as soon as Week 6 against those Cardinals. Even if he takes a bit longer, it’s safe to assume he’ll be healthy by that Week 11 bye. Think about it: this defense is ALREADY tough to face without Watson, Donald, and Garrett on the field. Bringing these three absolute studs back into the mix? That should, without a doubt, help them restore their “super team” status. We haven’t even seen all three of them healthy and playing together. And while the defense has been doing work, the offense hasn’t quite fired on all cylinders yet. Matthew Stafford and the boys did put together two strong drives to take down the Eagles, but the question still hangs in the air: was that a true sign their best is yet to come?
So, what’s next? The Monday Night Football game against the Bills is the immediate challenge. But after that, the Rams embark on this critical stretch of games, with the potential for their defense to reach “super team” levels. It’s going to be wild to see if they can capitalize on this window and really put the league on notice.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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