The defending Super Bowl champion Rams have their work cut out for them in the 2022-2023 NFL season. The Rams have the most difficult schedule this year when you look at their 2022 opponents’ records in 2021. They are facing an opponent win percentage of .567, the most in the NFL. The Second hardest schedule belongs to the Cardinals, facing a .543 win percentage. This will be a challenge for the defending champs, but it is doable. So, let’s break down the 2022 Rams schedule.
Season Kickoff: Week 1- BUF @ LAR, 5:20 PT
The Rams host the Bills in what should be a slugfest to start the 2021 NFL season. The Rams will see a familiar face in Von Miller, who chose the Bills over the Rams and a few other teams as his new home for the future. The last time the Rams and Bills played, the game was in Buffalo and the Bills got off to a hot start. The Rams were able to narrow the gap, but the Bills ended up coming away with the win. We will be able to tell right away whether this new look Rams secondary can hang with the big dogs or not. Josh Allen is coming into SoFi with a chip on his shoulder from last season, get your popcorn ready.
Week 2- ATL @ LAR, 1:05 PT
The Falcons underwent demolition this offseason. Now that they are relatively gutted, their offense doesn’t pose nearly as much of a threat as they have in years prior. Matt Ryan is in Indy, Julio is floating around hoping to find his third NFL home, and Calvin Ridley is hitting the slots. This is a new look Falcons offense. Their defense, however, is a different story. AJ Terrell, Grady Jarrett, and Deion Jones are nothing to scoff at. Ideally, this game would be a bit further down the Rams schedule. It can be looked at as a positive to play the Falcons this early though. Coming off of tough Bills game, the Rams will look to use this game to build momentum.
Week 3- LAR @ ARI, 1:25 PT
The Rams take their first road trip of the season to Arizona to fight their divisional foe, the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams bounced the Cardinals in last year’s playoffs. This will bring a breath of fresh air into the rivalry between the two teams. Kyler Murray has been on a steady incline to being a star. He now has a chip on his shoulder. The two teams typically match up well against one another, this should be a fun early-season matchup.
Monday Night Football: Week 4- LAR @ SF, 5:15 PT
Another tough matchup early in this Rams schedule. The Rams double up on away games and head to San Fransisco to face the 49ers in week 4. The 9ers have had the Rams’ number in the regular season over the past few years. The Rams won when it meant the most though, sending the 49ers home in the NFC Championship last season. It is still unclear whether Garoppolo or Lance will be starting this season. The 9ers should be in playoff contention this season, it will likely be another grueling meeting between these two rivals.
Week 5- DAL @ LAR, 1:25 PT
To round up the first five games of the season, the Rams host the Cowboys. This Rams schedule is no joke. The Cowboys are coming off of another season where they just couldn’t pull it all together. In years prior, their defense was the issue. While it may not be entirely fixed, their defense had made serious strides. They didn’t make many huge additions and lost a few key pieces. Yet I still feel the Cowboys will be in playoff contention this year. Their offense fares well against the Rams’ defense, the Rams’ run stop has been their Achilles heel. I am a tad surprised Jerry Jones didn’t convince the NFL to make this a primetime game.
Week 6- CAR @ LAR, 1:05 PT
The Panthers are another team one would like to see a bit further down the schedule. Especially when you look at the opponents on the Rams schedule this season. Carolina is a bit of a question mark. We still don’t really know what they will look like this year, and they are still prone to adding another QB. They have a stronger roster than many paint them out to be, they just haven’t been able to put it all together.
Week 7- BYE
Another unfortunate aspect of this Rams schedule. While they have the toughest schedule on paper for this NFL season, they also have a bye in the first half of the season. This will make load management and health even more important.
Week 8- SF @ LAR, 1:25 PT
The Rams face the 49ers for the second time in eight weeks. This is an odd way of structuring out the schedule, this matchup was phenomenal as a regular-season finale. I guess this rips the Band-Aid off, but I thought the league would milk this matchup a bit more after the three slugfests from 2021.
Week 9- LAR @ TB, 1:25 PT
Ah, another revenge game. The Rams really have a target on their backs, don’t they? That’s the price of being champs. This time, the Rams face Tom Brady. Yep, the same Tom Brady that Rams fans thought was sent into retirement. A chip on Tom’s shoulder rarely goes well for opponents, but the Rams have had Tampa Tom’s number since he’s become a Buccaneer. Can that trend continue? Or will Tom finally get his revenge?
Week 10- ARI @ LAR, 1:25 PT
The Rams host the Cardinals for their second matchup of the season. As long as both teams are healthy, it should be another good game. This is the spot in the season where injuries play a bigger role. If you are a team in contention, keeping your key players healthy is a big priority.
Week 11- LAR @ NO, 10:00a.m. PT
The Rams head to New Orleans for week 11. It won’t be a warm welcome; the two teams don’t necessarily love one another. A missed PI call in an NFC Championship game may or may not play a large part in that. The Saints have reupped their offense, and their defense is still stout. This year, the Saints are expected to fight for a wildcard spot, so this game won’t be an easy one.
Week 12- LAR @ KC, 1:25 PT
This is another matchup on this Rams schedule that I am surprised isn’t a primetime game. We saw these two teams light up Monday Night Football in what was one of the best NFL games in recent memory. Yes, the Chiefs offense is different without Tyreek Hill. I don’t think this will set them back too far though. This should be another huge game, another one to get your popcorn ready for.
Week 13- SEA @ LAR, 1:05 PT
The Rams finally play their divisional foes, the Seahawks, in week 13. This could be a blessing in disguise, as the Seahawks seem to be under a complete rebuild. Yes, they have talent. But they struggled to contend with a top QB, I don’t see them in contention with their current roster.
Thursday Night Football: Week 14- LV @ LAR, 5:15 PT
The Raiders travel to Los Angeles for Thursday Night Football in week 14. This will be a very tough matchup. The Raiders were a playoff team last year and have gotten much better this offseason. Derek Carr gained his college target, Devante Adams. This addition should transform the Vegas offense into a much more lethal force in 2022.
Monday Night Football: Week 15- LAR @ GB, 5:15 PT
The Rams get some extra time coming off of a Thursday night game, facing the Packers on Monday Night Football in week 15. The Packers have lost their #1 target on offense and will have to be a more diversified offense. Despite having back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers, the Packers’ run game is what to fear in this mid-December game. The sunny weather Rams will have to get used to the cold before the Packers pull away.
Christmas Day: Week 16- DEN @ LAR, 1:30 PT
The Rams host a familiar foe, as Russell Wilson and his new team travel to Los Angeles to attempt to steal Christmas. This Rams schedule has been interestingly planned out. After two primetime games, the Rams play another tough game on Christmas. Wilson has struggled a bit as of late against the Rams, but with a new squad, this is a whole new matchup. This game should be a gift to NFL fans who enjoy good all-around football.
Sunday Night Football: Week 17- LAR @ LAC, 5:20 PT
The battle of LA. This one should be a great one. Former Rams defensive coordinator and current Chargers head coach Brandon Staley will know what to expect from the Rams. The Chargers have a star-studded lineup, similar to the Rams. I expect this game to be one of the better matchups of the season.
Week 18- LAR @ SEA, TBD
In their regular-season finale, the Rams head to Seattle to play the Seahawks. Looking at this Rams schedule, this is probably the ideal final game. The Rams are going through a gauntlet, they need any break they can get. This matchup opens the door to resting starters if they are in the position to.
Overall Thoughts/Predictions
This Rams schedule is a tough one. The Los Angeles Rams have their work cut out for them, but that was to be expected. They have the stars, the coach, the Lombardi, they’re the team to beat. Realistically, I see the Rams floor being 9-8. This is clearly not the goal, but as an absolute floor I think this number makes sense. As far as a ceiling, I could see the Rams going as high as 14-3. This would be an insanely tough accomplishment given their schedule, but the Rams are also the defending champs. This is a pretty large window, but that is just how this Rams schedule is. How do you think the Rams will do this year?
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