For the second consecutive season, Sean McVay’s team dug itself an early hole, got hot, and wound up in the playoffs. In 2023, the Los Angeles Rams overcame a 3-6 start, but won seven of the final eight games and grabbed a wild card berth. The postseason didn't last long for the Rams as they were knocked off in Detroit by the Lions.
In 2024, McVay’s club dropped four of its first five outings. The Rams again regrouped and not only finished 10-7 for the second consecutive season, they claimed an NFC West title for the first time since 2021. The club overwhelmed the Vikings in the wild card round. A late rally in Philadelphia fell short in the divisional round.
What’s ahead for a team that won Super Bowl LVI, plummeted to 5-12 a year later, and has now bounced back with consecutive playoff appearances?
Biggest Positive from 2024
He was inactive for the team’s Week 18 clash with the Seahawks as McVay rested many of his starters. That didn’t prevent third-year running back Kyren Williams from having a monster year, and proving that he was far from a one-year wonder in 2023. The 2022 fifth-round pick in 2022 played in only 12 games in ’23, totaling 1,350 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns.
Williams was a 16-game starter in 2024. He finished seventh in the NFL with 1,299 yards on the ground, and totaled 1,481 scrimmage yards and 16 TDs. All of those latter figures were career bests. He ran for 106 yards in the playoff loss at Philadelphia.
Potential UFA that needs to be re-signed
He was an undrafted free-agent find by Rams in 2021. Tackle Alaric Jackson was Pro Football Focus’ 18th-ranked tackle in 2024, earning a career-best 78.4 grade in 2024. He’s been a real bargain to date. The former University of Iowa product signed a three-year, $2.445 million deal in 2021. The 2024 restricted free agent signed his $1.489 million tender last offseason.
Jackson served a two-game league suspension to start the season, started the next 14 games, then sat out the regular-season finale vs. Seattle. All told, PFF ranked the Rams’ offensive front 14th-best in the league, with Jackson a standout in pass blocking.
Needs Fixing
The club has added a lot of defensive talent in their last two drafts. The club’s leading sack artists in 2024—Braden Fiske (8.5), Kobie Turner (8.0), Byron Young (7.5), and Jared Verse (4.5)—were either rookies this season (Fiske and Verse) or second-year players. This defense also racked up a combined 16 sacks of Sam Darnold (9) and Jalen Hurts (7) in the playoff split with the Vikings and Eagles, respectively.
Still, McVay’s club gave up 42 offensive TDs in 17 regular-season games, and finished 26th in the NFL in total defense. The Rams’ defense was gashed far too often on the ground, ranking 22nd vs. the run.