Rams Can’t Afford One other Gradual Begin in 2026

The Rams can’t afford one other September stoop. With one other robust first few video games to start the 2026 season, will the crew’s sluggish begins lastly catch as much as them in a win-now season on deck?

Since profitable the Tremendous Bowl within the 2021 marketing campaign, the Rams have slept by way of the primary few weeks of the season, averaging 2 wins and three losses within the first 5 video games:

The 2025 season was the exception, and it was no coincidence that the Rams loved their deepest playoff run in years after lastly avoiding one other sluggish begin. In actual fact, they may have fairly begun the season 5-0 in the event that they hadn’t blown early-season video games in opposition to the Eagles and 49ers. Total, although, this has been a troublesome behavior for the crew to interrupt. This wasn’t an issue in any respect within the first half of Sean McVay’s tenure with the crew:

Even when the Rams had a down season in 2019 after enduring a Tremendous Bowl hangover, they nonetheless began the 12 months on a fairly excessive notice. The inconsistencies out of the gate are maddening, however no less than there may be a proof for why followers are experiencing “Groundhog Day” practically each season with this crew.

A part of the rationale might be attributed to the inflow of younger gamers who had been added to the roster starting within the 2023 offseason. Then in ‘24, injuries contributed to the bad start, which Los Angeles miraculously overcame en route to an NFC West title and a trip to the NFC Championship Game.

It could also be related to McVay’s insistence, as good as his intentions could also be, to sit down starters and key reserves through the preseason. Are the starters bodily ready for the velocity of the sport once more and getting their neurons fired after taking 9 months off?

The 2026 schedule will take a look at them on one other degree.

This 12 months’s early-season slate is paying homage to what the Rams went by way of within the first 5 weeks of the 2023 season. That crew wanted a stable begin to have any hope of creating a shock playoff run. Regardless of taking part in robust opponents within the Seahawks, a 49ers squad that superior to the Tremendous Bowl, the Bengals and Eagles, L.A. gained two of their first 5, which was really the best-case state of affairs for them at the moment.

A sluggish begin might lastly value the Rams in 2026, particularly for a heavy title favourite. The Rams open the season abroad in opposition to the 49ers earlier than dealing with John Harbaugh’s improved Giants, street journeys to Denver and Philadelphia, and a showdown with Josh Allen and the Payments. That’s the kind of September schedule that might actually damage McVay once more in a tightly-contested NFC West division.

Gradual begins have outlined this crew since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, however that could be a behavior they have to break and rapidly forward of this season. If the Rams stumble out of the gate once more, questions on whether or not they’re really constructed to win one other Tremendous Bowl will solely develop louder.

For the Rams to begin with a lead within the division subsequent season, they’re going to want to beat a few of the groups anticipated to be in Tremendous Bowl rivalry proper out of the gate. These “shots fired!” you hear is a beginning gun.