The Los Angeles Rams were hoping to start the season with a win against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, but they came up short and lost in overtime, 26-20. To make matters worse, they lost Puka Nacua, Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila for multiple weeks to injuries and will now field a makeshift offensive line that could feature only two projected starters from training camp.
Yet, analysts came away impressed with the Rams’ performance in the season opener, so much so that Los Angeles actually moved up in several power rankings. Of the 10 rankings compiled below, the Rams improved their spot in seven of them.
Their highest ranking is ninth, which is where FOX Sports put them, and CBS Sports is the lowest on the Rams at No. 19, as is The Athletic.
ESPN: 10th (last week: 13th)
NFL.com: 14th (last week: 15th)
Pro Football Focus: 18th (last week: 12th)
CBS Sports: 19th (last week: 15th)
Bleacher Report: 10th (last week: 11th)
ProFootballTalk: 15th (last week: 17th)
Yahoo Sports: 10th (last week: 14th)
The Athletic: 19th (last week: 12th)
FOX Sports: 9th (last week: 12th)
The Ringer: 13th (last week: 15th)
It’s easy to understand why the Rams would move up after Week 1 despite losing. They took a projected Super Bowl contender to overtime and very easily could’ve won the game in regulation, all with a decimated offensive line and no Nacua at receiver.
As encouraging as their performance was, the Rams do need to get healthy quickly, especially on the O-line. If not, Matthew Stafford could face a barrage of hits each week and the running game may continue to struggle.