Just four days after beating the Cardinals in Arizona, the Los Angeles Rams will suit up again to take on the surging New England Patriots. Though the Patriots got off to a 2-5 start, they’ve won four of their last five to get back into contention in the AFC.
And three of those wins came against the Ravens, Cardinals and Chargers, most recently blowing out L.A. 45-0 on Sunday. The Rams are still in great shape in the NFC despite losing to the 49ers two weeks ago, sitting at 8-4 and currently holding the No. 3 seed.
A win would further improve their playoff chances, while a loss to the Patriots would potentially drop them out of the NFC West lead if the Seahawks can beat the Jets – which they’re expected to do.
After facing three teams with dynamic receivers and quarterbacks who aren’t afraid to whip it around the yard, they’ll take on Cam Newton, who leads the Patriots’ third-ranked rushing attack. No team in the NFL has attempted more runs than the Patriots this season, making this a change of pace for the Rams after facing the Seahawks, Bucs and Cardinals.
The secondary won’t be tested the way it was against those three teams, but the run defense most certainly will. Missed tackles will lead to big gains and extended time on the field for the defense. But stopping the run will force Newton to beat the Rams with his arm, which he’s rarely done this season; he has five touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
The Rams are the healthier team right now and should have all their starters from last week back on the field Thursday, which is crucial. Their deep rotation of defensive linemen will be needed against this Patriots rushing attack, keeping everyone up front fresh for all 60 minutes.
As 5.5-point favorites, the Rams are expected to win this game. But it won’t be easy – it never is against Bill Belichick. He cracked the code to Sean McVay’s offense in Super Bowl LIII, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t do it again on Thursday.
The Rams will need to adapt on the fly to whatever Belichick throws at them, which they failed to do in the Super Bowl two years ago. Assuming they can do that, their talent should overmatch New England’s.
I like the Rams to win this one in a close, defensive battle.
Final score prediction: Rams 23, Patriots 20