Statistically, the Los Angeles Rams have the hardest schedule in the NFL based on the records of their opponents last season. That’s not a perfect way to predict the difficulty of a team’s schedule because rosters change drastically from one year to the next, but it does give you an idea of how tough the Rams’ 17-game slate will be.
However, even with opponents like the Packers, Bills, Saints, Buccaneers and Broncos on the docket, it’s easy to see the Rams winning double-digit games for the fifth time in six years. NFL Network’s Andrew Hawkins and Bucky Brooks went through the Rams’ schedule week by week and predicted the outcome of each game to determine what their final record could be.
They had the Rams losing the opener to the Bills before winning five of their next six to start the year 5-2, with their second loss coming to the 49ers in Week 4. In the second half of the year, they have Los Angeles losing three games: at Tampa Bay, at Kansas City and versus the Raiders.
So in total, they have the Rams going 12-5, winning each of their last four games – which are against the Packers, Broncos, Chargers and Seahawks.
There isn’t a Rams fan on the planet who wouldn’t take a 12-5 record this year, even if that doesn’t result in the No. 1 seed. It’s a grueling schedule with a bunch of tough opponents, and 12-5 would almost certainly be good enough to win the NFC West again.