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The Los Angeles Rams are coming off a season in which they made the playoffs but decided to move on from their quarterback.
The Rams traded Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford in one of the biggest trades of the offseason. The Rams are all in on Sean McVay, hoping he can deliver the best season of his career. Yes, this means they are expecting to win the Super Bowl in 2021.
Defensively, the biggest change was the loss of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. He stayed in the city but is now the head coach of the other team sharing Sofi Stadium, the Los Angeles Chargers. How will the Rams' season go in 2021?
Here's an overview of the team's 2020 record and a look at what needs to be improved upon.
Los Angeles Rams 2020 record, offensive and defensive stats
2020 record
The Los Angeles Rams went 10-6 in 2020. They were 6-2 at home and 4-4 on the road. They finished 3-3 in their division and 9-3 in their conference. Outside of their conference, they finished 1-3.
Offensive and defensive stats and rankings
The Los Angeles Rams were ranked 11th in offensive yards per game in 2020. They earned 377 yards per game. They ranked 13th in passing yards per game at 250.9 and 10th in rushing yards per game at 126.1. They ultimately slotted in at 23rd in points per game, averaging 23.3 points.
Defensively, the Los Angeles Rams were ranked first overall. They held offenses to 281.9 yards per game. Their passing offense was also ranked first overall at 190.7 yards allowed per game.
The Rams' rushing defense was ranked third overall at 91.3 yards per game. At 18.5 points per game, the Los Angeles Rams had the number one scoring defense in the league.
What areas do the Los Angeles Rams need to improve on?
Offensive improvements
If the Rams want to win the Super Bowl this season, they will need to see a big jump in production on the offensive side of the ball. The Rams have already picked up Matthew Stafford, but it remains to be seen if they have truly improved over Goff. Sean McVay has heaped praise on Stafford, so the odds may be in his favor.
The Rams also needed more speed on the outside to sneak past defenders and get the ball down the field quickly. That was seemingly the thought behind picking up DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell. The passing offense should be more vertical this year than in years past.
Defensive improvements
The Rams did not have much room for improvement after finishing first in overall defense and passing defense. However, they have a tiny area for improvement with the rushing defense.
After ranking third, they need to get better on the defensive line and at linebacker. Aaron Donald cannot do it all. Meanwhile, Micah Kiser is coming off a season with a paltry 40.0 PFF score. If the Rams can find a suitable replacement for Kiser, the rushing defense could be the best in the NFL.
How the Los Angeles Rams can make a run at the Super Bowl
In order for the Rams to reach their expectations and make a run at the Super Bowl, they will need to see a jump from the offense, which sagged under Jared Goff. They will need to pass the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals in order to win the division.
They'll also need to land a top-two seed in the NFC to have homefield advantage in the playoffs.
Basically, they will need their defense to tread water as a top-three unit in addition to seeing the offense jump into the top five.
Key players that can help the Los Angeles Rams make a Super Bowl run
The single most instrumental player for the Rams this season will be Matthew Stafford. Historically, Stafford's teams have struggled to make the playoffs and have never won a playoff game.
Stafford will need to get that monkey off his back before anyone can talk about a Super Bowl run. He'll also need to get used to winning football games.
After losing for so long, winning could feel a little intimidating. If Stafford can come in and seamlessly slot in, the sky is the limit.
Needless to say, other key players need to maintain their great level of play. Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and the others need to show up focused and hungry this season.
