What is the toughest stretch on Rams’ schedule?

Initial thoughts

The Buccaneers are the weakest opponent in this slate of games; however, even Tampa Bay can be formidable. While they finished outside the playoffs in 2025, they’ve continued finding offensive weapons and added Reuben Bain to a defense that desperately needed more pass rushers. Los Angeles will host the Chiefs late into the season, which means by this point Patrick Mahomes should be relatively back to normal. It would be more ideal to face the former MVP early in the season while he is still knocking the rust off from last year’s season-ending injury. Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson should both have a lot to play for against their old team. And just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get worse, the NFL asked the Rams to close the season with two matchups versus the reigning Super Bowl champions in the final three weeks. The NFC West could easily hang in the balance, and the outcomes of these games could certainly decide whether the Rams will make the playoffs at all. Last year’s three close matchups have made future contests must-see TV, and LA earned the right to play on Christmas Day.

Don’t sleep on…

The Dallas Cowboys. Dallas had one of the most dangerous offenses in football last year. Their defense was just so pitiful that it offset the competitive advantage. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will be a tough matchup for McDuffie and Watson, and the Chiefs secondary struggled mightily against the Cowboys a year ago. I’ll be picking the Cowboys to bring home the NFC East this year. Fans will overlook the difficulty of this matchup, and it will look much different late next fall than it does right now.