Rams at Jets: the big articles

From Albert Breer: https://www.si.com/nfl/week-16-nfl-takeaways-commanders-jayden-daniels-program-succeed#_o9gxphpxd

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams can be whatever they need to be to win. Sunday’s win won’t be shown at the ESPYs next summer as any sort of defining moment of 2024. But I think it’s a shining example of how this year’s Los Angeles crew is about as versatile, and capable of winning in different ways, as any Sean McVay’s had in his eight years.

I didn’t say it’s his best team, to be clear. But it’s one no one will want to play.

Two weeks ago, the Rams welcomed in the Buffalo Bills, and Matthew Stafford had to throw for 320 yards for the home team to come away with a win. Conversely, the past two weeks, in the elements against the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, he threw for 270 yards—that’s not an average, that’s his total for the two games—and the Rams won all the same. Because, in those spots, they could lean on the team’s Energizer Bunny, Kyren Williams, to key 274 yards on the ground between those two games.

Meanwhile, they have a defensive front, with young guys Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Byron Young leading the charge, that’s remained fearsome, after Aaron Donald’s retirement, and a strong, deep coaching staff full of institutional knowledge of McVay’s program.

At one point, the Rams were 1–4. They’re now 9–6, and wins over the Arizona Cardinals and Seahawks from winning the NFC West and getting a home playoff game.

And because they’re that hot, and relying on ascending young players, and have McVay and Stafford still, they’re shaping up as a team no one in the NFC is going to want to play in January. They outscored Buffalo, then held the Niners and Jets to 15 points combined in consecutive weeks.

However you want to fight, they can fight you. Meaning they’re probably still the grand old champion that you don’t want to fight in January or February.