After a week off to get their minds, bodies, and game plan back on track, the Los Angeles Rams are heading back to the NFL field for their sixth game of the season. And, in a fantastic turn of luck, they've landed the perfect opponent for the game: the Las Vegas Raiders.
That's right, after spending the first month of the season as the most dysfunctional team in the NFL, albeit due to injuries, the Raiders have cleared the Rams with room to spare, with players pushing coaches, others (maybe) demanding trades, and one of their top-two players, Davante Adams, finally getting his wish to play with Aaron Rodgers once more, now as a member of the New York Jets.
Granted, maybe this brings the Raiders together, with the team boldly declaring that they are all they have, but it's just as likely Las Vegas falls apart further in Week 7, especially with six starters questionable to play.
If there was ever a game for the Rams to lock in, tune things up, and get their second win on the way to the most improbable playoff push of the year, this would be the game to do it, especially considering they have a few key advantages at their fingertips.
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1. Kyren Williams leads all RBs in rushing
When it comes to running the ball in 2024, two of the worst rushing teams in the NFL are the Los Angeles Rams and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Neither team runs the ball particularly often, with the Rams running the ball 123 times while the Raiders rushed it 128 times – in one more game – neither team even has 500 yards to their name thus far, much to the horror of their respective fanbases. And the worst part? Both teams have been down premier passing targets, with Kupp and Nacua both dealing with injuries for the yellow and blue and Davante Adams officially traded to the Jets, making their unwillingness to run the ball all the more perplexing.
Fortunately, if you're a fantasy football player, sports better, or just have an affinity for teams putting the ball on the ground for a few yards in a cloud of smoke, there is one player worth keeping an eye on in the game, but more so because of how his team has used their backs so far this season.
You see, the Raiders run the ball in a true committee, with Alexander Mattison and Zamir White splitting carries pretty much 50-50, 46 to 49 for a near identical 158 and 152 yards. While White is questionable for the game, even if he's out, the Raiders will likely continue to play a committee game, with Ameer Abdullah running the ball 11 times for 67 yards largely over the last two weeks.
And as for the Rams? Well, you know the Rams; despite drafting Blake Corum in the third round, Williams has been about as close to a bell-cow rusher as you will find in the modern NFL, accounting for 77 percent of the team's rushing attempts and 74 percent of their rushing yards. Williams has had more rushing yards than the week before in each of the last three games, and in Week 5, the Notre Dame product recorded his first 100-yard game of the season, going for 102 on 22 attempts and a touchdown.
If you want to get super into the NFL weeds and bet on a running back in this game, go all-in on Williams, as he should be able to run on a defense giving up 5.0 yards per attempt, especially with three players in their front seven questionable to play.
2. Cooper Kupp puts the Rams' passing game over the top
Unless you are somehow living under a rock or are simply too engulfed in DodgerMania to focus on a team coming off the bye, you've probably heard the news: Cooper Kupps is (probably) back.
That's right, after adding insult to injury – literally – in the Rams' Week 2 blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Kupp has been working out during practice and is a definitive questionable for the game, his first out designation since Week 2.
Will Kupp ultimately play? It's hard to count too many Coopers before they hatch – read: play – but assuming he does make it back to the field, it's safe to say Stafford will turn to his long-time favorite target early and often whenever the Rams need a spark, a first down, or just a simple checkdown for their slot receiver across the middle of the field.
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Considering the level of talent Stafford has been afforded over the past few months, it's safe to say Kupp will go over whatever target line he's being given by reputable bookmakers.
Now granted, it won't be easy, as the Raiders do have a quality defensive secondary, including the best slot cornerback in the NFL, Nate Hobbs, but Las Vegas has still given up 200-plus yards in all but one game this season, with each loss featuring at least 215 yards through the air. If the Rams draw in the defense with a strong effort from Kupp and Williams, it should open up deep shots for Stafford down the field.
3. The Rams secure their second win of the year
So, with the Raiders in shambles, their defense susceptible on the ground, and Staford potentially galvanized by the return of his favorite weapon, the Rams should be able to secure their second win of the year, capitalizing on some R&R during the bye, and the return of Kupp, right?
Yup, while it's never easy to bet on the Rams in 2024, as they've lost every game they should have won and won the only game that felt like a surefire L, they are facing off against a Raiders team that is even more dysfunctional, with morale not looking too hot since even before the Adams deal. With three of their four losses coming by a touchdown or less, this feels like the game where things finally start to break in LA's way, adding even more to be excited about during blue October.
