It's not easy to register seven winning seasons in eight years but that's exactly what Sean McVay has accomplished with the Rams in 2024. McVay added another NFC West title and picked up another playoff win.
2024 also saw Matthew Stafford make his third playoff appearance in four years, Jared Verse won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, Braden Fiske led all rookies in sacks, Chris Shula established himself as one of the premier defensive minds in football, and Les Snead walked away with another successful draft and UDFA class.
CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo handed out his 2024 report card, grading each team based on their overall success and the Rams recieved a B+.
"Like the Chargers, the other Los Angeles-base team earned a "B+" after getting their first playoff win since winning Super Bowl LVI." Wrote DeArdo. "The Rams dismantled the Vikings (who had gone 14-3 in the regular season) in the wild-card round before giving the eventual champion Eagles everything they could handle in the divisional round."
"The catalyst for the Rams' success was quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Kyren Williams, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse and a young secondary that continued to improve as the season progressed. The Rams appear to be on the precipice of a new era, though, as the team is trying to trade former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. There are also rumblings that Stafford may also be leaving town."
It's the appropriate grade. The Rams established themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL, giving the Eagles it's toughest test in the postseason while notching wins over the 14-3 Vikings twice, the AFC runner-up Buffalo Bills and securing four division wins.
The Rams were not deserving of an A because they didn't reach the Super Bowl, went 0-3 against the rest of the NFC North, had double-digit losses to Arizona and Philadelphia during the regular season on top of other poor performances.
However their ability to win in a variety of ways should give Rams fans hope for a Super Bowl run in 2025.
