Predicting where Seahawks will land in NFC West standings post-schedule release

NFC West Standings 2nd Place: Los Angeles Rams

No Aaron Donald, no problem for Sean McVay and the Rams. The loss of Donald will be difficult, but a stellar draft class combined with arguably the best offense in the league will have the Rams battling the 49ers for the NFC West title, and they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The main reason why? A healthy Matt Stafford and the best 1-2 wide receiver punch in the league last year. 

Stafford, entering his 16th season at age 36, looked arguably better than ever in 2023 after an injury-plagued 2022. In 15 games, Stafford threw for nearly 4,00 yards and 24 touchdowns, with the majority of those yards and touchdowns to Cooper Kupp and rookie sensation Puka Nacua. With a reloaded offensive line and fully healthy Stafford and Kupp, the Rams could have their best offense ever under Sean McVay, which is terrifying. 

With the loss of Donald, the Rams were aggressive in the draft, selecting edge rusher Jared Vers and trading up for defensive tackle Braden Fiske, the dynamic duo for Florida State, to take their talents to LA. If they can produce as rookies, then the Rams could become a true equal to the 49ers. 

Until then, I will give the edge to San Francisco, but I project that the Rams will defeat the Seahawks in week 18, securing the top Wild Card seed, while the Seahawks will fall to the sixth or seventh seed. Consider the Rams as the wildcard team no one wants to see in the playoffs. 

2024 Record Prediction: 12-5 (Wild Card berth)