The Los Angeles Rams are set to usher in a new era at SoFi Stadium in the 2020 NFL season. They are coming off a disappointing 2019 campaign after missing the playoffs with a 9-7 record following their Super Bowl run the year before.
Regardless, expectations remain as high as ever amid all the significant changes to the roster this offseason.
The Rams will have their work cut out no matter how their schedule falls in to place thanks to the NFC West emerging into arguably the most competitive division in the entire league. The road to redemption has now officially been determined with the release of the new schedule.
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys (Home) on Sunday, 9/13 at 5:20 p.m. PT
The Rams have endured their fair share of high-stakes showdowns versus the Dallas Cowboys in recent years and the league is looking to keep it going for another year. They struck first by knocking them out of the playoffs in 2018 before the Cowboys would exact their revenge almost a year later in Week 15 by firmly crushing any playoff hopes they had down the stretch last season.
Dallas has since managed to revamp their already talented offense and are looking to take advantage of the significant turnover Los Angeles experienced on defense this offseason. Considering it features two high-profile teams and the opening of a new stadium, it is not surprising that the league put this game on Sunday Night Football in Week 1.
Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles (Away) on Sunday, 9/20 at 10 a.m. PT
The Rams will be taking on the reigning NFC East champs as well in the Philadelphia Eagles as paths cross once again for the Nos. 1 and 2 picks from the 2016 NFL Draft in quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. It is safe to assume that this will be the major storyline with both players coming off rocky years.
The Eagles have made efforts to shore up Wentz’s receiving corps by taking Jalen Reagor in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Of course, this was followed up their intriguing decision to take Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts as well leading to speculation regarding their future plans under center.
Week 3: Buffalo Bills (Away) on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. PT
The Buffalo Bills emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the 2019 campaign after establishing themselves as bonafide playoff contenders in the AFC. They are now adamant about proving it was no fluke as the favorites to replace the New England Patriots at the top of the division.
The Bills have made efforts to solidify this notion with the acquisition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs. their talented defense and newfound firepower on offense could make for a tough outing for the Rams.
Week 4: New York Giants (Home) on Sunday, 10/4 at 1:05 p.m. PT
Although the New York Giants appear to be a few steps ahead of the Washington Redskins in the rebuilding process, they still have yet to put it all together. They are hoping to kickstart their resurgence with quarterback Daniel Jones heading into his first full season as the starter.
New York will be bringing some serious star power with Jones in the form of running back Saquon Barkley. They will be looking to make quite a statement when they help break in the new, $5 billion stadium in Los Angeles.
Week 5: Washington Redskins (Away) on Sunday, 10/11 at 10 a.m. PT
It is no secret that the Washington Redskins are in the midst of a significant rebuild coming off a 3-13 campaign. They have since ushered in some significant changes to both their coaching staff and personnel in an attempt to at least get back to competing in this lackluster division.
Regardless, they were able to secure a player many believe to be a generational pass rusher in defensive end Chase Young. Meanwhile, quarterback Dwayne Haskins is still hoping to show new head coach Ron Rivera that Washington had good reason to make him their next franchise quarterback.
Week 6: San Francisco 49ers (Away) on Sunday, 10/18 at 5:20 p.m. PT
The san Francisco 49ers are fresh off a Super Bowl loss and hoping to avoid the dreaded hangover that comes along with it. They have made efforts to ensure that they keep it going in 2020 by avoiding any significant turnover to this talented roster.
Their biggest key losses came in the form of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. the 49ers are sure to have a target on their back as the reigning NFC champs.
Week 7: Chicago Bears (Home) on Monday, 10/26 at 5:15 p.m. PT
Like the Rams, the Chicago Bears are also coming off a year in which they fell vastly short of expectations. As a result, it is safe to assume they are anxious to get back on track as a formidable contender in the NFC.
They now boast a surplus of talent under center with Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles. While it remains to be seen which will be the starter in this matchup, the prospect of Foles taking on his old team would certainly make for a good storyline.
Week 8: Miami Dolphins (Away) on Sunday, 11/1 at 10 a.m. PT
The Miami Dolphins simply refused to pack it in during a tumultuous 2019 season that saw them string together some impressive wins down the stretch to finish at 5-11. Although their refusal to tank may have cost them a couple of draft spots, they were still able to secure that player that served as the inspiration for it in the first place by landing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Miami followed it up with their efforts to fortify the protection for Tagovailoa by using two fo their first three picks to take offensive lineman Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt. Meanwhile, the addition of running back Matt Breida in free agency gives them another versatile weapon to work with on offense.
Week 9: BYE WEEK
Week 10: Seattle Seahawks (Home) on Sunday, 11/15 at 1:25 p.m. PT
The Seattle Seahawks have proven that a rebuild is no reason to not be competitive and they proved as much with their 11-5 finish last season. They followed it up by putting an emphasis on shoring up quarterback Russell Wilson’s supporting cast by bringing in tight Greg Olsen along with offensive tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Brandon Shell.
Although it appears the Seahawks have struck out on signing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, they prioritized filling some of their needs on defense by using their first two draft picks on linebacker Jordyn Brooks and defensive end Darrell Taylor.
Week 11: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Away) on Monday, 11/23 at 5:15 p.m. PT
No team has generated more hype than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have this offseason thanks to the arrival of quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Rams are now among the opponents that will be scrambling for ways to contain this high-powered offense.
The Bucs had already boasted the best receiver tandem in the league with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin prior to the addition of Gronkowski. It is safe to say that defensive coordinator Brandon Staley will have his work cut out this week.
Week 12: San Francisco 49ers (Home) on Sunday, 11/29 at 1:05 p.m. PT
Week 13: Arizona Cardinals (Away) on Sunday, 12/6 at 1:05 p.m. PT
The Arizona Cardinals are coming off quite an eventful offseason that was highlighted by their topsides trade for All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. However, offense was hardly the issue for Arizona thanks to the emergence of quarterback Kyler Murray.
This is why they made sure to make a splash on the defensive side of the ball during the draft by taking linebacker Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall pick.
Week 14: New England Patriots (Home) on Thursday, 12/10 at 5:20 p.m. PT
The prospect of going up against the New England Patriots was hardly ideal for most teams over the last two decades. Fortunately, that no longer seems to be the case now that Brady has left town.
Despite the significant changes under center, there is still good reason to believe that head coach Bill Belichick can maintain this team’s elite status. Only this time, he will need to make it happen with either Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer at quarterback.
Week 15: New York Jets (Home) on either 12/19 or 12/20 (TBD)
The New York Jets have put an emphasis on shoring up the supporting cast for quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason. They made a number of splashes in the draft by adding left tackle Mekhi Becton and wide receiver Denzel Mims to help out in the passing game.
It remains to be seen if the Jets will make running back Le’Veon Bell a focal point of the offense. They also made sure to bring in a complementary option in the backfield by taking Lamical Perine in the fourth round.
Week 16: Seattle Seahawks (Home) on Sunday, 12/27 at 1:05 p.m. PT
Week 17: Arizona Cardinals (Home) on Sunday, 1/3 at 1:25 p.m. PT
Preseason games:
Aug. 13-17 – New Orleans Saints
Aug. 20-24 – at Los Angeles Chargers
Aug. 27-30 – Denver Broncos
Sep. 3-4 – at Las Vegas Raiders
