If San Francisco 49ers fans had been told at the start of the season that their team would be 6-0 and the Los Angeles Rams would be 2-4, it would have been hard to believe.
Yet, that's where we find ourselves at right now as the Niners currently have a stranglehold on the NFC West.
While it is more than fair, and probably even encouraged, to laugh at the Rams right now, it would be silly to count them out entirely. Yes, they have been really bad and have had some key injuries, but they still have a lot of talent on the roster, and it would be surprising if head coach Sean McVay isn't able to figure something out by the end of the season.
The Myles Garrett trade has not worked out as planned, and Davante Adams is going to be out for a while. But the Rams' upcoming schedule is not especially scary, and if they get some of their guys back late in the season and start to peak for the playoffs, then they will definitely be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.
Rams remain dangerous despite early struggles
Imagine a scenario in which the 49ers get the No. 1 seed in the NFC and get a bye in the Wild Card round, but the Rams finish 10-7, sneak into the playoffs, win their Wild Card game, and then face the Niners in the divisional round.
That would be a rough draw for San Francisco.
That would almost be like the reverse of what happened in 2021 when the 49ers got off to a bad start, rallied to finish the season 10-7 and punched their ticket to the playoffs with a Week 18 victory over the Rams and then faced LA in the NFC Championship game but lost.
While a 2-4 start could be too big a hole to climb out of for most teams, coaches like Kyle Shanahan or McVay are good enough that they can claw their way back. The Niners did that in both 2021 and 2022 after shaky starts, so there's no reason to think Los Angeles cannot do the same.
Obviously, it would be great if the Rams just lost every single game the rest of the season and imploded. But even if they are not the "dream team" many built them up to be prior to the season, they are still dangerous and should not be taken lightly.
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