The Los Angeles Rams enjoyed a much-needed bye during week eight of the 2025 NFL season. They got a nice gift while lounging on the couch as well, with the hated rival 49ers losing this week, which vaulted the Rams into a tie for first in the NFC West. The Rams entered this season with Super Bowl aspirations and have lived up to them so far. Los Angeles currently sits at 5-2 and a couple plays away from possibly being 7-0 at this time, but still can’t complain about a 5-2 mark while sharing the lead for your division. It’s almost November now, around the time NFL teams figure out where they stand. That begs the question, though, where do the Rams stand amongst their NFC West foes and the NFL as a whole?

A big question mark for LA entering this season was the health of star quarterback and future Hall of Famer, Matthew Stafford, who was dealing with a back injury during training camp. The only back issue Stafford has faced is carrying the Rams on his back as the 37-year-old is enjoying his best season to date and is in the thick of things for the MVP. Stafford has been lights out this year, as he leads the NFL in passing yards entering week 8, and even though he had the week off, Stafford still leads the NFL in passing touchdowns. That’s not to mention “Soul Snatcher” Stafford still doing what he does best, leading game-winning drives in the fourth quarter as Stafford did in weeks one and four. His last game out might have been his best as he torched a stout Jaguar defense to the tune of five touchdown passes, his most in a game since joining the Rams, and his passes had his patented crispness to them all day. Not to mention a couple of signature no-look Stafford slings as well. 

Stafford’s latest masterclass came without not just his best receiver but the best receiver in the NFL as a whole with Puka Nacua missing that week seven game. Up to that point, Nacua hadn’t missed a beat all season. Nacua has been Stafford’s go-to guy this year, as at times it has felt like the Rams offense moved as Nacua did. Nacua is so valuable to the Rams not just because of his receiving ability, but also his talent in the run blocking and motion plays, a staple of the Sean McVay offense. All around, just a great season from Nacua so far, who will return for the Rams’ week nine game vs the Saints. Davante Adams seems to have finally found his timing with Stafford as well. Before week seven, Adams was solid, but there were a couple of throws each game that just felt off between him and Stafford. They solved that issue in London with Adams hauling in three touchdowns. The Rams offense has gone for more of a one-two punch on the ground this year, with Blake Corum in his second year really shaping up to be a good complementary back to starter Kyren Williams. Williams. Williams is fresh off an extension, but is still struggling with a fumbling issue. The offensive line has been up and down, with injuries playing a factor as the line struggles. 

The Rams’ defense under second-year defensive coordinator Chris Shula has continued their bend but don’t break approach as teams can move the ball against LA but scoring is different entirely with the Rams allowing the second-fewest points per game average in the league thus far. Nate Landman has been the steal of the offseason not just for the Rams but in the league as a whole. Landman instantly endeared himself to the Ramily with a week one peanut punch forced fumble to seal the victory and has only gotten better in his breakout season from there, including setting a Rams franchise record with 17 tackles in their week six game. Landman is also a team captain and a crucial veteran presence for a young defense. The Rams got themselves a standout player for just over a million dollars, a damn fine steal. A weak point on the Rams’ defense entering the year was the secondary, cornerbacks in particular, and things have only gone downhill from there since Ahkello Witherspoon got hurt early this year and is not expected to be back till late this year. The Rams have taken steps to address this, though, as just today, as a matter of fact, they swung a deal to add solid veteran corner Roger McCreary from the Titans. The real standouts of this Rams defense, though, are their young defensive line. The ferocious youngsters are trying to mimic the legendary Rams Fearsome Foursome d-line, and while that task is near impossible, these young guys are doing a fine job. Jared Verse has continued to build off his strong Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, but it has been Byron Young who has exploded onto the scene in his third year, leading the team with nine sacks and becoming a game wrecker. Braden Fiske up front has been a disappointment this year for the Rams as he is battling a sophomore slump.

Sean McVay continues to show why he is one of the best coaches in the NFL. McVay and Rams General Manager Les Snead continue to find gems in the draft and free agency. With McVay’s culture being universally praised by both long-tenured veterans and rookies. The Rams offense this year just feels more like the McVay offense we saw when the Rams won it all in the 2021 season, not the inconsistent mess the last few years. That’s a vibe that has kept coming up in the Rams fanbase before this year and throughout the season so far that this feels, albeit in a different way, like 2021 for the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams themselves have done nothing to dispel the notion through their play on the field, as you can expect to see Los Angeles in the playoffs again, where they’ve become a fixture since returning home to Los Angeles. Not just the playoffs, though, through eight weeks the Rams have proved themselves up to the challenge of winning another Lombardi. Watch out for the Rams, they are the most complete team, coach and quarterback-wise in the NFC, and that makes them the most dangerous.