NFL Win Totals: What Should We Expect From the Rams in 2023?

The Los Angeles Rams ended the 2022 season with a 5-12 record, finishing in third place in the NFC West. Their win total for 2023 is set at 6.5, per the NFL win totals at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Rams are coming off one of the worst seasons for a reigning champ in recent memory. This year, they will get back some of their injured players and will be looking to recapture their 2021 form.

Will the Rams surpass their listed win total in 2023?

All NFL odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Los Angeles Rams 2023 Outlook

Projected Win Total: 6.5

• Over: +104
• Under: -128

Odds to Make the Playoffs: +350
Odds to Win the NFC West: +1000
Odds to Win the NFC: +3500
Odds to Win the Super Bowl: +6000

Key Offseason Coaching Changes:

Offensive Coordinator: Mike LaFleur in for Liam Coen.

Why The Rams Could Win Over 6.5 Games:

• Star Players Returning From Injury
• Smart Head Coach
• Different Offensive Scheme

Pretty early on last year, the Rams didn't appear to be the same team they were when they won it all. They started the season 2-1 but then lost in embarrassing fashion to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.

They went on to lose eight of their next nine games and never scored more than 24 points in any game. During this stretch, they lost several of their most important players.

In Week 9, Matthew Stafford went into concussion protocol. He returned in Week 11, only to suffer another injury -- and this time it ended his season. LA was already in dire straits, but the lack of a quality backup quarterback on the roster completely tanked any hopes the Rams had of being competitive.

A competent backup QB could have gotten the ball to Cooper Kupp and gave the Rams' offense a pulse. Unfortunately, Kupp went down with a sprained ankle in Week 10 and missed the rest of the season.

Kupp was nearly as dominant in his 9 games in 2022 as he was in his historic 2021 season. He was on pace to have nearly as many receptions and was the Rams' entire offense with Allen Robinson struggling and the run game proving ineffective.

The biggest blow to the defense was having Aaron Donald get injured in Week 12. He was one of the only players on the team that could generate a pass rush, and without him, the defense was weak overall.

With these players all returning to health, the Rams will have difference-makers on both sides of the ball, arguably two of the best at their respective positions in Kupp and Donald. They should be put in a position to succeed by their coach.

Sean McVay has some detractors, but last season was his first with a losing record. He found a way to make things work with Jared Goff even though their relationship strained, and McVay revitalized Stafford in Stafford's first season with the team.

McVay is still one of the top coaches in the league, even if last season was a disaster. He will surely be motivated after that bad season and now has key players back in his lineup.

Something that definitely needed to change was the offensive scheme. Last campaign was the first and only season that Liam Coen served as the offensive coordinator. He didn't have much NFL experience and had to deal with building a system around a shaky offensive line.

Mike LaFleur will now take over as the OC, and he has experience after having the same role with the New York Jets over the last two seasons. The Jets didn't have the best offensive line, either, so it should be something that LaFleur is used to compensating for.

LaFleur learned under Kyle Shanahan, which may mean he is able to get more creative in the running game. He showed that at times with New York, and it's definitely something the Rams could use as another weapon in their arsenal.

Why Los Angeles Could Win Under 6.5 Games:

• Roster Lacking Depth
• Aging Core
• Offensive Line Issues

The Rams went all in 2021, using several future draft picks in trades. The team's Twitter account even joked about the Rams being all in after making moves for Odell Beckham and Von Miller.

That was all well and good when the Rams were winning, but those moves have left them with a huge talent gap on their roster. They haven't made a first-round pick since 2016, and some of their second-round picks have been questionable. The likes of Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell have not produced the way second-round wide receivers should, and it's left the Rams with not much behind Kupp at the position.

The secondary is also an area where the team is lacking depth. They traded away Jalen Ramsey in the offseason and let Taylor Rapp walk in free agency. This leaves them really thin and inexperienced at cornerback and safety, as neither player was directly replaced.

The Rams are one of the older teams in the NFL, especially regarding those stars who are coming off injuries. Stafford is 35, Donald is 32 and Kupp just turned 30, which is old for a wide receiver. One of the key offensive linemen, Rob Havenstein, is also 31. Tyler Higbee also just turned 30, and he is one of the vital pass catchers at tight end because of the lack of depth at receiver.

Los Angeles really struggled to protect the quarterback in 2022. The retirement of Andrew Whitworth was felt hard, and they were unable to adequately replace him.

The Rams allowed an adjusted sack rate of 10.6%. That was the second-worst mark in the NFL.

The O-Line was not too strong in run blocking, either. The running game got stuffed on 18.0% of their runs, the 12th-worst rate in the league. The only notable addition the team made up front was drafting guard Steve Avila in the second round.

These concerns should be tough to overcome, and they will likely hamper the Rams' attempt at a bounce-back season.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.