5 surprising Rams rookies who have make a difference in the playoffs
Pivoting back to football, here are 5 surprising Rams rookies who will make a difference in the playoffs
The LA Rams have made the playoffs. Now what? After all, the team unexpectedly exceeded all expectations last season by facing the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs in Detroit, Michigan.
The Rams cam oh-so-close to winning that game, falling short by a score of 24-23. In that game, the offense went 0-3 in the red zone, while the Lions’ offense was a perfect 3-3 in the red zone.
The Lions would go on to face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last year.
One of the greatest attributes that an NFL player can bring to the team in postseason competition is experience. As different as the regular season is to the preseason, the postseason is different to the regular season. There are no more plays called to see what happens.
The speed of the game increases, as does the physicality. It’s a new level of football, one that rookies can struggle with simply because they are not prepared for the elevated quality of play.
The Rams roster is a bit different. When rookies join the team, they earn playing time in one of two ways. Either they are forced into a starting or rotational role due to injury to veteran players. In that scenario, the players are given the reins to prove themselves worthy on the football field.
On the other hand, the team promotes rookies who excel at their position as early as OTAs. In that case, these rookies learn as they go, following a development track over the course of a season that allows them to elevate their game for the NFL Playoffs.
In this scenario, rookies are prepared all season long to improve their base level of play. And as the postseason arrives, they can be counted on by coaches to step up their game to face the win-or-go-home competition.
So, who are the Rams rookies who are likely to step up? We have five that jump off the page who many may not be expecting to offer up playoff-level production.
And yet, for Rams fans who have followed the team all season long, these names will not be surprises. In fact, they are players that you may already be counting on to show up in a big way throughout the NFL Playoffs.
