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The Los Angeles Rams remain the Super Bowl favorites in Vegas. That is despite the shellacking they received at the hands of their NFC West rival, San Francisco 49ers in Australia. Even after the news that Myles Garrett was headed to injured reserve, the Rams stood with the shortest odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
But that may be about to change.
On Sunday, it was revealed that Garrett is likely to miss more than minimum four games on injured reserve with a knee issue, per ESPN’s Ian Rapoport.
The superstar edge rusher was initially expected back for the Rams’ Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, it appears he will miss that game, as well as another game against an AFC West foe in the Los Angeles Chargers.
The most likely scenario is that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year will make his return Week 9 against the Washington Commanders.
Reports from the Rams are that Garrett is determined to beat that timeline. But that remains to be seen.
The Rams’ goal of winning a Super Bowl remains paramount. But garnering home-field advantage may go a long way in trying to even get there.
It is an easy argument to make that had last year’s NFC Championship game not been in Seattle, it would have been the Rams playing against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The raucous crowd in the Pacific Northwest clearly left an imprint on that highly-contentious battle.
The Rams’ schedule does not bode well for missing their prized off-season trade piece.
Following Sunday night’s game in Denver against the reigning AFC West champion Broncos, Los Angeles will travel to Philadelphia to square off against the Eagles. That is arguably the one team in recent years that has had its number.
After that, a home date against the 3-0 Buffalo Bills, who look like maybe the best team in football thus far.
The Rams will then play the Arizona Cardinals in what should be a reprieve. But any division opponent can cause a problem.
Then come the games against the Raiders and Chargers. Las Vegas was not expected to make much noise this season, entering a rebuilding year in preparation for Fernando Mendoza to take over. Instead, they are looking to go 3-0 on Sunday.
The Chargers, on the other hand, have not looked good at all this year. But they are still incredibly talented and extremely well-coached. So, there are no breaks in the Rams’ schedule without Garrett.
Los Angeles is already a game back of both the Seahawks and 49ers, having lost one head-to-head matchup already with the latter. Every win matters.
The question remains, how many will they have before Garrett is back in uniform?
