Breaking Down Why the Rams Are 2025 Super Bowl Favorites

For a while there, the 2025 NFL season didn't seem to have juggernauts. Every team had glaring flaws that left the Super Bowl wide open.

The two teams that met in the championship last year looked extremely mortal. The Philadelphia Eagles were eking out uninspiring wins, while their passing game struggled to find any rhythm and consistency. The Kansas City Chiefs limped through injuries and regression and are now on the brink of elimination from playoff contention at just 6-7.

The "next up" teams failed to fill the power vacuum. The Buffalo Bills' defense is highly questionable, especially against the run. The Baltimore Ravens had their roster ravaged by injuries and are clinging to their dying postseason hopes.

The Cincinnati Bengals' season seemed over before it really even started, with Joe Burrow going down in Week 2 and their defense playing poorly the entire year. However, the Los Angeles Rams have made their bid for the top team in the league this season, and it's pretty hard to deny them their claim.

Los Angeles Rams, NFL, Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford — Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass against Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, September 8, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rams picked to continue dominant season

The Los Angeles Rams started off their 2025 NFL season a little rocky. They dropped two brutal games early on to the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, leading to a 3-2 record to begin the year. They'd go on to win their next six to climb to the top of the NFL power rankings. Then, they were upset by the Carolina Panthers on the road.

That didn't change anyone's mind about this team's ability to contend for the Super Bowl, but it did make the Rams look a lot more vulnerable than before. However, LA did a great job washing away that disappointing setback last week, blowing out the Arizona Cardinals, 45-17, to get back into the win column. Now, the Rams have a perfect opportunity to exert their dominance over a fellow contender in the NFC and prove that they're a cut above the rest.

Puka Nacua had his career high 181 receiving yards against the Detroit Lions in the playoff showdown during his rookie season of 2023/24

This mark was a then rookie single game record high. A signature on his historic rookie season

Nacua will be ready to fight again Sunday! pic.twitter.com/AEJH64nejt
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 11, 2025

In Week 15, LA hosts the Detroit Lions. Beating them handily will better the Rams' chances of earning the No. 1 seed in the conference and the first-round bye, as well as effectively remove one of their fiercest challengers from the playoff race. NFL.com's panel of editors expects them to get the job done against Detroit, with all five members picking the Rams. Ali Bhanpuri predicted a tightly contested affair, though:

"Can Jared Verse and Byron Young get to [Jared] Goff quickly enough, and frequently enough, to disrupt the veteran's ability to pick apart their defense? I'm not sure, which is why I'm still predicting a solid offensive outing from Detroit. (Well, that and Jahmyr Gibbs, obviously.) What gives me pause about the Lions, then, is how their defensive tendencies match up with the Rams' hyper-efficient offense.

No team has run man coverage at a higher rate this year than Detroit, and no QB has a better TD-to-INT ratio against man looks than Matthew Stafford (21-1). Unless the Lions' pass rush can consistently win up front, their aggressiveness on the perimeter (despite multiple injuries in their secondary) could come back to bite them. Just as a second straight pick against the Lions could come back to bite me. With this win, L.A. becomes the first NFC team to clinch a playoff berth this season."

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