The Los Angeles Rams are the winners of the Odell Beckham Jr, sweepstakes. The former pro-bowler has agreed to spend the rest of the season in Los Angeles with the Rams. Many Pundits have immediately crowned the Rams as the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but they are far from being the clear front-runner that many see them as. Yes, this is a surefire playoff team and yes, they are “super bowl or bust” perhaps more than any team in the NFL, but calling them the favorites to win the Super Bowl is premature and here is why:

3 reasons Rams aren't Super Bowl favorites with Odell Beckham Jr

3. Beckham doesn't fix most of the Rams' biggest issues

On the Rams, they have had four issues that have a cause for concern. First, is the special teams' coverage units–they are simply not performing well enough there. The main issue is that when special teams ace, Ben Skowronek, is blocked, the Rams often panic and no one steps up immediately and makes the tackle. That leads to an extra five yards on every return that teams usually wouldn't be getting. But, Beckham Jr. doesn't play special teams.

They have also had issues defending the explosive play and sticking to a solid running game plan. Beckham doesn't figure to help out in either of those as well. Where he will help the Rams out is with their fourth issue, their red-zone offense. He will start to become that red-zone threat that the team envisioned Jacob Harris would have become by this time of the year. Obviously, they have different skillsets but are similar in that they have a knack for the endzone. Beckham's per-16 game numbers for his career still sit around ten touchdowns per year.

2. Arizona still has the upper hand in the division 

With a one-game lead on the Rams and having already beaten them once in Los Angeles this season, the Cardinals absolutely have the best path the winning the NFC West. That would make things much harder on the Rams to get to a Super Bowl, especially when teams like Tampa Bay and Green Bay are already building huge home-field advantages this year as they have yet to lose at home.

In order for the Rams to make themselves the favorite, they need to beat Arizona in the desert next month. If they do that, they could possibly get themselves the first seed and the bye that comes with it. That is the only way they will go into the playoffs being considered as the likely champion. If not, the Rams would likely start their playoffs with a wild-card playoff game at Dallas, Tampa Bay, or Green Bay.

1. Home-field advantage is set up for the Buccaneers

As mentioned earlier, the Buccaneers are yet to lose at home and they have the 4th easiest remaining schedule in the league based on future opponents' current winning percentages. The Rams have the ninth toughest…ouch. Even if the Rams are able to catch Arizona and win the division, the conference championship will still be set up through one of the other potential division winners mentioned before.

Last year, home-field advantage did not mean anything with mainly less than full stadiums throughout the league due to the pandemic. The Buccaneers were able to win three playoff road games before becoming the first team to ever host a Super Bowl in their home stadium. The Rams are now attempting to become the second team to do accomplish the feat and their path most likely will be running through Tampa Bay if they are going to get there. LA has beaten Tampa two straight times including once this season when the Rams beat the Bucs in Los Angeles–so they hold the tiebreaker and perhaps the mental edge over the Buccaneers. Then again, the Bucs were banged up when the two teams met this season, and the last time Tampa Bay met a team in the playoffs that they had lost two straight games to (the Saints last year) the Buccaneers took care of business and advanced easily.