The Los Angeles Rams put together a surprisingly strong performance in their Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Matthew Stafford looked great, the offense rolled on, and they took home a 30-13 road win against a divisional opponent. Many expected Sean McVay and the Rams to struggle this season, but will they actually compete in the NFC West instead? Here are four overreactions to L.A.'s season-opener.

 

1. Matthew Stafford is back in form

After winning the Super Bowl in 2021, the Rams' 2022 season was extremely disappointing. Maybe it was a Super Bowl hangover, but the roster also just wasn't what it was the year before. Star tackle Andrew Whitworth retired, and the offensive line as a whole was terrible. As a result, Matthew Stafford struggled greatly. He played only nine games, and the Rams were 3-6 in those games.

Based on Sunday's performance however, it looks like the Stafford of old is back. He had a long offseason to rest and recover and looked sharp despite having a mediocre supporting cast. With no Cooper Kupp, Stafford went 24-38 for 334 yards. He didn't throw any touchdown passes, but he led three touchdown drives.

Stafford's throws were mostly on time and on target, and the deep ball looked good as well. If Stafford is back in form and not limited by injuries, the Rams' season looks much more promising.

 

2. The receiving corps might be pretty good

In Cooper Kupp's absence, the Rams' receivers stepped up and played very well. Rookie WR Puka Nacua had 10 catches for 119 yards in his NFL debut. Nacua was a fifth-round pick out of BYU and emerged as Stafford's top target on Sunday.

Tutu Atwell is in his third year with the Rams and came into Week 1 with 298 career receiving yards. He caught six passes for 119 yards, looking pretty explosive along the way.

Van Jefferson was expected to be Stafford's first option with Kupp on IR. He did have four catches, but only for 24 yards. Still, he's a strong target with other options on the field. TE Tyler Higbee caught three passes for 49 yards.

Once Kupp returns from injury, the Rams look like they'll have a nice set of pass catchers to work with.

 

3. No Ramsey, no problem?

The Rams traded star CB Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason. This was one of several tough moves the Rams have had to make over the last two years to manage their salary cap picture. They went all in to win that Super Bowl, and it paid off, but these kinds of moves are the cost. Ramsey has two years left on a 5-year, $105 million he signed in 2020.

However, the Rams' secondary held up strongly against a talented Seattle receiving corps. They limited Geno Smith to 112 passing yards, and D.K. Metcalf led the Seahawks with 47 yards. Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba combined for just 23 yards. The Seahawks managed 12 total yards of offense and one first down in the second half.

Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick started at cornerback for the Rams and got their jobs done well in Week 1.

 

4. The Rams will make the playoffs

The NFC is a significantly weaker conference than the AFC. There's less top-end talent, and particularly the level of quarterback play is much lower. Based on roster construction, the Eagles, Cowboys and 49ers all look like locks to make the playoffs, and then the winners of the NFC North and NFC South will also make it.

That leaves two remaining playoff spots and not a lot of great contenders. The NFC South definitely won't send two teams to the playoffs, and then the Vikings and Giants, who both made the playoffs last year, both played poorly in Week 1. The Seahawks were also in last year's playoffs, so this statement road win against an NFC West rival was huge for Los Angeles.

If Stafford is the player he was in 2021, he's arguably the best quarterback in the conference. Cooper Kupp's return should work wonders for Stafford and the offense.

If the Rams keep up this level of play, they can certainly win enough games to make the playoffs, particularly with the Arizona Cardinals on the schedule twice.