After a Monday Night Football victory against the Chicago Bears the Los Angeles Rams share a 5-2 record with the Arizona Cardinals and are right on their heels for second-place in the division.
There was a lot of doubt surrounding the Rams even after a 4-1 start, largely due to four of their first five games being against the NFC East. Losses to the Bills and 49ers sowed doubt but a victory against a good Chicago Bears has them back in the conversation.
Strength
Aaron Donald. It is just about that simple. Donald is undoubtedly the anchor of this defense that has already produced 24 sacks, 8 of which belong to #99 himself.
Beyond the numbers themselves, and keep in mind Donald has 15 quarterback hits in addition to his sack, the mere presence of Donald on the field plays an invaluable role in unsettling the opposing quarterback.
The Rams run defense has been solid all year and Donald is a big contributor to that. With him leading that side of the ball, Los Angeles should produce another good defensive year that will keep their average offense in games and give them a chance to win.
Weakness
Regardless of some impressive statistical performances, Jared Goff continues to be a weakness for this team. Ever since Super Bowl XXXVI, it has been clear that Goff has a lot of growing left to do and his over-reliance on head coach Sean McVay was glaring.
He certainly has grown since that game, but to say he has arrived as a top-tier quarterback in the NFL might be going a bit far. He can throw the ball, but his decision-making and mental errors have continued to cost the Rams in close games.