This is one of my favourite stretches on the calendar.
We’re still hanging on to the summer, the weather hasn’t turned yet, and an entire NFL season is in front of us.
30 years ago, you would have found me poolside up north with a stack of NFL season preview magazines and zero responsibilities, convinced I had all angles covered.
Admittedly, I’ve been a little behind in my final prep work after spending most of June and July covering the biggest tournament of the summer at TSN, but the machine has finally kicked back into gear and I’m nearly back on track.
My first fantasy football Superflex dynasty draft is already underway – the first of a handful of drafts this month.
I’ve also managed to spend some time revisiting the short list of NFL futures that I put out in the spring, with some early thoughts on a couple of additions I plan to lock in over the next few weeks in this column.
Meanwhile, the group chats have been buzzing with plenty of talk about NFL awards, player milestones, and the seemingly limitless amount of futures parlay options you can put together on the FanDuel app.
There’s one question that continues to come up nearly every time I talk football with somebody at the office: Are the Rams as good as they are hyped up to be?
There’s always that one contender that gets a little too much love and looks just a little bit too good on paper during the NFL pre-season.
I’m here to tell you that the Rams aren’t that team.
The more you dig into their roster construction, scheme evolution, and their defensive overhaul, the more it becomes clear that LA isn’t just as good on paper as the hype suggests – they’re better than it.
Let’s dive into the numbers in this Morning Coffee column for Wednesday August 12th, 2026.
Rams Super Bowl Hype Is Justified
Most Super Bowl favourites have at least one weakness.
The Rams are the lone NFL team without one on paper.
Matthew Stafford is the reigning NFL regular season MVP.
After leading the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes last season, all the pieces are in place for the 38-year-old veteran QB to run it back in 2026.
Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Kyren Williams, and Blake Corum are complimented by a top 10 tight end unit that features Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and rookie second round pick Max Klare.
Sean McVay dramatically shifted his offensive approach with a heavy reliance on multiple tight ends last season, operating out of 13 personnel – one back, three tight ends – a league-high 30.5 per cent of the time.
LA’s talent combined with the scheme shift resulted in the league’s No. 1 scoring offence and success rate.
Stafford is another year older, but the Rams allowed the fewest sacks and fourth-lowest pressure rate in the NFL last season, and the continuity along the offensive line should help the protection up front.
That offensive line will also play a significant role in opening lanes for Williams and Corum on the ground after they led the NFL in EPA/rush and success rate.
LA has a top 10 offensive line along with top 10 units at running back, wide receiver, tight end, and QB.
Then there’s a defence that underwent a major overhaul in the offseason with two major additions.
When the Rams acquired All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and made him the highest-paid player in the NFL at his position back in March, it was enough for FanDuel to make LA the Super Bowl favourite.
Then the Rams traded for two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, marking the first time in league history the reigning NFL DPOY was traded.
LA’s biggest issues on defence last season were an inconsistent pass rush and an inability to shut down opposing wide receivers downfield.
The additions of Garrett, McDuffie, and fellow veteran cornerback Jaylen Watson provided major upgrades.
Now the Rams appear set to welcome back a Super Bowl champion and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald.
Donald hasn’t played since 2023, but he’s still in excellent shape, and it appears a couple of years off to rest and recover could provide a major spark for the LA defence.
Remember, Garrett just set the single-season sack record for the Cleveland Browns in 2025.
What is Garrett’s ceiling lining up next to Donald, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Poona Ford on a legitimate Super Bowl contender that doesn’t have to play from behind as often as the Browns did last season?
Finally, it’s important not to overlook the changes that the Rams made on special teams, which were a major weakness in 2025.
Multiple losses in games that were flipped on missed kicks, blocked kicks, or lapses in kick and punt return situations was the difference between LA locking up the NFC’s best record, a first-round bye and home field advantage for the NFC playoffs.
The Rams ended up losing to the Seattle Seahawks by four points in the NFC Championship on the road.
A bye and home field might have been enough to get to the Super Bowl last season.
Now LA enters the 2026 NFL season with an elite offence, an improved defence, and an overhauled special teams unit, with no major weaknesses on their roster.
Sure, the Rams need the 38-year-old Stafford to be healthy when it matters most.
The same can be said for the star players on any Super Bowl contender, including most notably the QB.
Even with one of the league’s toughest schedules and some rest disadvantages, LA has the deepest and most talented roster that we have seen in a long time.
With the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, the Rams front office has gone all-in to win now.
Most contenders that generate this much offseason hype have at least a couple of holes you can circle on paper.
This one doesn’t.
So, the next time somebody tells you there’s no way the Rams are as good as they are being hyped up to be, make sure you tell them they’re even better.
A lot can change in the coming weeks and months.
At least on paper, LA is the most obvious Super Bowl favourite we’ve had in years.
Have a great day, everyone.
