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2016 NFL Strength of Schedule: Nothing Comes Easy In The NFC West

By Brandon Bate
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Rams - and the St. Louis Rams for that matter - are no strangers to taking on the league’s toughest opponents.  In recent years, it’s simply become a part of playing in the NFC West; the toughest division in the league.  And that won’t change in 2016.

The San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons have the NFL’s toughest slates in 2016, playing opponents with a 142-114 record [.555].  At the bottom of the league’s strength of schedule list, the Green Bay Packers look to have the league’s easiest go of it [117-139, .457].

It won’t take much scrolling to find the L.A. Rams on the list.  They’re placed right behind the aforementioned 49ers and Falcons, having the league's third toughest schedule in 2016.  They’ll face opponents with a combined 2015 record of 141-115 [.551].

Again, this is nothing new for them.

Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams Strength of Schedule

Year

SoS

NFL Rank

2016

.551

3rd

2015

.553

6th

2014

.564

3rd

2013

.539

4th

2012

.523

4th


For a closer look at exactly who the Rams will be taking on in this season, here’s their list of home/away games, prior to the NFL’s official release of the 2016 schedule:
Something to note from the CBS article [linked above] in regards to the Rams:

While the purpose of the article was to release the 2016 SoS and highlight a few notes on the league’s easiest/toughest schedules, John Breech offered up an entire paragraph for the Rams...

As for the NFC West, if the NFL's hoping that football in Los Angeles gets off to a hot start, then the league better make the Rams trade for a quarterback because it's unlikely that Case Keenum or Nick Foles will be able to lead the Rams to a playoff berth against what will be the league's third-toughest schedule.

"...the league better make the Rams trade for a quarterback..." Shots fired.

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