Who hands the Los Angeles Rams their first loss in 2018?

The Los Angeles Rams could move to 5-0 on the year with a win against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday. Through the first quarter of the season, there’s been little the opposition can do to slow down the Rams’ potent offense, and it seems like they’re just scratching the surface of what they can do on defense.

In our weekly staff picks this week, the TST team foresees a clean sweep of the Seahawks; marking the third time in five weeks where not a single staffer feels the Rams will lose. Homers? Maybe. But accurate homers!

At any rate, it brought up discussion about who, if anyone, would finally take down Sean McVay and his juggernaut Rams. So we went around the horn, and here are some teams we feel could potentially put the first “1” in the Rams’ L column. But first, a look at the remaining schedule:

Los Angeles Rams

Brennan Smith: New Orleans Saints

Is it weird to simultaneously think the Rams going 16-0 is absurd, but also to firmly believe they could be favored in every game moving forward? My next predicted loss is Nov. 4 on the road at New Orleans. I’m tempted to pick the previous week at home against the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, but a road trip to New Orleans seems more likely. Los Angeles’ linebackers will be seriously tested trying to contain Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas will give Marcus Peters all he can handle instead of fits. Drew Brees has enough veteran savvy to avoid the Rams’ interior pass rush. It’ll be a high-scoring affair and the Rams offense could outpace New Orleans, but in a hostile environment, a shootout favors the home team. The Rams should bounce back against the Seahawks the following week, but a potential Super Bowl preview against the Chiefs the week after could be a second loss.

Elijah Kim: Denver Broncos

Going back to my 10-6 prediction and “negative roots”, I believe the Rams will lose next week against the Broncos in the Mile High Stadium. The altitude, defense, and kicking advantage the Broncos are projected to have (McManus is automatic in Denver), will be just enough to squeak the Broncos against the Rams. After that game, the Rams have some formidable opponents in the Packers (10/28) and Saints (11/4) which could also pose problems for Sean McVay and company.

RamBuck: New Orleans Saints

I think the first loss will be 11/4 at NO. I just think that the ageless Brees is going to put up 500 at home, Michael Thomas/Alvin Kamara are top 3 at their positions, and of course that’s the game I’ll be going to this season. Mainly the latter, I guess.

HotDaddyWags: New Orleans Saints

The Rams will handle their business this Sunday in Seattle, and squeak out a close one at Denver week 6. No, I don’t predict a slip at San Francisco on Sunday Night Football, even if it’s our third consecutive road game. We’ve seen the Rams on the national stage twice now, and this team has shown an affinity for rising to the occasion. Back home, we’ll handle the inconsistent Packers in a battle of Cal QBs to improve to 8-0. I think we’ll lose at New Orleans and relinquish the inside track for the #1 NFC seed in a bayou classic.

Seattlerams: New Orleans Saints

In our staff prediction article back in September, I picked the Rams to go 14-2, losing to Green Bay and at the Saints. As things stand, I’m going to move from that stance and say that the next game the Rams will lose will be week 9, at the New Orleans Saints (maybe.)

Sosa Kremenjas: New Orleans Saints

I think the first game this Rams team loses will be the week nine matchup when they travel to New Orleans to face the Saints. So long as they stay healthy, they should win all these games (in order): Seahawks, Broncos, 49ers, and Packers. To be fair, I even expect them to beat the Saints, but if I’m going to take my shot at where the streak might end, I go with the Saints game.

go rams: None, obviously

None — asshole.

Eric Nagel: None

They will next lose in 2020

Skye Sverdlin: Denver Broncos

For some reason the Denver game worries me. I can picture them generating a decent pass rush and on offense I can see Keenum squirting out of the pocket and making plays, like when he was on the Vikings. I have a feeling the Rams will handle business against the elite teams, but a middle of the road team for a raucous road game? That scares me.

Joey Aucoin: Green Bay Packers

I think the Green Bay Packers pose a big challenge for the Rams. With a QB like Aaron Rodgers running the opposing offense, the Rams D could be on their heels to such a degree that the Rams will suffer their first loss of the season. It’s just a bad matchup for the Rams, especially with Aqib Talib still on the sidelines.

Sean Wilkinson: Green Bay Packers

If the Rams keep playing the way they did in the first month of the season, not many teams are going to be able to slow them down. In our preseason predictions, I had them losing to the 49ers in a few weeks, but I don’t think there’s a chance of that happening with Jimmy G out for the season. I’m by no means looking past other teams when I say this, but I’m sticking to my preseason predictions after that asterisk. The Rams are going to host the Green Bay Packers on October 28th and I think there is a real chance they lose that game.

3k: Denver Broncos

You’ve got the game sandwiched in a three-game road swing with the rival Niners coming up. I think it’s got the capability to be that kind of surprise disappointment like the Bills were for the Vikings. They’ve got some positive young talents to work with if they can get Case Keenum to quit turning the ball over so much. So much like our early season losses to Seattle and Washington last year, this one could be a self-inflicted loss that we just need to get over with

Brandon Bate: New Orleans Saints

The Rams travel well...or at least they did last season when they went 7-1 (including London) on the road. So it’s not necessarily because it’s a road contest that I think their first loss might come at the hands of the Saints. A long trip east against a serious contender for the NFC crown could be the recipe...in what I would still expect to be a very close, yet very high scoring, game.

It appears Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (3-1) appear to be the popular pick amongst the group. Though there are some that feel a trip to Mile High Stadium in Week 6 could mark the first loss. And then there are those who just don’t see anyone stopping the Rams this season...or next.

Who do you think hands the Rams their first loss of 2018? Take a second to vote in the poll below (This will be stripped out for Google AMP and Apple users).