Now that the Rams' 2025 schedule is official, here are five individual player matchups to look out for this season, assuming health permits:
Man Mercenaries (Week 1): WR Puka Nacua vs CB Derek Stingley Jr. (Texans)
One of the best man-beating receivers in the NFL will take on the top man coverage corner from last season to kick off the 2025 campaign. Stingley generated a 25.5 passer rating when targeted in man coverage last year (regular season and playoffs), ranking first in the NFL among corners by 14.1 points, according to Pro Football Focus.
By that metric, quarterbacks would have been better off spiking the ball into the dirt than testing the Texans' top cover in man-to-man last season. He intercepted four passes, broke up three and allowed just a 35% catch rate on 40 man coverage targets.
Meanwhile, Nauca's 3.04 yards per route run ranked seventh in the NFL among qualified receivers. He caught 29 of 46 targets for 344 yards and forced 10 missed tackles after the catch against man (ranking second in the league). Stingley is known to shadow opposing teams' top receivers, so prepare for a battle of wills in Week 1.
Elite Interiors (Week 4): DEs Kobie Turner/Braden Fiske vs OG Quenton Nelson (Colts)
The Rams' standout interior linemen got plenty of opportunities from both the left and right side last season, so they will each get a chance to go against Nelson, one of the NFL's most dependable guards over the past decade, when L.A. hosts the Colts Week 4.
Nelson registered the fourth-best PFF pass blocking grade (79.7) and 17th-best pressure rate allowed (2.0%) among qualified guards last season. Meanwhile, Turner and Fiske were the only pair of teammates to rank top 11 in pressures (54 and 51, respectively) from the interior last year. Turner's 28 run stops ranked seventh at his position, and Nelson's 81.7 PFF run block grade was the sixth-best at guard.
Power Edges (Week 12, SNF): OLB Jared Verse vs OT Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers)
What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? I guess we'll find out on Sunday Night Football in Week 12 when Verse challenges the Buccaneers' two-time All Pro tackle.
The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, whose 77 pressures ranked fourth in the regular season, will look to beat the most efficient tackle in football from last season in terms of pressure rate allowed (1.0%). 57.2% of Verse's snaps last season came on the right side, which would pit him against Wirfs at left tackle, where he took all but one snap, via PFF.
Verse's bull rush is already one of the best in football, but the 320-pound Wirfs tends to swallow those power moves. The force exerted off the edge in Week 12 will be fun to watch.
Divisional Line Staples (Weeks 14 & 18): OT Alaric Jackson vs OLB Josh Sweat (Cardinals)
This offseason, Sweat signed a four-year deal with the Cardinals, and Jackson inked a three-year extension with L.A. Sweat plays primarily on the right side opposite Jackson at left tackle, so, provided both players stay healthy, Jackson vs Sweat will be a premier divisional pass rush matchup for years to come.
Jackson kept Sweat in check during last season's NFC Divisional Round loss to the Eagles, as the former Philadelphia edge rusher registered just one pressure on 22 pass rush opportunities.
Sweat's 34⅝-inch arms (87th percentile) present an advantage over Jackson's 32½-inch ones (sixth percentile), but that didn't stop Jackson from stifling Sweat in last year's playoff bout using his ideal size and hand placement.
Battling Ball Hawks (Week 13): WR Davante Adams vs CB Jaycee Horn (Panthers)
Adams and Horn are two of the league's best at the catch point, be it on opposite sides of the ball. Adams' 13 contested catches last season ranked 17th among receivers, while Horn's eight pass breakups placed 16th among corners. There will be a constant battle for the football when the Rams travel to Carolina in Week 13.
Both players split time between each side of the field fairly evenly last year, but it will be interesting to see if Adams' role in the Rams' offense will change that Horn doesn't usually shadow opposing receivers, so regardless, he and Adams will see their fair share of each other.
