NFL 2019: 4 reasons Rams won’t reach Super Bowl again

Last season, most everything went right for the Los Angeles Rams. They won each their first eight games and raced out to a 13-3 record. Then, they beat the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints — with a little bit of help — in the NFC Championship.

In the Super Bowl, though, the Rams fell 13-3 to theNew England Patriots. Now, with training camp only a few weeks away, Los Angeles embarks on another journey. Here are four reasons this year won’t end up as successful the last.

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4. Losses in the trenches

The Rams lost quite a bit of talent this offseason. On the offensive line, general manager Les Snead released center John Sullivan and then watched as guard Rodger Saffold left in free agency for a four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. In the front seven, money was used to retain edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., but Ndamukong Suh was not re-signed. All and all, a trio of tough losses in the pit.

3. Tough to repeat

Simple math tells you the Rams are going Mohave a very hard time going 13-3 or bettering a second straight season. Certainly, Los Angeles should win the NFC West (we’ll get to that in a minute),  but it is asking plenty for a team to win double-digit affairs, let along 13 games. The Rams are going to score their points and the defense will do enough, but getting a bye week once again come January is a tough task.

2. Improved division

TheNFC West isn’t great by any means, but it’s better. The San Francisco 49ers have a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo, which automatically makes them better. The Arizona Cardinals completely revamped their coaching staff and added Kyler Murray as the No. 1 overall pick at quarterback. The Seattle Seahawks haven’t changed much, but they remain a threat to win 10 games.

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1. Todd Gurley’s knee

One of the main topics this offseason on a national scale has been how healthy is Todd Gurley’s knee? After having to sit out much of the last two months of the year with arthritis in the knee, how much can the former University of Georgia star reasonably give Los Angeles moving forward? Of course, it’s an impossible question to answer but one that remains a serious talking point. Gurley means more to the Rams and their offense far more than most backs do elsewhere in 2019. If he is severely compromised, Los Angeles is in serious trouble.