The Los Angeles Rams are not that far removed from being one
of the most boring and disappointing teams in the NFL. In 2016 they were wasting
a #1 pick at quarterback and a generational running back, but when Sean McVay
took over as head coach in 2017 things immediately turned around.
The Rams quickly became one of the most exciting and inventive
offenses, and rode that O along with a stout defense to the Super Bowl last
season. Their magical run was ended by the great villain of the NFL, the New England
Patriots, but they come into Madden 20 as one of the most playable teams
around.
Can you take over the franchise and give LA a Super Bowl at
long last?
Team Rating
The Los Angeles Rams come into Madden 20 with an 81 OVR
rating. That puts them fourth in the game behind the Eagles, Saints, and
Cowboys, and tied with the Chicago Bears.
The strength of their team sits with the 85 rated offense.
That puts them third, and tied with the Patriots and Saints. The defense is a
little less impressive. Their 79 rating is still strong, which puts them right
in the middle of the pack.
However, that defense has a couple of stars on it, and the offense isn’t short of top end talent either.
READ MORE: All the best (& worst) teams in Madden 20
Aaron Donald, Defensive End (99 OVR)
Age: 28
Development Trait: Superstar X-Factor
Contract:
2019 Cap Hit:
Best Stats: Strength (99), Power Moves (99), Play Recognition
(99), Awareness (99), Block Shedding (97), Finesse Moves (96), Tackle (93)
Aaron Donald has been simply sensational since the Rams
drafted him 13th overall in the 2014 draft. As a rookie Donald racked up 9
sacks and 18 tackles for loss and made his first Pro Bowl and winning Defensive
Rookie of the Year. In 2015 he was named First-Team All-Pro, something he has
not missed since, and in 2017 he won Defensive Player of they Year which he
defended in 2018 with a 20.5 sack campaign.
In Madden 20 Donald is a member of the 99 Club. He has
perfect strength (99), power moves (99), play recognition (99),
and awareness (99). His finesse moves (97) the best in the game,
and his acceleration (90) is superb for his position. In short Donald is
a lethal player that can crush quarterbacks at will.
Todd Gurley, Half Back (97 OVR)
Age: 25
Development Trait: Superstar X-Factor
Contract:
2019 Cap Hit:
Best Stats: BC Vision (99), Break Tackle (96), Agility
(95), Juke Move (95), Carrying (94), Speed (92), Acceleration (92), Elusiveness
(92)
The Rams picked Todd Gurley 10th overall in 2015. As a
rookie he put up 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns at an impressive 4.8 yards per
carry as he claimed Offensive Rookie of the Year. After a down 2016, Gurley had
a stellar 2017, posting a career-high 2,093 yards from scrimmage as he claimed
Offensive Player of the Year. In 2018 he scored a total 21 touchdowns as he
helped the Rams get to the Super Bowl.
Thankfully you don’t have to worry too much about Todd Gurley’s terrible knees in Madden 20. Instead, you can put the ball in his hands and watch him break tackles (96) and juke defenders out (95). His speed (92) and acceleration (92) are good, and his catching (68) is strong for a back, making him an all-round threat.
READ MORE: 7 tips to improve your offense
Aqib Talib, Cornerback (87 OVR)
Age: 33
Development Trait: Star
Contract:
2019 Cap Hit:
Best Stats: Jumping (96), Man Coverage (91), Press (91),
Agility (91), Acceleration (91), Speed (87), Zone Coverage (87), Play Recognition
(87)
Aqib Talib was a first-round pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in 2008 and played pretty well but moved to New England in the middle of the
2012 season and found himself playing in the biggest spots possible. After a
strong 2013 campaign with the Patriots he moved to the Denver Broncos and won
Super Bowl 50 with them. Talib joined the Rams in 2018 and starts this season
with career 35 interceptions and 10 touchdowns.
Talib may be aging but he is still impressive in man coverage
(91) and press (91). His acceleration (91) and agility (91)
are also good, but his overall speed (87) is not quite where you would
want it to be. Talib is flexible enough to play zone coverage (87) and
his jumping (96) is impressive enough to compete in the red zone.
Jared Goff, Quarterback (83 OVR)
Age: 24
Development Trait: Star
Contract:
2019 Cap Hit:
Best Stats: Short Accuracy (93), Throw Power (89), Medium
Accuracy (88), Play Action (87), Acceleration (86), Deep Accuracy (85),
Awareness (85), Throw On Run (84)
The Rams made a huge a trade in 2016 to move up and take Jared
Goff with the first pick. As a rookie he started 7 games and lost all of them,
but when Sean McVay took over in 2017 Goff greatly improved. In 2018 he threw
for 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns, completing 64.9 percent of his passes with
12 interceptions as the Rams got to the Super Bowl.
In Madden 20 Goff is no superstar, but he can certainly get the job done. His accuracy is good (93 short, 88 medium, 85 deep) and he has nice throw power (89) to get the ball where it needs to be. He is good on play action (87) and can throw on the run (84) too.
READ MORE: The best playbooks in Madden 20
Want to share your opinion? Why not Write For Us?
