The Los Angeles Rams already know who they’ll host at SoFi Stadium in 2020 as their opponents have been set since the end of last season, but they don’t yet know when they’ll play each team. The biggest game of them all, of course, is the home opener – the first regular-season game at SoFi Stadium.
On Thursday night at 5 p.m. PT, we’ll find out the full schedule of games for the 2020 season. Even with the uncertainty about how next season will look amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s hard not to get excited about the schedule release and the Rams’ first season at SoFi Stadium.
There are some quality teams on the Rams’ home schedule next season, many of which would make sense for the home opener in Inglewood. Let’s run through the top candidates to face the Rams in the first regular-season game at SoFi Stadium.
Seattle Seahawks
This is an obvious possibility. The Seahawks are arguably the Rams’ biggest rivals and the two teams often play games that come down to the wire. Four of their last six matchups since Sean McVay took over have been decided by six points or fewer.
The Seahawks would draw a big crowd at SoFi Stadium, too. The rivalry between the Rams and Seahawks is only growing with each passing year as the McVay era continues, so this would make sense as a Week 1 matchup at SoFi Stadium.
The response to a Rams-Seahawks Week 1 matchup in prime time would certainly be a positive one, given the feeling most fans have about these two teams. It’s often a matchup people look forward to each year – whether they’re Rams/Seahawks fans or not.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are the defending NFC champions, representing the conference in the Super Bowl last season. They still look like one of the best teams in the NFL heading into 2020 and are obviously rivals with the Rams.
The two teams have been fairly evenly matched in the last three years, too, splitting their six meetings since 2017. At least one of them has scored 30 points or more in five of those matchups, so offense isn’t hard to come by when the Rams and 49ers square off.
They may not boast the best passing offenses, but the rushing attacks of both the 49ers and Rams should be strong next season with each team’s stable of backs.
Dallas Cowboys
Of all the non-divisional teams that could open SoFi Stadium against the Rams, the Cowboys make the most sense. In fact, they might make more sense than any of the NFC West teams. When the Rams moved back to L.A. in 2016, they hosted the Cowboys in their first preseason game. It sold out and set a U.S. preseason attendance record with almost 90,000 fans at the game.
If they pushed 90,000 tickets sold for a preseason game, imagine how packed SoFi Stadium would be in a season opener. The Cowboys have fans all across the country, with California being home to a huge number of them. They hold their training camp in Oxnard, and there are always a ton of fans in attendance for practices.
The Rams and Cowboys are building a small rivalry, too, meeting three times since 2017 – including a playoff game two seasons ago. This might be the most logical choice from a business standpoint for the Rams’ home opener.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals don’t have the history with the Rams that the 49ers and Seahawks do, which makes them the least likely NFC West team to open SoFi Stadium next season. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be in consideration, though. Kyler Murray is an electric athlete, Larry Fitzgerald is a future Hall of Famer and the matchup between Jalen Ramsey and DeAndre Hopkins is one of the best among all corners and receivers.
The Cardinals could be in the mix for a playoff spot next season, too, thanks to the changes they’ve made this offseason. Isaiah Simmons will be an impact rookie and the arrival of Hopkins makes the offense that much better.
New England Patriots
Had Tom Brady stayed in New England, the Patriots would’ve made a great choice. Their fans travel well, they’re consistently one of the best teams in the league each year and just faced the Rams in the Super Bowl a year ago. They’re not rivals by any means, but rematches of recent Super Bowls are always intriguing.
There’s still a chance the Rams will open SoFi Stadium against the Patriots, but it’s far less likely now that Brady is in Tampa Bay. There simply isn’t much excitement with Jarrett Stidham starting at quarterback, which will probably be the case unless New England signs Cam Newton.
Don’t rule the Patriots out yet, but they’re not as high as the other NFC teams on this list.
