You can start choosing what games to attend in LA (and Mexico…maybe) in 2019. With the Chicago Bears clinching the NFC North last Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams’ 2019 home schedule is now set.
The Rams will play a first place schedule and therefore will play each NFC division winner. We get the NFC North Champion Bears and NFC South Champion New Orleans Saints coming to the Coliseum, but we’ll travel to play the NFC East champion most likely being the Dallas Cowboys.
For cross-conference foes, NFC West teams will play the AFC North teams next season. The Rams will host the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals and will hit the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. The Rams avoided hosting the Steelers who always have tons of fans in attendance on the road.
Additionally, NFC West teams pull the NFC South to fill out the schedule next year. Along with hosting the Saints as division champions, the Rams also get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to come to LA meaning trips to Charlotte and ATL to face the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are on the cards.
Of course, we get our usual NFC West rivals: the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Arizona Cardinals.
With the home opponents set, we have our final foes at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before the team moves to their luxurious new home down the street in nearby Inglewood at the Los Angeles Stadium and Entertainment District where they are also expected to roll out an entire new graphic brand to include new uniforms.
One asterisk. Per league rules for relocated teams yet to play in their permanent home stadium, the Rams are still required to sacrifice a home game for the International Series. As such, the Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland (er…TBD) Raiders will all play one home game abroad. Drawing the short stick as well were the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buccaneers who will also give up a home contest to expand the game’s interest abroad. As of now, four of those five games will be in London while the fifth will be in Mexico City…field conditions pending…
The Rams’ road schedule will include the Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals, Browns, Steelers, Panthers, Falcons and the NFC East champion.