In 2018, the Los Angeles Rams embarked on a season of uncertainty after a Wild Card loss the season prior and two seasons removed from a 4-12 campaign. The Rams made several offseason moves, trading for corner Marcus Peters and wideout Brandin Cooks and bringing in defensive standout Ndamukong Suh.

With little expectations outside of the building, that Rams team went 13-3 and was crowned NFC Champions, advancing to Super Bowl LIII, but losing to the Patriots 13-3. Los Angeles team president Kevin Demoff says he sees similarities between that 2018 group and this Rams team today.

“No one thought we would be competitive [in 2023],” Demoff said last week at the NFL Owners Meetings. “It allowed us to really be — to use a Sean phrase — ‘inside out’ to focus on getting better. I think we knew what we had if we could have Sean in the right mindset and a healthy quarterback and a better team, that we could really go be competitive.”

The 2023 squad won seven of its last eight games and won the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. And with all the similarities between the 2017 and 2023 teams, the Rams hope they continue into 2024.

“There’s one thing that I’ve learned in these seven years, it’s every single year is a new year,” head coach Sean McVay said in January. “As you continue to accumulate experiences, you learn how to try to best navigate it, whether it be your decision-making or your onboarding. And I do feel like we have a much better idea of the types of people and players and coaches that we want with all the turnover, and some of the different things that we’ve experienced I think will serve us well because of the approach that we’ll be able to take.

“But this league is tough and we all know that, but I’m sure as hell excited to get back and compete and attack it.”