The LA Rams finished 9-7 in 2019. While many consider that finish just shy of the NFL playoffs to be hugely disappointing, was it really in the grand scheme of things? I guess if you have the perspective that all NFL teams must face some level of adversity, and only those teams that can overcome that adversity can truly be successful.
But sometimes adversity taps some NFL teams, but completely sucker punches others. And in the light of that metaphor, the LA Rams were cold-cocked in 2019. While starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth played all 16 games, both he and starting right guard/center Austin Blythe had corrective surgery as soon as the season ended.