Rams are running out of explanations for poor start. They're also nearly out of chances to fix it
Six games into a season that began with Super Bowl aspirations, the Los Angeles Rams are having existential crises instead
LOS ANGELES -- Six games into a season that began with Super Bowl aspirations, the Los Angeles Rams are having existential crises instead.
The Rams (2-4) have played significantly better than their record by many statistical measures, but they've also failed at their biggest moments. Their injuries are already mounting, and their big-picture margin for error has almost vanished halfway through October.
It's enough to make Sean McVay philosophical after his Rams' latest monumental failure in a game they had no business losing.
“We’re going to continue to fight,” McVay said Monday after LA's embarrassing 18-16 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals. “We’re going to continue to swing. These moments force you to learn a lot about yourself and about the people around you.”
McVay didn't disagree with the notion that the Rams might have still been affected by their heartbreaking overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills six days earlier while they stumbled and bumbled their way through Sunday's two-point loss to a rebuilding NFC West rival.
The veteran coach prides himself on building a positive working environment for his players, so the Rams' pervading absence of passion or poise hits him personally.
“I think the overall energy, the edge and the consistent way that we expect to be able to play, we could do a better job of that,” McVay said. “I feel tremendously responsible. I think that’s one of your jobs as a coach is to try to get your group as ready to go and be able to have that energy and that vibe. There were some things, just based on my expectations for the group, and I think that they would agree, that that was lacking.”
To make this predicament even worse, the Rams' latest defeat came packaged with several disquieting injuries.
Star receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) is out for at least six weeks and quite possibly more, while defensive tackle Poona Ford (triceps) is out for the season and defensive tackle Kobie Turner (groin) will miss a few games on injured reserve.
Even if McVay rights the Rams' emotional ship, even if Matthew Stafford rediscovers the swashbuckling flair with which he won an MVP award last season, and even if the Rams overcome their mounting injury woes, the math is simple: They can't afford to have many more down weeks if they hope even to make the playoffs, let alone contend for a title.
That's not what this supposed super team expected a mere six weeks ago — but nothing gets McVay's full attention like a complicated obstacle.
“This has presented a bunch of different challenges, but that’s what you sign up for,” he said. “You don’t just sign up for all the good moments. What makes it worth it is because it is hard. This is a good, challenging moment, and this is where we’re going to lean in.”
What's working
The LA defense didn't underperform against the undertalented Cardinals, holding them to 4.8 yards per play and allowing no touchdowns on five trips inside the red zone despite a huge time of possession disparity caused by the Rams offense's ineptitude.
What needs help
An offense run by a coach of McVay's stature should not struggle in as many basic aspects as this one did Sunday — and much of that awfulness was due to McVay's erratic play-calling and Stafford's inconsistent decisions. All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua, who caught 17 passes last week, somehow received only three targets against Arizona before the Rams' desperate final drive.
Stock up
Kyren Williams appeared to express postgame frustration with his lack of snaps down the stretch against Arizona, but McVay said the running back came to him later and smoothed it over, saying he was just emotional after a loss. Williams is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and he has been one of the league's top pass-catching running backs. If he could break more chunk-yardage plays, he would be having a monster season.
Stock down
The pass rush expected from the Rams’ loaded defensive front has not materialized in Myles Garrett’s absence. Los Angeles has only eight sacks, second fewest in the NFL, after failing to drop the eminently sackable Jacoby Brissett on Sunday. The Rams are posting a strong quarterback pressure rate, but they need more finishes.
Injuries
Along with the losses of Adams, Turner and Ford, the Rams will have their third kicker in three games this week after Blake Grupe's season-ending knee injury, which occurred because LA's abysmal special teams coverage unit forced the 5-foot-7 Grupe to make a tackle. Garrett is also not returning to practice this week, meaning he will miss his sixth straight game.
Key number
9 — The Rams' combined margin of defeat in their three most recent losses, with two decided in the final seconds of regulation and the third in overtime.
Next steps
There's so much to do before the Rams head to Vegas: Identify a new starting receiver to replace Adams, whether internally or through trade; sign a kicker and instruct him to show caution in making tackles, no matter how badly the players in front of him are doing their jobs; decide who will play extra snaps on the defensive line to make up for the holes left by Ford and Turner.
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