Well, the Rams are back below .500 for the second time this season – and just the second time in Sean McVay’s career. They were blown out by the 49ers, 31-14, getting crushed again by their division rivals. This time, the loss came at home, making matters even worse.
Buy Rams TicketsAt 3-4, the Rams are by no means out of it, but they are a game and a half behind the Seahawks in the NFC West and they look nothing like the team that won the Super Bowl last season.
Here’s what we learned from the loss on Sunday.
1
Rams’ problems go beyond the offensive line
The O-line didn’t allow a single hit on Matthew Stafford in the first half. It looked like the unit was much improved coming out of the bye week, but the second half was a mess as the Niners got to Stafford for four hits and two sacks.
But the offensive line isn’t the Rams’ only problem. The secondary is inconsistent outside of Jalen Ramsey, the tackling was atrocious on Sunday and the running game is a rotation of underwhelming backs.
The Rams need to get back on track quickly because right now, they’re 3-4 and their only wins were against the Cardinals, Falcons and Panthers. Not exactly the best collection of teams.
2
Bye week helped with injuries, not much else
For the first 15-20 minutes of the game, the Rams looked like a new team coming out of the bye. Brian Allen made a difference on the offensive line and Stafford was sharper than he has been all year. But that brief glimpse of consistency and improvement was short-lived and didn’t mean much.
It was great that Allen, Troy Hill and Van Jefferson came back from injury, but outside of Allen, they didn’t make much of a difference. Jefferson wasn’t even targeted a single time in the loss.
3
This isn't the year for the Rams to go all-in before the trade deadline
No one is saying the Rams’ season is over, but their chances of winning the Super Bowl look bleak after this loss. Sure, they hit a rough patch last year and still won it all, but that was a more complete team. This Rams roster has far more holes.
This isn’t a team that’s one piece away from contending for a championship, as much as the front office believes that; just look at the Christian McCaffrey offer they made. This isn’t the year for the Rams to trade away a bunch of valuable picks for one or two players.
They’d be better off trying to do what they can with this current team and drafting to fill holes next year – holes that include the offensive line, tight end, defensive line and cornerback.
4
Running back situation is still a mystery
Good luck predicting who will be the Rams’ starting running back week to week. First it was Darrell Henderson Jr. in Week 1. Then Cam Akers took over. Then it went back to Henderson. On Sunday, undrafted rookie Ronnie Rivers got the start.
It came out of nowhere with Henderson healthy and Malcolm Brown presumably being the No. 2 guy on the depth chart. Rivers didn’t play poorly, but he also didn’t have much success: eight carries, 21 yards and four catches for 15 yards.
With Cam Akers’ situation still in limbo, the Rams are essentially just waiting for Kyren Williams to return and grab hold of the backfield.
5
Allen Robinson is looking like a true No. 2 receiver
On the bright side, Robinson continues to look more comfortable in the Rams offense – the second straight game he’s done so. Against the 49ers, he caught five of seven targets for 54 yards, one of two Rams players with more than 15 yards.
He made some difficult catches, too, including a great back-shoulder pass from Stafford. He’s become more aggressive at the catch point, which is encouraging to see. In the beginning of the season, he wasn’t always being as physical as he has been in the past.
6
Leonard Floyd came alive and was dominant
Finally, Floyd got on the board with his first sack of the season. Then he added another one in a key spot to hold the 49ers to a field goal before halftime. It’s hard to believe Floyd went six games without a sack, but it was good to see him finally break through on Sunday. It was by far his best game of the season, and not just because of the two sacks.
He had a team-high nine tackles, three quarterback hits and two tackles for a loss. If he can consistently pressure quarterbacks alongside Aaron Donald, it’ll give the Rams a much better chance to slow teams down and create turnovers.
7
This was a game the Rams really needed to win – and should have
There’s no way around it. The Rams should’ve won this game. It was as good a chance as they’ve had to beat the 49ers in recent years, and they completely squandered the opportunity. They were coming off a bye, the 49ers were missing Deebo Samuel, Kyle Juzszcyk, Arik Armstead, Dre Greenlaw and others, and the Rams still couldn’t manage to keep the game close.
That’s as deflating and disheartening as it gets. It’s not a loss they can’t come back from, especially with the Bucs on deck, but this was a great chance for the Rams to get back above .500.
