Rams Continue to Struggle After Disappointing Loss

It’s hard to ignore the Los Angeles Rams’ ongoing issues, especially when they didn’t address Myles Garrett’s knee troubles during training camp, only to have the situation come to a head during what he called “the worst version of myself” in the season opener. After his surgery on September 14, there’s still no guarantee he’ll return from the injured reserve list this week.

Then, there was the travel blunder: the Rams sought advice from an Instagram trip planner, or rather, their head coach Sean McVay, and as a result, they appeared sluggish in their season opening against the San Francisco 49ers, who had the advantage of spending a week acclimating in Australia.

But Sunday’s game was a tough pill to swallow. The Rams lost to the Arizona Cardinals in a nail-biting 18-16 game at home, which marked their second straight loss at SoFi Stadium. It’s been a disappointing start for the team, especially for those who thought they would be Super Bowl contenders this season. Now, it feels like we’ve all been caught off guard by their underwhelming performance as they sit at the bottom of the NFC West.

There’s a touch of irony in that we thought the Rams would dominate but instead, they’ve been more like a household item you’d rather not deal with.

After the loss, McVay acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, stating, “We won’t win a game unless we figure out how not to beat ourselves.” It’s frustrating, too, considering the talent on this roster—a quarterback who was last season’s MVP, Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement. They even snagged both of Kansas City’s starting cornerbacks from the last season. It all looked so promising.

So, yes, it made sense that many had high hopes for them. But the reality is, teams need to step up and prove themselves on the field, which the Rams have utterly failed to do as of late.

They previously led 16-0 against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 only to lose, 30-26, and then somehow managed to lose to the Buffalo Bills despite racking up over 400 yards and committing no turnovers, ending in a 37-34 defeat.

Against a Cardinals team that was in transition—new head coach Mike LaFleur, recent trades, and swirling rumors—the Rams kept pace initially but ultimately found themselves outmatched as the game went on. McVay noted that “a lot of different guys are taking their turn [making mistakes],” and it’s clear that the team is in a cycle of critical errors at the worst times.

The narrative has shifted this season from trusting the Rams to feeling foolish for doing so, as they continue to flounder on the field.