Rams not good enough to overcome mistakes and other insights from the loss.
The Los Angeles Rams lost their second consecutive game on Sunday, falling to the Green Bay Packers 24-19. Much like the previous loss against the Chicago Bears, this game was another frustrating chapter. Here are ten takeaways from the loss to the Packers.
1. Rams don’t have a pass catcher who can win in the red zone. Sunday afternoon continued the trend that has existed since Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were sidelined. The Rams lack a wide receiver who can succeed in the red zone or in tight areas. Rams receivers not named Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp have combined for only four catches on 17 red zone targets. Inside the 10-yard line, that drops to just one catch on nine targets. Demarcus Robinson’s touchdown against the Packers marked the first for a Rams receiver besides Kupp or Nacua this season.
The Rams’ offense struggles in the red zone, largely due to not having pass catchers who can win in that area. They do need to run more, and they did against the Packers, but becoming one-dimensional—either by only throwing or only running—makes them predictable. Colby Parkinson, for being 6’7″, has just one red zone reception on six targets. The Rams simply don’t have receivers who can leverage size or route-running to win in tight spaces.
2. McVay’s call to go for it was the right one. It’s easy to say afterward that the Rams should have kicked the field goal, but ESPN Analytics showed a +2.5% win percentage increase for going for it, while Ben Baldwin’s model showed a +1.4% increase. Evaluated on its own, the decision was correct.
The play call or even Parkinson’s effort might have had issues, but the decision itself was sound. There was no guarantee that rookie kicker Joshua Karty would have made the kick either, as evidenced later when he missed an extra point. McVay coached to win the game, which deserves credit. The decision also worked: defensively, the Rams forced a three-and-out and the following offensive drive ended in a touchdown.
3. McVay did well mixing it up in the run game. We finally saw Blake Corum involved! McVay used Corum in the run game, offering a glimpse of what a pairing with Kyren Williams could look like. Corum had five carries for 25 yards while Williams surpassed the 100-yard mark. The Rams also utilized TuTu Atwell on a jet sweep.
From a personnel standpoint, McVay did well mixing things up in the run game. The Rams varied between inside and outside runs, which helped keep the Green Bay defense on its heels. Running five straight times in the red zone was also a welcome sight.
4. Byron Young is making positive strides in year two. Young may not be a dominant pass rusher, but he’s made good progress this season, building off a strong rookie campaign. He had a solid first half against the Packers, capped by an impactful pressure on Jordan Love that led to a pick-six.
The Rams defense needs more third-and-long situations to build a lead. If they can pin their ears back and focus on pressuring the quarterback, they have the potential to control games. Young and Verse seem to be a promising edge duo, and if they can consistently perform together, they could be a force.
5. Defense needs to play a full 60 minutes. Whether it’s due to youth or coaching, the Rams defense lacks consistency. Although they played better on Sunday, too many mistakes occurred. Jordan Love connected with Jayden Reed in triple coverage on a 50-yard play that set up a Packers touchdown. Poor tackling also allowed Tucker Kraft to score on a long catch-and-run. These kinds of mistakes must be eliminated.
The defense had a strong 25 minutes to start the game, with four of their first five possessions ending in a three-and-out. Jaylen McCollough’s pick-six came on third down, but the defense seemed to lose focus afterward, allowing consecutive Packers scoring drives. The performance was better, but costly mistakes remain an issue.
6. Rams aren’t good enough to overcome timely mistakes. This Rams team currently isn’t good enough to overcome costly mistakes. While every team makes errors, the good ones can limit and recover from them.
A coaching error led to a “too many men on the field” penalty that extended a Packers drive and resulted in a field goal. The Rams had a chance to gain momentum before a Kyren Williams fumble. Later, Matthew Stafford threw an interception on third down. Missed blitz pickups and poor pass protection often took the Rams out of scoring opportunities. The team is making too many mistakes across the board.
7. Colby Parkinson needs to use his size. The Rams aren’t getting enough production out of key free agents, including tight end Colby Parkinson. Despite his size, Parkinson hasn’t shown he can use it effectively. He’s been targeted in the red zone six times but has only made one catch.
The Rams turned to Parkinson on a critical fourth-down play, but he could barely stretch for the ball. With Tyler Higbee out, the team needs more from its tight ends, especially Parkinson.
8. Can’t keep trailing by 10+ and expect to win. The Rams have trailed by 10 points or more entering the fourth quarter in all but one game this season. Against the Bears, they were down by eight. It’s not a sustainable way to play if they want to win.
Although the Rams managed to take the lead against the Lions and defeated the 49ers, putting themselves in such positions repeatedly isn’t a winning formula. The late-game fight is commendable, but they need to avoid being in such situations to begin with.
9. The NFC West isn’t looking strong. The silver lining for the Rams is that the NFC West division isn’t performing well right now. A touchdown drive away from being 2-3, the Rams are just one game out of the division lead. The Arizona Cardinals came back to win against the San Francisco 49ers, and the Seattle Seahawks had a surprising loss to the New York Giants.
Unlike past seasons when more than five losses could disqualify a team from the division race, a 10-7 record might be enough this year. While there’s still a long season ahead, it’s realistic to see the Rams as a 7-10 team at best at the moment.
10. Time for reflection. Heading into their bye week, the Rams are 1-4, much like they were at 3-6 last season when they had to evaluate their direction. Last year, the Rams won seven of their final eight games to make the playoffs. This team finds itself in a similar situation now.
The Rams will get healthier after the bye week, but that won’t solve all their issues. The core problem persists: the defense needs to be more consistent; otherwise, absolute perfection will be demanded of the offense, and, as recent weeks have shown, that is neither realistic nor sustainable.”
