The Rams’ 2-3 start has already turned their playoff path into a messy one.
Los Angeles took another hit with its loss to the Bills, and that defeat came in what felt like one of those games you can’t really afford to give away. Instead of building on preseason confidence, the Rams have watched the early postseason conversation slip out of reach, while three NFC North teams - the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers - sit bunched together at 3-2 and push both the Seahawks and Rams out of the current playoff picture. All of them are still chasing the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings, who have opened a two-game cushion on that group.
The Rams haven’t exactly had the deck stacked in their favor. Injuries have already taken multiple stars out of the lineup, and the schedule has been brutal. The NFL loaded the first part of Los Angeles’ slate with playoff-level opponents, then added a transcontinental travel grind that has already put as many miles on the Rams as some teams see across an entire 17-game season.
That kind of start can expose every flaw, and special teams has been the loudest one so far. By the numbers, the Rams have the league’s worst special teams performance. They already moved on from kicker Harrison Mevis and replaced him with Jets practice squader Blake Grupe.
Fans, understandably, are still waiting to see whether that change actually steadies anything.
The good news for Los Angeles is that the road ahead looks a lot softer than the one it just survived. The Rams have come through a punishing five-game stretch that may end up featuring five playoff teams, and now they get a chance to breathe. The next five games offer a very different kind of test:
Week 6 - Sunday, October 18 | Arizona Cardinals (1-4) at Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
Week 7 - Sunday, October 25 | Los Angeles Rams (2-3) at Las Vegas Raiders (3-2)
Week 8 - Sunday, November 11 | Los Angeles Chargers (0-5) at Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
Week 9 - Sunday, November 8 | Los Angeles Rams (2-3) at Washington Commanders (1-3-1)
Week 10 - Sunday, November 15 | Los Angeles Rams (2-3) at Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Week 11 - BYE
On paper, that stretch is a sharp swing in difficulty. The Rams’ first five opponents have combined to go 17-7-1, while the next five come in at 6-18-1. That opens the door for Los Angeles to stack wins if it can get healthier and clean up the rough edges.
A five-game winning streak is very much on the table. That would put the Rams at 7-3, which looks a lot better than 2-3.
But even that may not be enough to feel secure. The last six games on the schedule could decide everything, and that closing run includes another heavyweight set of matchups, along with two games against the Seahawks.
By then, the Rams might have more of their stars back. They’ll need that, and they’ll need the special teams issues to stop making unwanted headlines.
There’s still a path, but it’s narrow. With the NFC North crowded and the NFC West looking strong at the top with San Francisco and Seattle, Los Angeles can’t afford to let this slow start linger much longer.
One more wrinkle: after Week 7 against the Raiders, the next time the Rams face a team currently above .500 will be Thanksgiving Eve, when they host Green Bay in a Wednesday night prime-time game. The problem there is obvious enough - LA is just 1-3 in prime time this season.
That’s another number the Rams would love to change.
In Other News...
Rams Get A Timely Injury Boost Before A Key Cardinals Test
The Rams are heading into Week 6 with a much cleaner injury picture than they have had at other points this season, and that matters with the Cardinals coming to town. Tight end Davis Allen was the only Los Angeles player listed as a non-participant because of a foot injury, while several others were limited and stars such as Aaron Donald were not on the report at all.
For a Rams team trying to keep momentum in a division matchup, simply getting healthier at the right time can shape the whole feel of the week. Arizona is dealing with more problems of its own, with several Cardinals players limited or out, including running back Jeremiyah Love after a second ankle injury, leaving another layer of uncertainty for a game that already carries some weight in the NFC West race. [Read more 🡒]
Rams MNF Stage Became Backdrop For Rare ESPN Booth Tension
The Monday Night Football stage at SoFi Stadium had a bit more drama behind the scenes than the broadcast suggested. According to Front Office Sports, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, ESPNs lead NFL booth team, had an argument before the game, with the disagreement tied to their different contract situations. Buck had already agreed to a new deal, while Aikman had not yet received a formal offer.
The exchange reportedly cooled down before kickoff, and the two went on to call the game without any visible trouble once the action started. For a Rams primetime spotlight, it was a rare reminder that even the familiar voices of a national telecast can bring their own offseason tension into the booth. [Read more 🡒]
Alaric Jackson Controversy Just Took Another Turn After Chubb Spoke Out
The leagues handling of Alaric Jacksons Week 5 altercation with Bradley Chubb already had plenty of people talking, and now Chubb has added his own account to the mix. During the Bills-Rams game, the two exchanged words before things boiled over and Jackson punched Chubb, leading to an NFL suspension that was first set at two games before being reduced to one on appeal.
Chubb has now publicly clarified what he says happened, pushing back on one of the details that had helped fuel the debate around the incident. He denied mentioning Jacksons family and described the trash talk that led up to the punch, giving the Rams another layer to a situation that still has a little more noise around it than clarity. [Read more 🡒]