The Rams have plenty to clean up after Monday night’s loss to the Bills, and with Arizona next on the schedule, the push to get back to .500 has become the headline. But this week’s Sunday morning notebook comes with a few side stories worth watching, from discipline issues to a feel-good gesture for a fan who’s been through plenty.
Alaric Jackson’s situation remains one of the bigger aftershocks from Monday night. The Rams left tackle was seen throwing a punch at Bradley Chubb after the game, and the NFL initially hit Jackson with a two-game suspension before reducing it to one game on appeal.
Jackson’s reaction was still out of line, but Chubb’s own account of the exchange adds more texture to what happened. Chubb said he told Jackson, “‘We’re gonna see y’all’s ass again.
And when we see you again, all that chipping ain’t gonna save you. That TE and guard are not going to save you.”
Jackson still overreacted by swinging, but Chubb also wasn’t left untouched by the league. According to Tom Pelissero, Chubb was fined $14,329, which at least suggests the incident wasn’t viewed as a one-sided provocation. The reduction in Jackson’s suspension and Chubb’s fine point to a messy exchange, not a clean-cut one.
Elsewhere on the Rams’ radar, edge rusher Myles Garrett got a warning from the league after last week’s sideline appearance against Buffalo. Garrett had previously watched home games from a box, but against the Bills he was down on the sideline in a Jordan Jumpman tracksuit instead of team-issued gear.
That would normally invite a fine, but this time the league settled for a warning. Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported that the Rams heard from the league office about it, and the expectation is that Garrett will blend in on the sideline Sunday against the Cardinals.
Then there’s the story that has nothing to do with penalties and everything to do with people. Earlier this week, a fire broke out at the Portico apartments in Fullerton, California, and Mark Viegas found himself trying to get his family and belongings out while dealing with the danger. He ended up on his balcony, tossed his dog down to officers below, and later described it “like Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua.”
Viegas is a serious Rams fan. His dog’s name is Rammy, he has a Rams helmet tattoo on his arm, and his son is named Luca Ramsey. He also lost all of his Rams gear and memorabilia in the fire.
KTLA’s Chip Yost reported the story, and Samantha Cortese helped bring it to the Rams’ attention. After hearing what happened, the team reached out and is bringing Mark and his family to Sunday’s game, with some surprises planned as well. It’s the kind of off-field moment that shows how a football team can still matter in ways that go beyond the scoreboard.
In Other News...
Sean McVay Sounds Fed Up With A Rams Problem Fans Know Too Well
Special teams has become one of those recurring headaches the Rams cant quite shake, and Sean McVay sounded as if he has reached the point where the frustration is impossible to hide. After an overtime loss to the Bills, McVay pointed to special teams errors as a major reason the game slipped away, a familiar theme for a team that has spent too much time trying to clean up avoidable mistakes instead of building on good football.
For a Rams team trying to keep pace in a tight NFC race, the issue is bigger than one bad sequence or one missed assignment. McVays comments carried the tone of a coach who knows the talent is there but also knows the margin for error disappears quickly when the hidden-yardage part of the game keeps biting back. Until that gets sorted out, it is hard for Los Angeles to feel fully settled, no matter how competitive the rest of the roster looks. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Face A Key Week 6 Decision With Plenty At Stake
The Rams head into Week 6 with a chance to get back to .500, and the injury picture is as clean as they could have hoped for at this point in the season. Safety Kam Curl and cornerback Trent McDuffie are the only names on the report as questionable, while rookie tackle Keagen Trost was activated from injured reserve, giving Los Angeles a little more flexibility heading into a division matchup that already carries extra weight.
Arizona brings its own challenges, starting with quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the steady presence of tight end Trey McBride. Josh Sweat gives the Cardinals another threat off the edge, which makes this a useful early test for a Rams team trying to steady itself and keep pace in the NFC West. With the standings so tight, even a mid-October game like this can feel bigger than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Have Another Kicker Problem Against The Cardinals
The Rams kicker carousel spun again in short order after Harrison Mevis was cut following missed kicks in Week 5, forcing Los Angeles to turn to Blake Grupe for help. Grupe, signed off the New York Jets practice squad, gave the Rams an immediate lift by knocking through a 44-yard field goal in his first game with the team, which at least bought a little breathing room for a special teams unit that has been under a microscope.
But Grupes night took a sharp turn when he injured his knee while trying to make a tackle on a kickoff return and was ruled doubtful to come back. With the Rams already dealing with another kicking shakeup, punter Ethan Evans has been left to handle emergency kicking duties, a setup that underscores just how fragile the position has become for Los Angeles heading into the rest of the game. [Read more 🡒]