Week 8 brings the battle of Los Angeles, and the matchup looked a lot bigger in August than it does now.
The Chargers and Rams were supposed to be one of the marquee games on the schedule, a duel between two teams with Super Bowl hopes. Instead, the first seven weeks have pushed both clubs into uncomfortable territory.
The Chargers are still searching for their first win and sit at 0-6 as the league’s final winless team. The Rams, meanwhile, are 3-4 and trying to climb back into position in the NFC West.
The Rams also head into this one with a clearer offensive focal point. Davante Adams is out for at least a few more weeks, and that makes Puka Nacua even more important to the passing game. He has handled the bulk of the targets when Adams has been sidelined, and through five games he has 45 catches for 485 yards and two touchdowns.
From a betting standpoint, the case for Los Angeles goes beyond the standings. The Chargers’ offense has sunk to the bottom of the league, ranking last in EPA per play and 30th in success rate. Justin Herbert has had a rough season as well, sitting last among all NFL quarterbacks in adjusted EPA per play and 31st in completion percentage over expected.
At some point, the story stops being about a bad start and starts being about a bad team. That’s the read here on the Chargers, who have to be treated like one of the league’s bottom-five squads.
The Rams still have work to do, but they have enough to win this one by seven points.
In Other News...
Rams May Have A Short-Term Answer To Their Kicker Problem
Kicking issues have a way of surfacing at the worst possible time, and around the league there is already speculation that Tennessee veteran Joey Slye could be part of the next round of roster shuffling. Slye is on an expiring contract with a $2 million cap hit, and analyst Jason La Canfora pointed to him as a possible trade candidate if teams decide they need a steadier leg before the season drifts any further.
For the Rams, that sort of move would fit the kind of short-term fix teams often explore when the position becomes unsettled. Slye has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2019, and he has handled himself well in Tennessee this year, making 10 of 11 field goals and all of his extra-point attempts in seven games. If Los Angeles is looking for a veteran answer rather than waiting on internal options, he would be one of the more obvious names to monitor. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Have 4 Young Auditions Fans Should Be Watching
Injuries have opened the door for a few younger Rams to make their case, and Week 7 offered a useful snapshot of who might be worth tracking beyond this season. Shaun Dolac, Davis Allen, Ty Hamilton and Konata Mumpfield each got a chance to show what they can bring, giving the Rams a better sense of which developmental pieces could grow into larger responsibilities down the line.
The immediate focus is still on surviving the present, but the longer view is getting harder to ignore. None of these auditions guarantees a major role, yet the Rams are clearly learning which players can handle more than spot duty, and that matters with an eye toward 2027. For now, the most interesting part is not a roster decision already made, but the possibility that several young contributors are starting to turn opportunity into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Are Still Waiting On A Huge Pass Rush Boost
The Rams have spent the past few weeks waiting for a familiar kind of lift on defense, and Myles Garrett could be the one to provide it. After missing six games following knee surgery, the pass rusher is nearing a possible return to practice, a sign that Los Angeles may finally be close to getting back one of the pieces it has been missing up front.
Sean McVay still has not put a timeline on the move, saying the next step will come after he confers with the medical staff and Garrett himself. But the possibility of him getting back on the field in practice this week, with a chance to be available in Week 8, gives the Rams a reason to keep an eye on the injury report and the state of a defense that could use the boost. [Read more 🡒]