For a long stretch under Sean McVay, a halftime lead for the Rams felt like a lock. That edge used to be enough to put the game in the freezer. Not anymore.
The latest reminder came Sunday against the Denver Broncos, when Los Angeles carried a 16-0 lead into halftime and still watched the game swing all the way back before eventually losing 30-26. By the time the third quarter ended, the Broncos had erased the deficit. It was the kind of collapse that has started to feel less like a one-off and more like a pattern.
That pattern really took root in Week 18 of the 2021 season. Before that day, McVay’s Rams were 45-0 when leading at halftime during his first five years in the NFL.
Then the San Francisco 49ers flipped the script. Los Angeles led 17-3 at the break, but San Francisco scored on its first drive of the second half, forced a three-and-out, and scored again.
The Rams’ two-touchdown cushion vanished before the third quarter ended, and Matthew Stafford’s overtime interception finished off a 27-24 loss.
Since then, the Rams have had too many games drift the wrong way after building control. Last season, they were up 19-7 on the Eagles at halftime and 26-7 in the third quarter, only to lose 33-26. They also held a 13-7 halftime lead over the Seahawks in Week 16, later stretched that advantage to 30-14, and still lost 38-37 in overtime in a game that became a turning point in the season.
The list of near-misses is longer than the list of clean finishes. In the 2021 NFC Divisional Round, the Rams led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-3 at halftime and still needed a last-second field goal to survive.
In 2022, they were ahead of the Atlanta Falcons 28-3 and had to rely on a Jalen Ramsey interception in the end zone with 1:18 left to seal it. After McVay started his career 48-1 when leading at halftime, the Rams went 3-4 in 2022, including three straight losses.
The next season brought more late-game stress. Los Angeles led the Indianapolis Colts 23-0 and still needed overtime to win. Against the Giants, the Rams were up 20-10 and only really escaped because of a missed two-point conversion and a missed last-second field goal.
Even 2024 offered plenty of drama. The Rams led the New England Patriots 28-13 in the fourth quarter and needed an interception with 1:55 remaining to hold on.
Later in the year, they were ahead of the Bills 38-21 in the second half and won by just two. Against the Cardinals, they led 10-0 and needed an Ahkello Witherspoon interception in the end zone with under a minute left to finish a 13-9 win.
The numbers tell the story as clearly as the games do. Since that Week 18 loss to the 49ers in 2021, the Rams are 27-11 when leading at halftime, a 71.1 percent win percentage. That’s still a winning record, but it’s a far cry from the automatic feeling those leads once carried.
There are a few possible reasons for the shift. The run game has not always given the Rams the kind of late-game control they had early in McVay’s tenure, when Todd Gurley anchored one of the league’s best rushing attacks. Kyren Williams gave them more consistency last season, but even that wasn’t enough to stop three losses after halftime leads.
There’s also the simple reality of regression. Still, one theme keeps showing up when these games slip away: special teams. That’s where several of the biggest momentum swings have started.
Against the Falcons, a blocked punt returned for a touchdown cut a 31-17 lead to 31-25. In the Colts game in 2023, Brett Maher missed a 48-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter that would have made it 26-8, and Indianapolis turned the next drive into a touchdown.
Last season against the Eagles, the Rams had two potential game-winning field goals blocked. Against the Seahawks in Week 16, Rashid Shaheed’s punt return touchdown changed everything.
And on Sunday in Denver, the punt unit made two major mistakes that created short fields and eventually touchdowns.
That drop-off makes sense in light of John Fassell’s departure and the hit the special teams operation has taken since then. Field position, late kicks, and avoiding disastrous breakdowns matter in games like these, and the Rams have been paying for those mistakes more often.
For most of McVay’s run, Los Angeles closed out these kinds of games without much fuss. Over the last two years especially, that edge has faded. The offense and defense have had their moments of blame, but the full picture runs through all three phases and the coaching decisions that go with them.
There was a time when a Rams halftime lead felt final. Now it feels fragile. That’s the part that has changed, and it’s become impossible to ignore.
In Other News...
Matthew Stafford Sparked A Broncos Debate With His Tunnel Exit
After the Rams 30-26 loss to the Broncos, a postgame video of Matthew Stafford moving through the tunnel quickly became a talking point beyond the final score. The clip showed the veteran quarterback walking past Denvers 5280 sign and appearing to spit in that area, a moment that drew immediate attention because it came in the wake of a game the Rams had led at halftime.
There has been no official confirmation about what Stafford intended or even exactly what he was spitting at, and he has not commented on the incident. For a game that already featured a big passing night from Stafford, 390 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, the late video added an odd extra layer to a loss that left plenty for the Rams to sort through. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Trade Speculation Says A Lot About Their WR Problem
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ESPNs Ben Solak even floated the idea of the Rams exploring a trade for another wideout, naming Marvin Harrison Jr. and Quentin Johnston as possible targets. It is the kind of speculation that usually says as much about a teams present discomfort as it does about any specific deal, and for the Rams, the real question is how much urgency they feel to add help before the season gets away from them. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Offense May Need Another Reset Before Eagles Game
The Rams came out of their game against the Broncos with more than one injury wrinkle to sort through before turning the page to Philadelphia. Tight end Terrance Ferguson is expected to miss the Week 4 matchup with a medial ankle sprain, while Colby Parkinson is dealing with an AC shoulder sprain on top of the knee issue that had already been monitoring his status.
Puka Nacua gives the offense a more encouraging note, with the team optimistic he could be back after sitting out the previous two games. Even with that possible boost, the Rams are still facing another short-week reset in a game that will ask the offense to adjust quickly against the Eagles. [Read more 🡒]