The Rams walked out of Sunday with another one-score loss, this time an 18-16 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals, and the problems went far beyond the final snap. Los Angeles had chances, but the offense never found a steady rhythm, the coaching decisions were off, and the defense spent too much of the afternoon on the field. It was the kind of game a Sean McVay team is not supposed to let slip away.
Matthew Stafford never got the offense rolling early. Through three quarters, he was 12-for-19 for 96 yards, and while he came alive late enough to put the Rams in position to win, that kind of split performance just doesn’t cut it.
The Rams need him for the full 60 minutes, not a late surge after three quiet quarters. In two of the last three games, they’ve gotten the version of Stafford they need for less than 15.
McVay didn’t help matters by leaving too much on the table in the run game. This was a matchup where Blake Corum and Kyren Williams should have been leaned on far more heavily, but the two backs combined for just 19 carries and 92 yards. Both averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry, and Corum in particular looked sharp, forcing three missed tackles and scoring on a screen after getting involved in the passing game.
The receiving corps did its job when the ball finally got to them. Puka Nacua had only three targets through the first three quarters, then matched that total on the final drive alone once the offense finally woke up.
He finished with six catches on seven targets and should have had a touchdown if Stafford had found him wide open in the third quarter. Konata Mumpfield also made the most of his chances with two catches.
The tight ends, though, remain a problem for an offense that’s supposed to feature them. Davis Allen was used on a fullback dive on 4th-and-1 and the play came up short.
Tyler Higbee also coughed up the ball near the red zone, his second fumble this year. Colby Parkinson scored the go-ahead touchdown late, but even that turned into a debate, since there was an argument he would have been better off going down.
Up front, the offensive line wasn’t the reason the Rams lost. The Cardinals attacked more after Alaric Jackson’s absence, but David Quessenberry held up well enough, allowing just two pressures.
The bigger issue remained the interior, which is supposed to be this unit’s strength. Warren McClendon also committed a costly penalty that pushed the Rams back five yards on 4th-and-3.
On the other side of the ball, the Rams had moments but not enough control. Aaron Donald delivered a few splash plays and Byron Young was dominant in the first half, but no defender finished with more than three pressures.
The group also struggled against the run. The hope is that the return of Myles Garrett helps, but this unit as a whole needs to be sharper.
Linebacker play was another sore spot. Nate Landman missed two tackles and he, along with Omar Speights, gave up three catches on three targets. Landman was picked on in coverage more than once, and that’s the kind of issue the Rams can’t keep surviving.
There were some positives in the secondary. Josh Wallace continued to make the most of his chances, allowing four catches on eight targets, though his late penalty is open to debate.
Quentin Lake picked off a pass on the opening drive. After that, the tackling issues at the second and third levels stood out.
Kam Kinchens missed two tackles, and Kam Curl did too, which helped the Cardinals run the ball the way they did.
Special teams added its own mess. On the opening kickoff, the coverage unit failed to do its job again, giving up a big return that led to Blake Grupe getting injured.
Jordan Whittington also had a chance to down a punt inside the five and couldn’t finish the play. Because of the lack of confidence in the coverage group, the Rams chose to kick the ball into the end zone in the fourth quarter, which gave Arizona the ball at the 35.
Ethan Evans did earn credit for making the extra point that put the Rams ahead.
In the end, McVay was clearly out-coached by Mike LaFleur and Nick Rallis. The 4th-and-1 fullback dive made no sense given what this offense had available.
McVay and Stafford are both central to the Rams’ issues right now, and both need to be better. They’re not the only answer, though.
They’re also part of it.
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