The Rams got the response they were looking for on Sunday. Now comes the harder part.
After back-to-back gut-punch losses, Los Angeles answered with a 35-21 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, a game that looked for stretches like the kind of complete performance Sean McVay has been chasing. The Rams played with pace, aggression and a clear edge in building a huge first-half cushion. But McVay made it just as clear after the game that one strong showing does not erase the issues that got this team here.
“I was really pleased with the sense of urgency, the fire, whatever you want to call it,” McVay said. “I thought that was reflected throughout the course of the week.”
That urgency showed up everywhere early against the Raiders. The offense finally found a rhythm with balance, the defense came up with key stops, and the Rams looked like a team that understood the pressure of being 2-4 and needing something to shift. By halftime, they had a 28-6 lead and control of the game.
Matthew Stafford led the charge through the air, throwing three touchdown passes. Two went to tight end Davis Allen, and one went to Puka Nacua. On the ground, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum both topped 90 rushing yards, giving Los Angeles the kind of complementary attack that can change the feel of a game fast.
That was the good part. The messy part came after the break.
The Rams went scoreless in the third quarter and handed the Raiders openings with second-half turnovers, letting Las Vegas claw back into the game before Corum’s late touchdown run finally closed the door. McVay didn’t hide from that stretch, and he didn’t pretend the game was flawless.
“I thought our guys came out ready to go. I thought we had the right energy.
I thought we had the right mindset,” McVay said. “I love the fact that we had to weather a little bit of adversity in the second half, some self-inflicted wounds.”
That’s the reality for this team right now. The Rams entered Sunday trying to shake off losses to the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals, games that exposed offensive inconsistency and costly mistakes. Beating the Raiders moved them to 3-4 and offered a needed lift, but McVay’s message was bigger than the final score.
He said the players made a deliberate choice to approach the week differently, and he pointed to the value of going through hard stretches together.
“We have to. I think the guys just made a choice and that's what was great to see,” McVay said. “I think you learn the most when you go through some challenging experiences, certainly.”
McVay also stressed the importance of a normal week of preparation after a season that has already come with scheduling disruptions. In his view, that consistency matters just as much as what happened Sunday.
“We have to improve and we have to have even greater urgency than last week,” McVay said. “I know we're capable of doing it, players and coaches alike.”
The Rams have shown they can produce explosive plays, run the ball effectively and start fast when everything clicks. What they still need to prove is that those traits can hold up when the game swings the other way. McVay’s warning was plain: energy is a start, not an endpoint.
“I was really pleased with the sense of urgency,” McVay said. “You can't let up at all. You have to continue to improve.”
So the Rams have their win, their boost of confidence and a clearer sense of what they can look like when everything is aligned. The next step is the one that separates a good Sunday from a real turning point: doing it again.
In Other News...
Davis Allen Just Gave The Rams An Unexpected Offensive Option
When the Rams needed help filling in around an injury-hit pass-catching group, Davis Allen gave them a useful reminder of why tight end depth matters. In Week 7 against the Raiders, he scored the teams first two touchdowns and emerged as a bigger part of the passing game than he had been in the early part of the season, a notable shift for a player who has largely been viewed as a blocking tight end.
For Los Angeles, the encouraging part is not just the production on one afternoon but the possibility that Allen can be more than a spot-duty answer if the injuries keep piling up. The Rams have been navigating issues across both their receiving corps and tight end room, and Allens expanded role gives the offense another option to lean on while the group waits for healthier days. [Read more 🡒]
Blake Corum Just Made The Rams Backfield A Real Debate
With injuries forcing Los Angeles to shuffle its offense against the Raiders, Blake Corum got a bigger look in the Rams backfield and made the most of the extra snaps. The Rams also leaned on Konata Mumpfield and Tutu Atwell at wide receiver, while using 13 personnel often and rotating bodies on defense to patch over the absences.
Corums expanded role adds another layer to a backfield that already had a clear pecking order, and now the Rams have something to sort through as they try to keep the offense steady. The wider concern, though, is whether the ripple effects at receiver push the team toward outside help before the trade deadline, especially if the current mix keeps getting stretched thin. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Are Still Waiting On A Huge Pass Rush Boost
Myles Garrett is getting closer to a potential return to practice after missing six games following knee surgery, and the Rams are finally nearing a point where they can start thinking about what that means for the defense. Sean McVay has not put a firm timetable on it, but the next step will come after he talks with medical staff and Garrett, which at least keeps the door open for a quicker ramp-up than the layoff might suggest.
Reports indicate Garrett could get back on the field in practice this week, with a possible Week 8 return also on the table. For a Rams pass rush that could use a boost, even the possibility of adding him back into the mix is significant, though the team still has to wait for the medical checkoff before anything becomes real. [Read more 🡒]