The Rams looked like a team built for a January run when the season opened. After the offseason addition of Myles Garrett, plenty of people had Los Angeles pegged as the clear Super Bowl favorite in 2026. Three losses into the year, that picture has gotten a lot messier.
Monday night’s 37-34 overtime defeat to the Bills at SoFi Stadium was the latest gut punch. It had all the ingredients of a classic: the score was tied four times, the lead changed hands six times, and Kyren Williams pushed the game into overtime with a touchdown catch and run with five seconds left in regulation.
Then came the chance the Rams could not cash in.
Buffalo’s James Cook fumbled on the Bills’ first possession of overtime, giving Los Angeles a huge opening. Instead of seizing it, the Rams settled into a conservative approach, lining up for a long Harrison Mevis field goal that was blocked. Tyler Bass then ended it for Buffalo with a 49-yarder on the next drive.
Matthew Stafford did his part on the stat sheet, throwing touchdown passes to Davante Adams twice and Puka Nacua once. It still wasn’t enough to get the Rams over the line.
The result left the Rams at 2-3, and with the undefeated 49ers already building separation in the NFC West, the reaction around the NFL was predictably sharp.
“It’s early and I hate to say it…but the Rams are going to find it very difficult to climb back in the NFC West race after that loss. They are 2-3 and now 3.5 games behind an undefeated 49ers team. Playoffs are still doable, but this team had bigger goals,” wrote Blaine Grisak, lead publisher for Rams On SI.
“Rams deserve to be 2-3, this is who they are. You can’t just avoid a problem and hope that it goes away. They are a bad team and bad teams find ways to lose,” wrote Nick of the Rams Brothers.
“Only 2 teams have won a Super Bowl after a 2-3 start; 1980 Raiders and the 2001 Patriots, who were forced to go with a young backup after losing their starting QB. He turned out to be pretty good. RIP all that preseason 5-1 Rams Super Bowl money,” wrote Robert Lusetich.
“Los Angeles football right now: LA Rams ‘super team’ - 2-3, 3 games behind first place 49ers. LA Chargers - most embarrassing team in NFL.
Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans - TBD. Bob Chesney’s UCLA Bruins - kicking ass and taking names.
Just like we all expected in the summer,” wrote Fox Sports Radio host Aaron Torres.
There was also pushback against the idea that the Rams are already done.
“Rams fall to Buffalo in painful fashion, and are 2-3. Very fortunate to not be 1-4.
Rams will be there in the end. Seahawks have work to do to be there,” wrote Brian Nemhauser, who covers the Seattle Seahawks.
“Rams are the best 2-3 team in NFL history,” wrote Sam Block of ESPN.
The Rams still have time to straighten things out, but nights like this one are exactly why the preseason hype is starting to feel shaky. With the 49ers rolling, Los Angeles can’t afford many more missed chances.
In Other News...
Peyton Manning Just Spotted A Simple Fix For The Rams Offense
For much of Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the Rams were getting a quarterback showcase the league circles back to anytime Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen share a field. The Bills brought the physical challenge, the Rams answered with a slim lead into the third quarter, and Stafford kept the offense moving with a steady mix of completions and enough balance to stay ahead in a tight game.
Peyton Manning, working the Manningcast with Eli, saw the Rams through the lens of a veteran passer and pointed to a simple fix: keep the passing game cleaner and less complicated. It was the kind of observation that lands because Los Angeles has enough talent to threaten defenses, but also enough moving parts that a little trimming can go a long way, especially in a game where every drive feels like it matters. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Win Over Rams Ended With An Ugly Scene Fans Wont Ignore
The postgame handshakes turned tense fast after Monday Night Football in Buffalo, when Rams tackle Alaric Jackson threw a punch at Bills defender Bradley Chubb during on-field interactions after the final whistle. Teammates from both sides rushed in to separate the players, turning a routine finish to the game into the kind of scene that lingers long after the broadcast ends.
For the Rams, it adds an unwelcome layer to a night already defined by a loss, because Jacksons role in the incident will now sit alongside his past legal troubles and prior NFL discipline. Whatever came before, the image of a player lashing out after the game is the sort of thing that tends to draw attention well beyond one evening in Orchard Park. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Made A Kicker Move They Couldnt Put Off
The Rams moved quickly after their overtime loss, turning to special teams with a personnel change they could not really wait on. Los Angeles released kicker Harrison Mevis and brought in Blake Grupe from the New York Jets practice squad, a swap that reflects just how much the kicking game has been hanging over this team in a tight season.
Mevis had struggled with field goal accuracy this year, and his blocked kick in the loss only sharpened the scrutiny. Grupe arrives with previous NFL experience, and the Rams are hoping the change can stabilize a part of the roster that has become too costly to ignore. [Read more 🡒]