The Rams already had a date with the Chiefs circled, and Kenneth Walker III just made it a lot harder to ignore.
Walker put on a clinic against the Broncos, finishing with 173 rushing yards on 23 carries and a touchdown, while also catching three passes for 18 yards and another score. On a night that included Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, Travis Kelce and Denver edge rusher Nick Bonitto, Walker was the player who took over the game.
That performance should land with the Rams, especially after what happened in Week 1. Los Angeles was gashed on the ground, with the 49ers rolling up 174 rushing yards against Chris Shula’s run defense. Christian McCaffrey and rookie Kaelon Black led the way, and the Rams didn’t get much resistance from either the defensive line or the linebackers.
The encouraging part for Los Angeles is simple: there’s time to fix it. The Rams have 12 weeks to clean up the run defense before that Week 13 meeting with the Chiefs, and Walker is no longer in Seattle. Seeing him once this season might be enough.
Still, the way he ran through Denver had to leave an impression. Jadarian Price looks like a nice draft find for Seattle, but Walker’s kind of power can tilt a game, even for a backup quarterback. That will matter for the Seahawks while Sam Darnold recovers from a glute injury and is expected to miss some time, with Drake Maye not there to hand out easy turnovers every week.
The Chiefs matchup already carried extra attention for Rams fans because of the revenge-game angle with former Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson now in Los Angeles. Mahomes was already the obvious headliner. Walker’s recent stretch only adds another problem for a defense that could be staring at a lot of firepower in December.
For now, though, Sean McVay, Shula and the Rams are focused on getting right against the Giants after a rough Week 1 showing. And New York may be tougher than many expected after beating the Cowboys in a game that was more lopsided than the 28-20 final suggests.
By the time Week 13 arrives, the Rams will hope the conversation around this defense sounds very different, especially when it comes to stopping the run.
In Other News...
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Sean McVays offseason vacation photos did more than rack up attention online. They also became a talking point inside the Rams orbit, where the head coachs visible commitment to fitness landed with players who know how much effort it takes to stay sharp in the NFL. Matthew Stafford even brought it up during a recent 60 Minutes interview, a reminder that McVays energy and preparation are part of the teams identity as much as his play-calling.
The timing made it all the more striking, because the Rams had just taken a significant loss to the 49ers and McVay accepted responsibility for how the team performed. In that light, the viral photos felt like more than a summer curiosity. They fed into the larger picture of a coach who asks plenty of himself and his players, and who remains under a bright spotlight as the Rams try to reset after a rough result. [Read more 🡒]
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The Rams opened the season with a 27-7 loss to the 49ers, and Sean McVay was quick to frame it as a lesson the team has to absorb and move past. Matthew Staffords night never really found a rhythm, and the offenses quiet showing only added to the sting of a Week 1 performance that looked out of sync from start to finish.
Even so, the bigger concern may be on the other side of the ball, where Chris Shulas zone-heavy approach and low blitz rate drew attention after the defense struggled to make enough disruptive plays. Los Angeles does have some relief on the horizon with Aaron Donald potentially returning soon, and the line still has depth, but the early picture also includes Myles Garrett being limited by a knee injury and now headed to injured reserve for at least four games. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Sweat Tries To End One Cardinals Question Once And For All
Kaelon Blacks debut for the 49ers drew plenty of attention, but for Rams fans the more relevant note from that division opener was on the other sideline, where Cardinals outside linebacker Josh Sweat was back on the field in Week 1 after an offseason filled with questions about his standing. Sweat made it through the opener and said he was satisfied with where things stand, which matters in a division where every edge rusher can shape how the next few meetings play out.
For Los Angeles, any clarity in Arizonas camp is worth monitoring because it helps define what the Rams will face later this season. The Cardinals have already answered one version of the Sweat question just by getting him into the lineup, but the broader one around his role and impact still lingers, and thats the kind of early-season subplot NFC West teams tend to keep circling back to. [Read more 🡒]