The Rams are staring at a crossroads in Week 4, and the league’s consensus power rankings show just how shaky the ground has become. Los Angeles sits at 1-2, and with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills coming up, the next two weeks could swing the season from manageable to messy in a hurry.
If things go the wrong way, the Rams could be 1-4 by Week 6. If they split these next two games, they’d still be in position to stay in the mix and set up a stronger stretch before the bye week.
That’s the strange part about this team right now: the ceiling is obvious, but the week-to-week picture is all over the place. Through three games, the Rams have looked like three different teams. That inconsistency is why they’re clinging to the top 10 in most rankings - and why a few voters are starting to let go.
ESPN has the Rams down to No. 7 after the loss to the Broncos, dropping them out of the top five but keeping them barely inside the elite group. Another loss Sunday to Philadelphia would likely push them out of the top 10 entirely.
Sports Illustrated also moved the Rams to No. 7 after having them fifth a week ago. Connor Orr pointed to patience as the issue, saying, “The issue with the Rams is going to be patience as we wait for the team we were promised to finally materialize together,” said Connor Orr.
“When Aaron Donald signed, I predicted it would look a little like trying to see the Dodgers at their playoff roster strength. That feels accurate a month into the season.”
The Athletic had the same general read, placing Los Angeles just inside the top 10. Their explanation centered on the injuries and the expectation that eventually this roster has to show something more convincing.
“Matthew Stafford threw a pick six and another interception on the goal line in the final five minutes Sunday, but if you live by the gunslinger, sometimes you die by the gunslinger. Especially when the gunslinger doesn’t have Puka Nacua,” The Athletic explained.
Pro Football Talk was the outlier, bumping the Rams up in its rankings. Mike Florio noted that there are no moral victories, but the Rams looked like the better team and should have won on Sunday night. Even so, the team is still only hanging around the edge of the top 10.
NFL Media took a harder line. Nick Shook put the Rams at No. 13, the first ranking in this group to leave them outside the top 10.
He pointed to the uneven nature of their start and the fact that results matter more than projection right now. “We’ve seen the Rams look flat, play like an elite team, and collapse in a road game they led 16-0 at halftime,” wrote Shook.
“It’s better to get these mistakes out of the way now, but we can all agree this isn’t how we expected L.A. to start its season.”
Pete Prisco also dropped the Rams to No. 10.
He argued that a 1-2 team has not yet shown enough to deserve a top-10 spot, even with the talent on the roster. “So much for cruising to a Super Bowl,” said Prisco.
“They need Myles Garrett and Puka Nacua back in the worst way.”
The Rams have been tagged with the super-team label by the media, but that’s not something the organization has claimed for itself. Still, the roster talent is obvious, and the early results haven’t matched the expectations. Injuries are part of the story, but they’re not the whole story.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have also taken a hit in the eyes of the rankings crowd. Across the sources cited, Philadelphia’s average ranking is 11.7 after losing to the Bears with Case Keenum on Monday Night Football, one week after barely getting past the Titans. Returning to The Linc should help this week, but the Rams remain a live threat even with some people already cooling on them.
And that’s where the tension sits entering Sunday: Los Angeles is being treated like a team that needs to prove it still belongs with the league’s better clubs, but this matchup is still there to be won. A victory would get the Rams back on track and add another NFC win to the ledger.
The Bills, who beat the Chargers in Week 3 despite five turnovers, are viewed by many as the best team in football right now. The 49ers are in that conversation too, with Brock Purdy playing like an MVP. In the rankings cited here, the Rams are holding at No. 6 in one set of standings, but that spot won’t last long if they don’t respond this week.
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
The Rams 1-2 start has already put a spotlight on a receiving room that looks thinner than expected, especially with Puka Nacua sidelined early and expected back by Week 4. Davante Adams remains the headliner, and Terrance Ferguson is in the mix, but the injuries have left Los Angeles needing more than just a short-term patch as it tries to steady an uneven opening stretch.
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 🡒]