The Los Angeles Rams were built to be a contender this season, and the front office acted like it. Trading for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett, then adding Jaylen Watson in free agency, sent the same message in every direction: this team was all in.
That’s what made the Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers sting so quickly. The Rams fell 27-7, and the aftermath got worse when Garrett’s knee issue landed him on injured reserve. Then Puka Nacua, who entered the week healthy, suffered a hip injury in practice and is trending toward missing Week 2 against the New York Giants.
It’s the kind of early-season hit that can make people reach for the panic button, especially with all the preseason buzz around Los Angeles. But the Rams have heard the noise before, and the coaching staff has spent the entire offseason trying to make one thing clear: expectations don’t win games.
“The last time I checked, none of that stuff means anything,” said head coach Sean McVay early in training camp. “We're not going to allow the outside expectations to change the way that we approach every day with the way that we work, the way that we enjoy it, and have the appropriate mindset and energy.”
That message matters now more than ever. Monday night against the Giants already carries real weight, because conference games can shape playoff tiebreakers. If the Rams drop that one and then lose to the Eagles two weeks later, they’d be staring at an 0-3 start in the NFC.
That’s where the comparisons to 2022 come from. The Rams were wrecked by injuries that season, especially along the offensive line, and also lost Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald for half the year. The end result was a 5-12 finish and a near-exit from coaching for McVay.
Still, this year’s version is not that team. Garrett and Nacua are huge losses, but the Rams are better equipped to absorb them. Their defense has enough depth to survive without Garrett for now, and the offense has already shifted away from leaning so heavily on its wide receivers.
So yes, the Rams are suddenly down Puka Nacua, his replacement in Jordan Whittington, and Myles Garrett.Man. Feeling real 2022ish rn. This sucks. https://t.co/N0KFFHaxS7
Even with those injuries, this group has shown it can respond. The Rams started 3-6 in 2023 before finishing 10-7 and reaching the playoffs.
In 2024, they were 1-4 before rallying to 10-7 and winning the NFC West. That’s why a rough opening doesn’t automatically mean the season is collapsing.
“These are the opportunities to really separate yourself with how you handle them. And what we’re not going to do is change,” said McVay this week.
“We're committed to our process. Then ultimately, when we get our next opportunity to swing, let's go be courageous enough to go do that.
I'm excited about putting everything I got into that with this group.”
The bigger issue is not just surviving the injuries, but surviving them without wrecking the plan. Los Angeles didn’t trade for Garrett and McDuffie merely to make the playoffs. The goal was to give itself a better path through January, especially by pushing for a top-two seed in the NFC and home games early in the postseason.
That matters because the Rams have won each of their last three playoff trips on the road, and every one came with its own hard lesson. They lost on the final drive to the Detroit Lions in 2023, lost in the snow to the Philadelphia Eagles the next year, and then lost in Seattle last season. Matthew Stafford has not lost a home playoff game.
A slow start would make that road much harder. If the Rams are 1-4 by the time Garrett is eligible to return in Week 6, a top-two seed would be out of reach.
At that point, even the No. 4 seed might be the ceiling, and a wild card berth would start looking more realistic. That would leave Los Angeles needing three straight road playoff wins just to get back to SoFi Stadium for the final Sunday of the season.
For now, though, it’s still only one loss. Week 1 has a way of amplifying everything, and a loss to the 49ers makes the reaction even louder. But the Rams have played only one of 17 games, and Monday night against the Giants is more about the first real test arriving earlier than expected than it is about a season slipping away.
Back in 2021, the Rams hit that kind of wall in November, going an entire month without a win. This time, they’re facing the challenge immediately. If they’re really the team they believe they are, this is where they start proving it.
In Other News...
Rams Send A Clear Message About Their Linebacker Concerns vs Giants
The Rams added another layer of insurance to their linebacker room on Monday by activating Elias Neal from the practice squad before facing the Giants in prime time. With Omar Speights and Nate Landman both working through injuries but still expected to be active, Los Angeles made sure it would not be short on bodies at a spot that has been under watch heading into the matchup.
Neal, an undrafted free agent signed in 2024, gives the Rams extra depth and special teams help, which can matter just as much in a game where the margins are expected to be tight. Even with the injured linebackers on track to play, the move reflects a practical approach from the Rams as they try to keep their defense steady for Monday night. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Have One Monday Night Scoring Edge Fans Should Watch
Monday night gives the Rams a familiar kind of spotlight, one centered on the players most likely to swing the game near the goal line. Kyren Williams remains the clearest touchdown threat in Los Angeles backfield, while Blake Corum adds another name to the mix as the Rams look to build on the offensive production they showed in the opener. With the Giants coming in after a shaky defensive start of their own, this matchup sets up as one where scoring chances could arrive in bunches if Los Angeles keeps finding ways to stay ahead of the sticks.
The other side of the board brings its own intrigue, with Malik Nabers and Jaxson Dart carrying the Giants hopes for explosive plays. The Rams defense had its own issues in Week 1, so this is not the kind of setup that allows Los Angeles to relax just because the matchup looks favorable on paper. For the Rams, the early focus is less about style points and more about which of their playmakers can turn one of those red-zone trips into the score that matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donalds Return Puts Rams Defense Under Immediate Pressure
Aaron Donald is set to make his return for the Rams in Week 2 against the Giants, his first game action since 2023, and the timing could not be much more pointed for a defense looking for help. Los Angeles plans to start him and ease him into a rotation, giving the group a much-needed jolt as it tries to steady itself against a Giants offense led by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo.
The Rams are leaning on Donald to raise the ceiling of a unit that will be under pressure right away, especially with Myles Garrett on injured reserve. Even in a limited workload, Donald changes how opponents have to approach the middle of the line, and his presence gives the Rams a chance to look a lot more like the defense they expected to have. How much of an impact he can make immediately is still the key question. [Read more 🡒]