1. The Rams Are Talented — Now They Need to Become Good
I changed this from last week's “The Rams are still good” to “The Rams are talented.”There is a reason for that distinction.
I think the Rams have almost all the right pieces to be a really fucking good football team. The problem is that they haven't consistently put all of those pieces together. They have the talent. They have the coaching. They have the quarterback. They have what looks like a potentially elite defense.
But they keep getting in their own way.
And at this point, the problems are becoming pretty glaring.
The offense is still statistically one of the better units in football. Through four games, the Rams have 1,668 yards of offense, averaging 6.24 yards per play, and their offensive EPA/play sits around +0.03, 11th in the NFL depending on the data source. Their passing game is obviously one of the most productive in football.
But the distribution of that offense is starting to tell a different story.
The Rams currently have 165 pass attempts, second-most in the NFL, compared with 105 rushing attempts, which ranks 15th. That's roughly a 61/39 pass/run split.
That's a pretty significant departure from what we've historically seen from McVay's best offenses.
And before somebody says, “Well, they have to throw more in the two-minute offense,” obviously. I'm not ignoring situational football. Two-minute drills, obvious passing downs and playing from behind are going to skew the numbers.
But the overall trend is still obvious.
Here's the Rams' run/pass distribution under McVay:
| Season | Pass Attempts | Rush Attempts | Pass % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 518 | 454 | 53.3% |
| 2018 | 568 | 459 | 55.3% |
| 2019 | 632 | 401 | 61.2% |
| 2020 | 590 | 473 | 55.5% |
| 2021 | 607 | 420 | 59.1% |
| 2022 | 531 | 411 | 56.4% |
| 2023 | 583 | 477 | 55.0% |
| 2024 | 559 | 450 | 55.4% |
| 2025 | 598 | 465 | 56.3% |
| 2026 | 165 | 105 | 61.1% |
It's that 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2023—some of McVay's most balanced and efficient offenses—had considerably more offensive balance than what we're seeing right now. The 2025 Super Bowl-contending offense was also much closer to that range at 56/44.
And here's where I think the problem is bigger than simply “run the ball more.”
It's identity.
Good defensive coordinators know what you're trying to do. They know your tendencies. They know what personnel you're putting on the field and what formations you're using.
The Rams have enough talent to overcome some of that.
But eventually, you run into teams good enough to make you pay for predictable tendencies.
McVay's offense doesn't need to become a 50/50 offense.
It needs to become unpredictable again.
2. McVay Has a Blind Spot — And Special Teams Might Be It
We fucking love Sean McVay.He's one of the best coaches in football, and his record speaks for itself: 94-59 through his first 153 regular-season games, with a 10-6 playoff record and a Super Bowl championship. But every coach has blind spots. And when you've been around somebody for almost a decade, eventually you start to see the patterns.
One of McVay's biggest recurring problems has been special teams.
Look at the special-teams DVOA rankings during his tenure:
| Season | ST DVOA Rank |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2nd |
| 2018 | 17th |
| 2019 | 23rd |
| 2020 | 30th |
| 2021 | 4th |
| 2022 | 23rd |
| 2023 | 32nd |
| 2024 | 19th |
| 2025 | 27th |
| 2026 | 32nd through Week 2 |
And there's an important point here:
This isn't just Bubba Ventrone.
John Fassel had the Rams ranked second in DVOA in 2017 and fourth in 2021 under Joe DeCamillis. But the Rams have also spent multiple seasons in the bottom ten.
The 2023 unit was historically bad—-9.8% DVOA, sixth-worst in the history of the metric.
And now, after changing coaches again, we're right back at the bottom.
At some point you have to stop asking:
“Who's the special-teams coach?”
And start asking:
“How much does this organization actually value special teams?”
That's a McVay/Les Snead question.
McVay isn't infallible.
He's a great coach.Great coaches still have blind spots.
And after almost ten years, special teams has become a pattern, not an anomaly.
3. Hero Ball — Stafford Has Gone Back to Being Stafford
My man Stafford. He's a fucking cowboy. He's a gunslinger. He's authentic. He's a guy you want to root for. And I'm sure his teammates feel the same way about him.But that authenticity comes with the good and the bad. Stafford has always been the kind of quarterback who is going to give his receiver a chance. Sometimes that results in a spectacular play. Sometimes it results in a spectacularly stupid interception.
That's Stafford.
The problem this year is that we're seeing more of the latter. Stafford has already thrown 6 interceptions through four games.
That's the same number of interceptions he threw in his first 12 games of 2025, and only two fewer than his entire 2025 total.
Last year, Stafford threw 46 touchdowns against only 8 interceptions over 17 games. That's a ridiculous 5.75 TD/INT ratio and a 1.34% interception rate.
This year?
Six interceptions in four games. That's a 3.7% interception rate based on his 162 attempts. That's not Stafford taking a couple of aggressive shots.
That's a legitimate turnover problem. And what's particularly concerning is where the interceptions are happening.
We're seeing Stafford challenge double coverage, throw late over the middle and occasionally try to fit the ball into windows that simply aren't there.
The Eagles game was particularly ugly. Two first-half interceptions directly contributed to 10 Philadelphia points. Stafford eventually played his ass off in the fourth quarter—his adjusted EPA/play jumped from -0.12 through the first three quarters to +0.39 in the fourth—but the fact remains that he created the hole the team had to climb out of. Now, here's where I'm going to put on my tinfoil hat.
This is complete conjecture.
I think there's a possibility that 2025 mentally exhausted Stafford. Last year was supposed to be the final chapter.
He put together arguably the best season of his career: 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions, while winning MVP votes and taking the Rams to the NFC Championship.
Maybe he thought:
This is it. This is my last shot. I'm going to empty the fucking tank.
And he did.
Quarterback isn't boxing. You're not studying one opponent. You're studying 11 defenders, the coordinator, the personnel groupings, coverage tendencies, blitz tendencies, fronts, rotations, situational tendencies, your own tendencies, your receivers' tendencies...
It's a ridiculous mental workload.
And if you mentally emptied the tank trying to win one final championship, it's entirely reasonable to wonder whether it's difficult to immediately recreate that same level of obsessive preparation the following season.
I'm not saying Stafford isn't working.
I'm not saying he doesn't care.
And I'm certainly not saying he's washed.
I'm saying something is different.
And the Rams need to figure out what it is.
4. The Defense Is Finally Starting to Look Like What We Thought It Would
This is the fun one.We're finally starting to see what the Rams envisioned when they made all those offseason moves.
The trades.
The free agents.
The draft picks.
And now we're seeing a healthy Byron Young.
And holy shit, does he look good.
The secondary has been playing out of its mind. Trent McDuffie has been everything the Rams hoped he'd be. Josh Wallace has stepped up. Even players like Quentin Lake and Kam Curl are making plays. And we're doing this without Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. That's fucking nuts.
Through Week 3, the Rams' defense ranked seventh in EPA/play, with the pass defense third in EPA/play. After Week 4, the Rams were still sitting near the top of the league in defensive efficiency, with SumerSports putting them at roughly -0.16 EPA/play, third in the NFL. Then they went into Philadelphia and held Jalen Hurts to 93 passing yards. The Eagles finished with only 172 total yards.
And the Rams got four sacks.
That's an elite defense.
But...
Situational football.
That's where I still have a problem. Philadelphia scored its two touchdowns because of two massive communication/situational failures.
That's not a talent problem.
That's an execution problem.
And we've seen it before.
Take me back to the Chicago game last year. The Rams had that game fucking put away and then allowed Caleb Williams to make a ridiculous late-game throw that changed the entire complexion of the game.
Then there was the 99-yard touchdown drive against San Francisco.
Then Denver. The Rams were up 16-0 at halftime and somehow turned that into a 30-26 loss.
And now Philadelphia.
The defense can be elite and still have a problem. The Rams cannot continue giving teams free possessions and easy scores in end-of-half situations.
Because eventually, that's going to be the difference between winning a playoff game and going home.
5. It's Great to Have Puka Back
Puka Nacua is back, and thank fucking God.He missed the previous two games, came back against Philadelphia and immediately reminded everybody why this offense is different with him.
9 catches. 125 yards.
And it wasn't just the numbers. Puka brings violence to the position. He catches the ball like he's pissed off that somebody threw it to him. He blocks like he wants to fight somebody. He gets tackled and gets up looking for the next play. His hands are fucking ridiculous.
And what's really exciting is that we haven't even seen the full version of Puka + Davante Adams together for an extended stretch yet.
That's the part that makes this offense terrifying. Puka doesn't just make Stafford's life easier. He changes the defensive math.
And if the Rams can keep both guys healthy, there isn't a defensive coordinator in football who's going to sleep particularly well the night before playing these guys. Now we just need to get the man paid. And hopefully the money doesn't change that edge.
6. Kyren Williams Is a Stud — And It's Not Particularly Close
I've seen some people clamoring for Blake Corum to get the starting job, I'm sorry.No.
It's not close. Corum is a very good football player however, Kyren Williams is a complete running back.
He understands the offense.
He understands protections.
He sees things before they happen.
His vision is excellent.
His route running is excellent.
And for a guy his size, his pass protection is fucking phenomenal.
Against Philadelphia, Kyren had 26 touches, 147 scrimmage yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winning score. He also caught a career-high 10 passes. And that's the thing people sometimes miss, Kyren doesn't need to be the biggest guy, He doesn't need to be the fastest guy, He doesn't need to be the most explosive guy.
He makes up for those physical shortcomings with vision, intelligence, balance and sheer fucking tenacity. He's also one of those players where you can tell he understands exactly what the offense is trying to accomplish.
That's invaluable.
I'm glad he's wearing horns.
7. Higbee — What a Luxury
How lucky are the Rams that Tyler Higbee is their backup tight end right now?Think about that. The Rams lost Terrance Ferguson and Colby Parkinson, their top two tight ends, and suddenly Higbee is the guy, and instead of falling apart, the position is still functional.
Against Philadelphia, Higbee caught 5 passes for 67 yards and posted an 82.9 PFF grade, one of the best offensive grades on the team.
That's a hell of a safety net.
Higbee is also one of the last guys standing from that previous generation of Rams football. It's crazy to think how long he's been around.
He's watched Goff.
He's watched Stafford.
He's played with Gurley, Kupp, Woods, Puka, OBJ, Cooks...
And he's still here.
There aren't many veteran tight ends from that era still playing at a meaningful level.
Kelce.
Kittle.
And Higbee.
I hope the dude gets another ring.
He's earned it.
8. The Offensive Line's Continuity Is Starting to Show
I love what I'm seeing from this offensive line. The continuity matters.Alaric Jackson and Steve Avila are becoming a real problem for opposing defensive lines.
Have you ever watched Avila come over to help Jackson on a one-on-one and just absolutely erase a defensive lineman? It's a thing of beauty.
Then you've got Coleman Shelton. Is he the best center in football?
No.
But he's a hell of a technician and one of the smarter centers in the league when it comes to identifying protections. And the Stafford/Shelton relationship is becoming important. Those two guys communicate constantly.
Then you've got Kevin Dotson and Warren McClendon. They're supposed to be road graders.
And they are.
Dotson has looked a little down this year, particularly against Denver and Philadelphia, and the injury he suffered against the Giants could certainly be playing a role.
And here's the encouraging part:
Stafford threw 51 passes in Philadelphia and the line still held up relatively well in pass protection.
That's encouraging.
Because if this offensive line continues to develop, the Rams shouldn't have to choose between running the football and protecting Stafford.
They should be able to do both.
9. Special Teams — Short Bus
I don't know what the fuck happened to this unit.I really don't.
Since Bones Fassel left, the Rams have gone from having some of the best special teams units in football to repeatedly having one of the worst.
And this isn't a one-year problem.
It's been a McVay-era problem.
For the sake or repeating myself;
The historical DVOA numbers are brutal:
2017: 2nd
2018: 17th
2019: 23rd
2020: 30th
2021: 4th
2022: 23rd
2023: 32nd
2024: 19th
2025: 27th
2026: 32nd
The 2023 unit was literally one of the worst special-teams units ever measured. And we're back at the bottom again.
The Eagles game was another example. A poor Alex Bachman return helped set Philadelphia up with great field position, and then Britain Covey ripped off a 41-yard punt return. Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal and then kicked a kickoff out of bounds.
That's unacceptable. Now, I'm going to give Mevis a pass on this one.
Wet field.
Sloppy conditions.
He's a young NFL kicker by experience alone.
Let's see how he responds.
But the coverage unit?
No excuses.
The Rams have improved slightly from Denver to Philadelphia, and guys like Dean Connors and Maximus Pulley have shown up on coverage. But overall, this unit is still nowhere close to where it needs to be.
And this is where I'm holding off on joining the “Fire Bubba” crowd.
Give him until the bye.
If the unit still looks like this by then, I'm not sure there's enough coaching or personnel available to fix it during the season.
At that point, you have to ask whether the problem is bigger than Bubba Ventrone.
10. The Referees and the NFL
Here is where I'm going to piss some people off, I understand that referees are human. I understand that football is incredibly difficult to officiate, and I understand that there are seven officials on the field and another group involved with replay.Mistakes are going to happen.
But the NFL has built a billion-dollar product around technology that should make those mistakes less consequential.
And yet here we are.
The Rams literally had an interception against Denver erased by a defensive pass-interference call on Josh Wallace.
The NFL subsequently admitted that the call was incorrect. That mistake directly extended the Broncos' drive and ultimately contributed to the game-winning touchdown.
That's exactly the type of situation that drives fans fucking insane. Because what's the point of having New York involved? What's the point of having all of this technology? Why can certain things be corrected after the fact, but not others? And why does it sometimes feel like the NFL has the ability to correct an obvious mistake but chooses not to because the particular rule doesn't allow it?
I don't believe every referee is corrupt. I don't believe there's some giant conspiracy where the league is sitting in New York saying, “Keep this game close.”
But I understand why fans get there. Especially when the stakes are this high. Every NFL team gets 17 regular-season games. One bad call can be the difference between a division title and a wild-card spot. It can be the difference between hosting a playoff game and traveling. It can be the difference between advancing and going home.
And now we're seeing officials actually suspended for conduct issues. Two officials were suspended this week—line judge Jeff Seeman for two games and referee Adrian Hill for one—after separate incidents involving players. The NFL Referees Association is already pushing back on the discipline.
So I'm not asking for perfection.
I'm asking for accountability and consistency.
If the NFL can use technology to determine that a call was wrong after the game, then why can't the same technology be used to correct certain obviously wrong calls during the game? The league has gotten better at almost every aspect of the product.
Officiating hasn't kept pace.
And for a league where every game matters, that's a problem.
