The Los Angeles Rams have their backs against the wall on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. LA is in danger of falling to 2-5 and effectively out of playoff contention with a road loss.
One development working in their favor: receiver Puka Nacua is active after injuring his calf in Thursday’s practice.
We know the defense will be short-handed. They are missing Myles Garrett, Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Trent McDuffie, and Nate Landman this week and in some cases much longer. While the Rams defense has
been the strongest unit on this team, the tables must reverse moving forward if LA is going to get the season back on track.
That starts with Matthew Stafford and company. All five starters on the offensive line are healthy for the Vegas contest. While Davante Adams is out for the foreseeable future, there is still sufficient firepower with Nacua and a deep cast of tight ends. Blake Corum and Kyren Williams should see a heavy workload on the ground.
There are no excuses. The Rams have enough talent on offense to come out with a win and offset the defensive losses.
But an encouraging offensive performance requires a step forward from their season baseline. Their usual won’t be good enough to take down Kirk Cousins and the Raiders. LA is average in most offensive rankings:
- 10th in EPA/play
- 9th in success rate
- 15th in explosive play rate
- 16th in points per drive
- 13th in red zone efficiency
- 20th in offensive turnovers
Stafford and the Rams offense don’t look like their usual selves. It’s difficult to put a finger on the exact root cause.
But you can usually count on Stafford to pull it together when his back against the wall. It’s not only the playoffs; Stafford is playing for his job.
Stafford’s tenure with the Rams draws nearer to a close with each loss. Rookie first-round pick Ty Simpson would reasonably start once LA is out of playoff contention.
The Rams need to keep winning to make the playoffs. Stafford needs to keep winning in order to save his job.
Will LA take care of business in Vegas?
