The Los Angeles Rams lost their second straight game and fourth of the season, dropping a home contest to the Arizona Cardinals. It was a stunning upset at SoFi Stadium, dropping the Rams to a tie for last place in the NFC West.
Here are five takeaways from the loss.
McVay needs to have a better answer
Throughout his post-Super Bowl LVI career, head coach Sean McVay has avoided the tough questions, as he has often engineered last-minute drives to win games they seemingly shouldn't have. Even when McVay had his poor 2022 season, there were clear reasons for a lack of success, taking him off the hook from the media.
For years, when pressed about perpetual issues, McVay has given "coach speak" answers that are long-winded explanations that do not form an acceptable reason for the team's
failures. The trick was that McVay didn't fail long enough to be pressed for a real answer to emerge.
The Rams are 2-4, in last place in their division, and have a roster that should be competing for championships. Special teams, offensive miscues, the horrific playcalling to end the game, the personnel problems on defense. No more run-around, no more coach speak; we need answers. Why is this team falling so far below standards?
McVay's offense is awful and pedestrian
The ingenuity is gone, the explosiveness is gone, and the play sequencing relies on old-school ideals that do not work in the modern game. Defenses have every answer to the Rams' blitz-counters, and a continued use of screen plays won't work. McVay called three straight screen plays between the team's final two offensive drives, and none of them worked. Also, one of the screens was called on fourth-and-8, which failed miserably.
When Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are on the field together, the McVay offense isn't built to support their production. However, there was nothing more egregious than the call for a Davis Allen fullback dive on fourth-and-1. Designed with flaws and executed without any semblance of success, it was blown up at the Arizona 27-yard line. It's not just the fact that McVay's system lacks a short-yardage offense; it's that his solutions are straight-up awful in practice.
The Rams didn't have a fullback in their offense for over eight years; now McVay's suddenly calling plays like it's the 70s? Let's not forget his love of halfback pitches, and the fan-favorite QB sneak with Matthew Stafford that goes nowhere. It's as if McVay tries to be creative for the sake of being creative. There's no need to disguise physicality. If McVay wants to run the ball, put in a heavy personnel package and pound the rock.
This is like scheming up a run play on fourth-and-1 where receivers are taking on linebackers, with Fred Warner being the free man. Oh wait.
There are too many brilliant offensive minds for the system to be this pedestrian.
Once again, the special teams unit can't do its job
After scoring the go-ahead touchdown, the Rams had to send punter Ethan Evans to kick the point-after attempt, with Stetson Bennett as the holder because Blake Grupe got hurt on his debut.
Grupe, who was signed to replace kicker Harrison Mevis, nailed the only field goal of his Rams career so far. On the ensuing kickoff, Los Angeles once again suffered a meltdown on its kick coverage, forcing Grupe to make a tackle that resulted in a knee injury. Grupe never returned and had a brace on his right knee after the game, and was also using crutches.
New Rams kicker Blake Grupe is doubtful to return after making this tackle pic.twitter.com/EgxKFTFSsq
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 18, 2026
The Rams celebrated Evans' make as if he had just made a 60-yarder to win the game. Yes, the idea that the Rams could put together a competent special teams operation in the clutch was so miraculous, it had to be celebrated.
At least we know Bennett has a future as a holder if the quarterback gig doesn't pan out.
The playbook has been written on McVay
How do you beat the Rams? Stack the box, scheme out Nacua's common route patterns as much as possible, control the clock, run the ball while mixing in the pass, win the time of possession battle, field position, and turnover margin, to then allow the Rams to throw themselves out of a game.
The magic is to let them beat themselves. The offense isn't consistent enough to score unless engaged in an all-out shootout; they don't know how to operate a patient offense, and by the time they kick their fourth-quarter offense into gear, the defense is too tired and exposed to tow the line, allowing the opposing offense to counter game-winning drives by Stafford and McVay with drives of their own.
If all else fails, wait for the special teams to blow a fuse. The Rams are in a bad spot. Their offseason moves always prompted a looming depth issue, and the issue has been prevalent since Week 1. They're uninspired, lethargic, and disappointing.
NFL teams can bore the Rams into defeat. They've done it on four occasions in six games.
The Rams need Alaric Jackson more than they want to admit
Jackson missed the game due to a suspension following the Rams' defeat to the Bills last week. Jackson hit Bradley Chubb after the game, following an exchange of words, forcing David Quessenberry into action.
Whenever the Rams are without Jackson, they have uncharacteristic showings. In 2024, they got blown out by the Cardinals without him. In 2025, the Atlanta Falcons gave the Rams their worst loss of the season in the one game Jackson missed. On Sunday, McVay had his worst game ever as a playcaller, with plays that made little to no sense, outside of trying to get the ball out of Stafford's hands quickly, while the quarterback suffered two sacks and seven hits.
I don't know if they thought Keagen Trost would be ready as a swing tackle, but everyone knew Quessenberry is past his prime and has the skill set for special teams at this point in his career. They need consistency at tackle, even if that means investing in depth.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 5 takeaways from Rams' embarrassing loss to Cardinals
