The sky feels like it's falling in Los Angeles after the Rams lost Puka Nacua to a knee injury and stood pat at the trade deadline, opting not to add any receiver help. With Davante Adams, Kobie Turner, Terrance Ferguson and others on injured reserve, some are finding it hard to find hope in this team.
But the season is only half over and the Rams are still in the playoff hunt. And everyone knows that anything can happen once the postseason starts. The Rams will be a team no one wants to face in January, especially if Nacua, Adams, Ferguson and the rest of the injured stars are back.
As dark as things look for Los Angeles, here are six reasons for optimism.
Defense is more than capable of carrying the team
Not every Super Bowl-caliber team has both a great offense and defense. Usually, it's one
or the other. After being carried by the league's best offense last season, the Rams will now need to lean on their defense. And that's perfectly fine – for a little while, at least.
The Seahawks rode their defense for parts of last season on their way to a Super Bowl when the offense put up just 281 yards against the 49ers and 335 yards against the Patriots. The Rams and Patriots were the only two teams that had more than 300 yards against the Seahawks in their final 11 games (including playoffs). The Rams may not be at the same level as Seattle's 2025 defense yet, but they could be close now that Myles Garrett is back.
If the Rams have to ride their defense for the next three or four games, they'll have a chance to keep winning. But the defense has to be great.
Sean McVay will find a way to pivot
When the Rams were without Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell against the Jaguars last season, they pivoted to 13 personnel and discovered a new wrinkle within their offense. It was out of necessity, something Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford have openly admitted.
There's no chance the Rams can run McVay's usual 11 personnel offense without Nacua and Adams, so expect to see even more 12 and 13 personnel with heavy tight end usage. And when a team can't throw the ball consistently, what does it usually do? Run it.
Might McVay deploy some two-back sets with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum? Will CJ Daniels and Max Klare suddenly become more involved?
LA can lean on its two terrific backs
Speaking of Williams and Corum, they've quickly become two of the Rams' most important players now. Williams is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and Corum is picking up 5.2 yards per attempt himself. There isn't a team with a better two-headed monster at running back than the Rams.
The Rams have leaned on Williams and Corum in the last two weeks and as a team, they now rank sixth in total rushing yards and sixth in yards per carry. Three of the teams ahead of the Rams in rushing yards have a dual-threat quarterback, too.
As exciting as an explosive passing attack is, offenses have been built on the run for years. Williams and Corum can carry the offense for the time being.
The bye is coming at a perfect time
Though the Rams have dealt with injuries since the start of the season, they should feel good about having a late bye. That gives Adams and Terrance Ferguson an extra week to heal without missing another game. It could also afford the Rams a chance to keep Nacua off IR, where he'd be required to miss four games. The same goes for Steve Avila.
And as an added benefit, McVay and the coaching staff can regroup after this week's game against the Cardinals. Having some extra time off will allow the coaches to sort out ways to improve and adjust the offense before facing the Packers on Thanksgiving Eve.
Rams don’t have to win out
At 5-4, the Rams are by no means out of the playoff race. The NFC West is getting away from them, but the playoffs are within reach. And it's not as if they have to win out. They can afford to lose two more games and still almost virtually guarantee themselves a postseason berth.
No team since the switch to a 14-team playoff field has ever missed the postseason with 11 wins. So if the Rams just win six of their final eight, they'll get in. And after that, anything can happen – especially if they have Nacua, Adams, Ferguson, Turner, Avila and all their key contributors.
Now, the schedule isn't easy, and they must win this game against the Cardinals first. After that, they face the Packers, Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys, Buccaneers and Seahawks twice. Four of those games are at home, which helps, and it's not like the Seahawks are world-beaters right now.
Matthew Stafford is at his best late in the season
Stafford has been just OK this season, but there's reason to believe he'll be better in the second half of the year. In his Rams career, here are his records by month.
- September: 11-9
- October: 13-11
- November: 10-8
- December: 15-3
- January: 8-4 (including playoffs)
As you can see, he usually gets better as the season goes on, which is a reason for hope in November and December this season. The Rams' schedule is difficult from here on out, which includes two January games, but Stafford turns his game up a notch when the lights get bright and the weather gets cool.
The Rams always need him to play well, but now more than ever, they need him to really elevate his game.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 6 reasons for hope as Rams enter 2nd half of season
