Rams have the NFL's worst penalty-yardage gap through four games

The Los Angeles Rams have been flagged far more than anyone they've played. Through four weeks, Los Angeles sits last in the NFL with a net penalty yardage differential of minus-148, according to a chart from @sfdata9ers that counts only accepted penalties. The Baltimore Ravens are next at minus-145

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What is the story about?

The Los Angeles Rams have been flagged far more than anyone they've played.

Through four weeks, Los Angeles sits last in the NFL with a net penalty yardage differential of minus-148, according to a chart from @sfdata9ers that counts only accepted penalties. The Baltimore Ravens are next at minus-145. No other team is worse than minus-97.

Which teams draw more flags than their opponents?

IND’s opponents have eaten +165 penalty yards compared to the Colts. Meanwhile BAL and LAR keep getting buried in flags - far more than their opponents.

(Weeks 1 - 4, pre-MNF) pic.twitter.com/qvZ5lbCR9P

— SFdata9ers🏈📊 (@sfdata9ers) October 5, 2026

The gap comes from the Rams' own flags. According to NFLPenalties.com, Los Angeles has been penalized 31 times for 284 yards, while opponents have been flagged 20

times for 136 yards. That works out to roughly 71 penalty yards per game for the Rams and 34 for their opponents.

"We've got to do a better job of eliminating some of the self-inflicted wounds, making better decisions in real time, playing with more consistent fundamentals," McVay said Monday on his video podcast with the team. "The penalties have really forced us into a lot of where we're behind the sticks. It seems like we've been in those situations a lot more than I can remember."

This is a complete 180 from 2025, when the Rams finished first in net penalty yards at 340 and finished with the second-fewest total flags at 106.

Holding is the most common culprit in 2026. The Rams have been called for offensive holding seven times for 70 yards, the most of any penalty type. That is only slightly above the league average of 6.16 through four weeks. The bigger gap is on the other side. Opponents have been called for offensive holding against the Rams just three times, 31st in the NFL.

The rest of the damage has come in costly chunks. Defensive pass interference has been called four times for 49 yards. The Rams also have two unnecessary roughness penalties for 30 yards and two unsportsmanlike conduct flags for 28 yards. Their unsportsmanlike conduct total ranks 31st in the league.

The Rams' 31 total penalties are not far above the league average of 29.6. The problem is how many yards those flags have cost.

Hopefully, this is something the team can clean up the rest of the season.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams have the NFL's worst penalty-yardage gap through four games