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Los Angeles Rams: 3 problems you can’t ignore since the bye week

By Steve Rivera

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 16: Kamu Grugier-Hill #54 of the Philadelphia Eagles hits Jared Goff #16 causing an interception as Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams blocks during the second half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 16: Kamu Grugier-Hill #54 of the Philadelphia Eagles hits Jared Goff #16 causing an interception as Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams blocks during the second half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams gets past Bryan Witzmann #78 of the Chicago Bears in the second quarter at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams gets past Bryan Witzmann #78 of the Chicago Bears in the second quarter at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

For a lot of fans and NFL watchers, the bye week looked to have come at the perfect time. It also seemed that despite a defense wobbly at best, the 11-1 record they took with them into their break might allow for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips to tweak his guys a bit and get better, especially with Aqib Talib getting back for the game against the Lions.

Didn’t happen.

Playing Mitchell Trubisky in the Chicago cold is one thing, but Nick Foles looked pretty good against the Rams defense. LA gave up only 16 points to a bad Detroit offense, 15 to the Bears, and 30 against Foles and the Eagles.

It’s fair to point to the games against the Lions and Bears, but over 14 games, they also appear to be more outlier than indicative of a solid defense. They’ll likely look good against the Cardinals and probably San Francisco.

Next. Rams: Week 16 against the Cardinals will tell fans a lot. dark

Unless the offense can flip the switch and start scoring 30 plus points again, a defense who many predicted would be top five before the season remains a liability come the postseason. Whatever hope of them improving with any significance when Talib returned really hasn’t materialized. Now, with an offense sputtering, looking to that unit to maybe keep Goff in a game seems problematic.

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