Here’s why the Rams are having so many problems this year

After reaching Super Bowl LIII last season, the Los Angeles Rams have fallen on hard times in recent weeks this year. What is the cause of all of this?

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The Los Angeles Rams represented the NFC in Super Bowl LII in Atlanta last February. After a 3-0 start, the Rams have fallen back to .500 and now find themselves in third place in the NFC West behind the undefeated San Francisco 49ers and the one-loss Seattle Seahawks. What has happened to the Rams this year? Why are they having so many problems in 2019?

On this week’s episode of Stacking the Box, FanSided‘s Matt Verderame and Mark Carman, along with former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, look at why the Rams have faded so magnificently in recent weeks and if there is hope for them to rectify their issues before it is too late (15:22).

“The Rams do not have the luxury of playing in a bad division or a bad conference,” said Verderame. “They’re 2.5 games behind San Francisco, who they already lost to at home. They lost to Seattle on that missed 44-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein at the gun. And the biggest problem for the Rams, let’s just say it, Jared Goff has sucked this year. There is no other way around it.”

Verderame would go on to say that Todd Gurley’s arthritic knee and losing two key offensive linemen in Roger Saffold and John Sullivan have exposed Goff for what he is: a quarterback who is afraid to step up in the pocket and make big-time throws down the field to help his team win.

Both Verderame and Schwartz do think there is an opportunity for the Rams to rectify their issues. They will play an easy part of their schedule against NFL bottom-feeders in the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals in their next two games. Those teams present an opportunity for Sean McVay’s team to get right before the halfway point of the 2019 NFL campaign.

The Rams did make two trades on Tuesday in their secondary by sending Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens and dealt for Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Adding Ramsey and linebacker Kenny Young, who they got in the Peters deal with the Ravens, could help Wade Phillips defense, but Goff and the offense have to play better if the Rams want to make the NFC playoffs.

Here are a few other topics discussed on this week’s episode of Stacking the Box:

• Kansas City Chiefs should trade Tyreek Hill for Patrick Peterson – 9:07
• Has Jason Garrett hijacked the Dallas Cowboys offense? – 11:12
• Did Kirk Cousins redeem himself? – 53:58
• Carolina Panthers will make the playoffs with Kyle Allen – 55:00

All this and more!

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