Here are the playoff implications for the LA Rams after Week 9

Turnover troubles return

Until Week 9, the LA Rams may not have been the most dominating team, but the Rams were winning. Surprisingly, it was the Rams’ oft-berated defense that seemed to be the most in-the-game unit for Week 9. In fact, it was a Jalen Ramsey interception that put the LA Rams on the board first with a field goal.

Perhaps it’s poetic justice that the Rams offense committed two turnovers, both interceptions, that led immediately to 14 unanswered points by the Tennessee Titans. The first interception by the Tennessee Titans David Long Jr. happened at the Rams’ eight-yard line, and he returned it down to the two-yard line. Titans’ quarterback Ryan Tannehill found his tight end, Geoff Swaim, in the endzone on the first play for a two-yard TD reception.

On the very next series, from the Rams 21-yard line, Stafford again stumbled, throwing an ugly pick-six to Titans Kevin Byard. The Rams were instantly down 14-3 and between the Titans’ smothering defense and the Rams committing incessant fouls in the game, it was all but over with 12:10 remaining in the second quarter.

Turnovers kill the Rams. They just do. In the only other loss of the season, the Rams also committed two turnovers. In that game, it was the Rams throwing an interception as well as fumbling the football.

The hope was that the new season and newly assembled roster would find a way to fix the turnover problems that have plagued this team in the past. For the most part, it has happened. But if the Rams fail on this matter, even in one game, the resulting performance of the team seems to suggest that the roster, even with all of the elite stars who are now part of the team, are not enough to overcome that flaw.