3 LA Rams candid conclusions from Week 2 of Thursday Night Football

Candid conclusion II: Rams turnovers can make a difference in a game’s outcome

The LA Rams’ defense created four turnovers against the Buffalo Bills. That resulted in just three points. Whose feet did you hold to the fire after the game? If you are among the majority, you simply observed the final score and concluded that, once more, the LA Rams’ defense was unable to make plays.

While there is some truth to that, there is also a much greater truth revealed by the post-game analysis. The LA Rams offense was, in a word, horrible.

The Rams allowed seven quarterback sacks and much more pressure on Stafford. The Rams rushed 18 times for just 52 yards. And Matthew Stafford threw 29 of 41 times for 240 yards, 1 touchdown, and three interceptions.

Turnovers matter, most of the time

Of the LA Rams’ defense creating four turnovers, the offense capitalized by scoring just three points. The Buffalo Bills’ defense created three turnovers. But their offense capitalized by putting up ten points from those turnovers.

The Kansas City Chiefs had the only turnover in their game, but it was the winning margin. That pick-six turned a tie game instantly from a potential go-ahead touchdown by the Chargers into a go-ahead touchdown by the Chiefs. That makes it a 14-point play in the Chiefs’ favor.  Had the Rams been able to create that type of impact with any of their four turnovers, the game’s momentum would have been entirely different.

The difference? The Chiefs’ offense limited their mistakes. That is something that the LA Rams must achieve quickly.