3 fixable but problematic factors holding back the Rams this season

What's wrong with the Los Angeles Rams? While trolls and rival fans delight in the demise of the offseason Super Bowl favorites, it's time to peek under the hood and determine exactly what's going wrong.

By all accounts, this should be a much better team. So why are they struggling?

Of course, the schedule is part of it. In 2025, the Rams opened against 3 teams with a cumulative record of 26-25. This season, their first three opponents have gone 7-2. And that's ignoring the impact of opening the season in Melbourne, Australia.

Still, the team can't fix the luck of the draw. What other factors are contributing to LA's poor start? Well, three in particular pop out. Let's take a look.

3 factors contributing to Rams' early season struggles

No Puka Nacua

In the first three games last season, Nacua had 29 receptions on 35 targets for 333 yards. Before falling to injury this year, Nacua had five catches for 74 yards in Week 1. While veteran Davante Adams has picked up the slack, it hardly makes up for everything.

Nacua provides more than yardage. He is the guy quarterback Matthew Stafford throws to when he needs a completion. As good as Adams has been, the Rams have missed Nacua's all-around production.

Over-relying on Matthew Stafford (and ball security)

Stafford is not starting out the season on solid ground. Again going back to the first three games last season, Stafford threw for five touchdowns and two interceptions. Better still, he was completing over 66 percent of his passes.

Fast forward to 2026, and he's thrown six TDs and four INTs with a 60.4 percent completion rate. And that's at higher volume. Which leads to the problem.

LA has a turnover margin of -3 after finishing at +11 a year ago. Winning teams don't gift the ball to opponents. After three games last season, the Rams boasted a net turnover rate of +1. That's a huge difference.

Under-committing to productive run game

The Rams rushed 81 times for 381 yards in their first three games last year. In 2026, they've rushed 80 times for 401 yards. Despite running the ball effectively, the offense hasn't leaned into the ground the game. As Stafford struggles, Sean McVay keeps piling on the pressure.

Week 3 was a very winnable game. Alas, the Rams again opened the door for a second-half rally. They have been outscored in the second half this season by a whopping margin of 50-24. That second-half slump has directly contributed to both losses.

If the offense had committed to running the ball and grinding out the clock, LA could have salvaged another win.

Everything on this list is fixable. But the Rams will need to do the work. Meanwhile, opponents are more than happy to take advantage of LA's miscues.

As always, thanks for reading.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow