Despite a convincing victory, the Rams emerge with items that must be fixed

It was a wild Wild Card Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs for the Los Angeles Rams. The team had to relocate the game from the comforts of their own SoFI Stadium to nearby State Farm Stadium at nearby Glendale, Arizona at a moment's notice. And complicating the matter further is the fact that the Rams played their game on Monday Night Football, stealing an extra day of preparation from them as they pivot to face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in Philadelphia.

It was a solid victory over the Minnesota Vikings in that game, which all the more delicious considering how the deck seemed to be stacked against the Rams all week. Not only did the Rams have to deal with playing a 'home' game on the road, but the players and coaches were either directly impacted, or had friends, relatives, and neighbors who were impacted, but the wildfires that continue to burn and threaten the city of Los Angeles, California.

When the game ended with the Rams 27-9 win, I shared my instant reactions to that victory. But not everything was perfect in that game. It is understandable, as the site and logistics were very fluid all the way up to the kickoff. But if the Rams are to have a chance of winning in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs, here are three areas that must be corrected.

(3) Rams penalties

The LA Rams played through the 2024 NFL season with a reputation as one of the most disciplined and penalty-free teams in the NFL. But that was certainly not the case in the Wild Card Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs. The Rams were penalized 10 times for 95 yards, while the Minnesota VIkings were penalized just two times for 20 yards.

As I watched the game, even as the penalties were shown in instant replay, I admit whole-heartedly that some of the penalties seemed to be ticky-tack at best. But the team cannot allow penalties to be so lopsided in any game going forward. The Rams are capable of winning three more games, but they cannot shoot themselves in the foot while doing so. That means fewer penalties and no giveaways.

(2) Rams flirted with turning over the football

It took a booth review to reverse a called-Matthew Stafford fumble returned for a touchdown. It took an instant replay to confirm that LA Rams running back Kyren Williams was down before coughing up the football. Despite the final score of 27-9, had the Rams turned over the football on either occasion, the final score may have been completely different.

The Rams defense is adept at creating turnovers. It's that ability to bend but not break that has allowed the team to claim victory in both low scoring games, and in those close games that have been decided by one score. But like a sweater with a loose strand of yarn, that will all unravel if this team is more giveaway than takeaway. When the Rams lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Week 12, one of the key plays of the game seemed to be a fumble by RB Kyren Williams.

The Rams offense opened the game by driving to the Philadelphia Eagles 17 yard line. Then, a Kyren Williams fumble was recovered by Eagles LB Nakobe Dean. The Eagles would score three points after the turnover. Had the Rams retained possession, it's likely that they would have opened a 14 point lead in the game. That would have changed the entire game.

(1) Rams offense sputtered at times

The Rams offense ran 51 plays, while the Vikings offense ran 71 plays. The Rams punted five times, while the Vikings punted just three times. The Rams offense converted just two of ten third down attempts. Finally, the Rams converted just two of four Red Zone attempts. Of 27 points scored by the Rams against the Vikings, only 20 points was the result of the offense. A fumble recovery by rookie OLB Jared Verse accounted for seven points.

Yes the Rams won by a score of 27-9. But let's not let ourselves get swept off our feet. The Rams offense was efficient, but not particularly productive. Veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught his only target of the game. The Rams go-to guy, second-year WR Puka Nacua, hauled in just five of nine passes. Featured running back Kyren Williams rushed just 16 times for 76 yards.

At halftime, the Rams led by a score of 24-3, and that put the Vikings into a pass-centric offense. While the score was such that the Rams likely shut down much of their offensive playbook to disguise what they might call against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams offense scored just three points in the second half of that game.

The Rams scored 27 points in the game, but keep in mind that seven points came from an opportunistic fumble recovery ran for a touchdown by rookie OLB Jared Verse. The Rams offense was efficient, but not so well that the team was blowing by any team. If the Rams are to win more games, the offense will need to show up in a much bigger way.

As always, thanks for reading.

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