Rams must reload for Week 3 after a 'humbling loss' to NFC West Division foe

The LA Rams are still reeling after a humbling 41-10 at the hands of the typically tames Arizona Cardinals. It was the type of loss in which nothing seemed to go right for the team. And after checking the box score, nothing did. It was the type of loss that defies explanation. Of course, we can rationalize the loss all we want.

This was an injured Rams roster. This was a team playing behind a makeshift offensive line and a hodgepodge and young defense. It was a team lacking two key offensive weapons and two of the best defenders. But ultimately, it was a team that failed to respect its opponent, failed to make any adjustments to their offensive and defensive strategy, and a team that believed that even at a limited strength, it was strong enough to face and defeat a fully healthy and very motivated opponent.

You can't get it right every time. The Rams certainly did not get it right in Week 2.

And so, the team emerged with another loss, more injured players, and another costly lesson in overconfidence. And in the words of HC Sean McVay, the team experienced a 'humbling loss.'

McVay was frustrated after the game. "We just couldn't tackle," was not a surrender to the outcome. It was stated in defiance, by a man who saw what happened on the football field and continued to stand in disbelief. But let's revisit the team's approach:

• With a second week of playing backup offensive tackles (as well as backup offensive linemen), the team failed to deliver any help with additional tight ends. That came in the face of having 3 tight ends active for the game.
• The Rams offense was sterile. 245 total yards on the day and only 23 minutes of game time clock are the key ingredients to disaster. That is exactly what the day cooked up.
• The Rams defense hustled and swarmed. But in Week 2, the team simply failed to tackle. The team failed to wrap up and tackle throughout the game. Here is the breakdown of the 21 missed tackles in Week 2:
• OLB Jared Verse - 4 missed tackles
• ILB Christian Rozeboom - 4 missed tackles
• DT Braden Fiske - 3 missed tackles
• OLB Michael Hoecht - 2 missed tackles
• DT Kobie Turner - 2 missed tackles
• DB Quentin Lake - 2 missed tackles
• DB Kamren Curl - 2 missed tackles
• DE Desjuan Johnson - 1 missed tackle
• ILB Troy Reeder - 1 missed tackle
• The Rams' still congealing secondary offered little in terms of pass coverage against the Cardinals. The team allowed Arizona Cardinals starting QB Kyler Murray to put up a perfect game and send his jersey and game ball to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to be placed on display as a tribute to the team's ineptness.

This is not some form of post-game masochism. It's simply the events of not taking the Arizona Cardinals seriously enough that led to humiliating defeat. But what of the team's plans for Week 3?

(1) - Despite being ineffective, the Rams chose their pass over run. The offense was markedly skewed in favor of the run, at least until the team surrendered and handed off the football to rookie RB Kyren Williams eight times to close out the game. Had the Rams run with the football more often, and done so with two tight ends, the outcome may have been far different.

(2) - Having rewatched the game, ILB Christian Rozeboom was a huge defensive liability. He made four tackles during the game and missed four tackles. While Jared Verse (4 missed tackles) and Braden Fiske (3 missed tackles) had a rough game, they hustled. Rozeboom did not. Verse had three tackles for a loss. Rozeboom, in the heart of the defense, had none. For that matter, ILB Troy Reeded had no tackles for a loss either. In fact, neither ILB has had a single tackle for a loss yet this season.

(3) - The Rams create self-fulfilling prophecies over their rushing attack. In two games, Rams running backs have carried the football 40 times. That stands in stark contrast to the Rams' 76 passing attempts. Now, in Week 3, the Rams are without their top three receivers. Even if the team does opt to run with the football, the defense is already able to predict that as a logical course of action. In short, it's too little too late to get the ground game on track. Yet, the team must make the effort. There are no better alternatives to getting the team on track than to establish a rushing offense in Week 2.

Things must change. This team is not oh-so-close to victory as the losses in 2023 seemed to be. In Week 2, the team was obliterated.

But let's be honest. The coaches made no provisions for injuries. The team did not help out backup offensive linemen. The team did not add another tight end to help block for the running game. And the Rams, having falling behind by double digits early in Week 2, did what they always do. They abandoned the run and allowed defenders to pin their ears back and rush the quarterback.

Can the team rebound in Week 3? That is the hope of every Rams fan. But even losing a closely-contested battle is progress. The Rams want to get a little better every week. They have to prove to fans that they doing exactly that in Week 3. If it's merely putting a balanced offense onto the football field, that's an improvement.

As always, thanks for reading.