"We couldn't tackle,' isn't good enough in Rams rout in Week 2 loss to Cardinals

LA Rams Head Coach Sean McVay is never at a loss for words. But in his post-game press conference after a drubbing at the hands of the typically demure Arizona Cardinals, the words seemed to hurt long before they formed in Coach McVay's mouth. He was both frustrated and disappointed. And he had a right to be. The real question is:

Was he simply narrating what we already knew and observed? Or was he already positioning his mindset to diagnose what went wrong to engineer a process to pave a way to getting it right?

Perhaps the telling moment of the press conference was the opening statement. When Mcvay was asked about Cardinals QB Kyler Murray's ability to gash the defense for 59 rushing yards in just five caries and the defense's inability to corral him, he said what we all knew to be the answer:

"We just couldn()t tackle. I mean, there were opportunities. When you look at some of the plays, we had three guys around him. He ended up escaping and hits an off-schedule touchdown. He does the same thing on a third down by our sideline. So, we just weren()t able to get to him. "

Coach McVay

That's how McVay opened the presser, and it went downhill from there:

The surprising aspect of the Rams' total defeat in Week 2 is how unprepared the team appeared. This game was not against a team that seldom appeared on the schedule. This was a game against one of the most familiar foes the team will face this season. And yet, the team had no answers, energy, or fight.

The game was out of hand almost instantly. Admittedly, I remained patient throughout the first quarter, seeking some signs of effective counterpunching. But the Rams rope-a-dope was not a strategic effort to allow their opponent to tire itself out with wild haymakers. The haymakers continued to land, sapping more strength from the Rams then the cost of the blow itself.

It was a beatdown, a drubbing that never relented. In the end, the team ended at the bottom of the NFL in almost every category. And the Rams were sent there, not by the San Francisco 49ers, but by the lowliest of projected opponents: the Arizona Cardinals.

Was this a trap game?

Was this a 'trap game'? In retrospect, it held all of the tell-tale conditions of one. The Rams were coming off a slight but hugely disappointing loss on the road against the Detroit Lions, last year's opponent in the NFL Playoffs who won by one point. And in Week 3, the Rams will face an NFC West opponent who everyone considers a favorite to represent the NFC In Super Bowl LIX.

Sandwiched between two powerhouse teams, the Rams had to face the Arizona Cardinals, a team that the Rams has dominated for years. Both teams entered the game with a record of 0-1. And the results of the game are optimistically described as the Rams appearing sluggish, flat-footed, confused, and outplayed. If you want to be harsher, you have the option to add other descriptive terms.

The Rams are not this bad. The Cardinals are not this good. Don't take my word for it. Just revisit this game at the Week 6 BYE and see where the two teams are. The Rams could struggle, but the Cardinals will not suddenly explode into a winning streak. The Cardinals host the Detroit Lions in Week 3. The Rams host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3. Both the Rams and Cardinals will likely lose.

The more the emotions subside, the more I gravitate towards leaning into the 'trap game' narrative. But even that explanation comes with concerns and perils.

For example, if the explanation is that the team was caught looking ahead to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, that exposes the coaching staff's inability to keep the young team focused on the current opponent. And we had a lot of options to aid this team, even after the team struggled early in the game. But, no adjustments occured. Did the team not even consider the possibility that a just formed offensive line would struggle?

It's just one loss. And the Rams started the 2023 NFL season with a record of 3-6 before skyrocketing to 10-7. So the Rams can still play to a 3-4 record and match last season. So there is still hope.

Rams have little time to find answers

But the Rams are in trouble. Big trouble. In the first two games, this team has rushed 43 times for 136 yards. That is an average of just 3.16 yards per carry. But it gets worse. Featured RB Kyren Williams has rushed just 75 yards on 30 carries this season. That is an average of just 2.5 yards per carry, half his average from just one year ago.

In 2023, he needed fewer carries to put up 104 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

In the heat of the battle, the Rams are already falling on old, familiar, and horribly ineffective habits. The team turns to veteran QB Matthew Stafford, who turns to his dependable receivers: Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. But Nacua and Kupp are injured. And at the pace of five quarterback sacks in a painful lopsided loss, the Rams will soon be considering Stafford to IR. This begs the obvious question, why did the Rams not sit Stafford?

It's time for a bit of soul searching.

Here's what we know. The Rams ignited in 2023 thanks to three very vital factors. The team discovered a running game. The defense, thanks to a running game, remained fresh and effective. And finally, the threat of the run threatened opposing defenses enough to allow the team's play action passing game to take off once more.

To reclaim that level of success, the team has to find a way to run the football. Regardless of how far behind the team ends up on the scoreboard, if opposing teams can continue to dictate the tempo in games, the plunge has only just begun. The team loaded up on tight ends and running backs. They outnumber wide receivers by a significant margin. So why have them just to bench them?

12 personnel packages. Two running backs. However the team opts to change the offensive configuration, the time to do so is now. Stafford cannot carry this offense with his two top receivers injured.

We can point at and scream at the defense, but that's just a blame game. The Rams need to establish the running game. Once opponents fear the running game, other components of this team will begin go fall into place.

As always, thanks for reading