From Super Bowl Favorites to 43 Percent Playoff Odds: What’s Behind the Rams’ Slow Start?

The Rams opened the season as overwhelming Super Bowl favorites, the latest superteam with all-world talent on both sides of the ball.

Six weeks in, that is no longer the case. The Rams now have a 43% chance of making the playoffs after Sunday’s 18-16 loss to the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium, according to Next Gen Stats. They’re also the fifth team in the past 50 seasons to enter a season as the unquestioned Super Bowl favorite and lose at least four of its first six games, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.

The Rams are tied for last in the NFC West at 2-4 for several reasons. The first is health. Key players have been hurt, most notably Myles Garrett, who has been on injured reserve since having knee surgery after the season opener.

The Rams traded for the edge rusher to be the centerpiece of their defense. The unit has mostly held up without him, but it has had to lean more heavily on Aaron Donald, whose return after two full seasons in retirement was supposed to be an extra layer to an already talented defense.

Puka Nacua also missed two games, and Terrance Ferguson is on injured reserve. New kicker Blake Grupe hurt his knee making a tackle in the first quarter Sunday, and Davante Adams limped off later with a non-contact injury.

The second is self-inflicted mistakes. Sunday, the Rams committed a false start on fourth-and-3, turning a short-distance conversion into fourth-and-8. It’s been a theme all season. The worst came in the Broncos loss, when they committed five penalties in the final two minutes, tied for the most by any team in a game since 2000, according to ESPN Research.

“We won’t win a game unless we figure out how not to beat ourselves,” head coach Sean McVay said. “Just so many unforced errors, so many things that are not in alignment with what we want to do, specifically on the offensive side of the ball.

“I’ve got to do a much better job. There is nothing positive I can say about today.”

The third is coaching and quarterback play, and McVay takes the blame. His play calling hasn’t been consistently sharp, and his future Hall of Fame quarterback Matthew Stafford has been off too. The reigning MVP already has six interceptions, the third-most in the NFL, after throwing eight all last season. That has to change.

The good news is it’s early. The Rams play at the Raiders on Sunday to open a winnable four-game stretch before their Week 11 bye.

But the window is short. After the bye come Super Bowl contenders in the Packers, Chiefs, 49ers, plus two games against the defending champion Seahawks. The Rams may need to win eight of their remaining 11 games to make the postseason. They need to find their identity and some consistency before the clock runs out.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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