5 Biggest Problems With the Rams and Why There's No Easy Fix

The Los Angeles Rams are 2-4 and not where anybody expected them to be. They are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6 and seem to lack an identity. As much as the Rams could be 4-2, they are what their record says they are. This is a team with glaring issues. Here are the top five things wrong with the Rams to start the season. 

Stafford's Deep Ball Struggles Are Limiting the Offense

Matthew Stafford is part of the problem on offense for the Rams, and specifically his inability to hit the deep ball. It’s as if Stafford doesn’t have confidence attacking that area of the field, and because of that, the offense has felt constricted. On deep passes of 20 yards or more, Stafford has just a 26.7 percent success rate. That ranks 27th in the NFL. 

Teams are daring the Rams to win deep, and they can’t do it. Stafford’s 1.2 completed air yards per pass attempt against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6 was the lowest of his career. The Rams are facing the second-most heavy boxes, but only throwing it deep at the 19th-highest rate. The offense feels a lot like it did in 2019 when Brandin Cooks got hurt and the Rams couldn’t stretch the field. 

Some of that has to do with the receivers, but part of it is Stafford.He has one touchdown to five interceptions on passes of 15 yards or more with a 52.4 quarterback rating. Last season, he had 15 touchdowns with one interception and a 127.7 quarterback rating.

The Rams Have Become Too Pass-Heavy

Many of the problems on offense stem from a lack of execution. While some may want to focus on the play-calling, it’s not all on Sean McVay. However, that’s not to say that McVay has been perfect. The Rams have only trailed by double digits in two games. 

However, the Rams rank fifth in pass-rate over expected and are first over the last four games. The Rams are currently throwing the ball at a 63.9 percent rate, which is the fourth-highest in the NFL. Again, it’s not because the Rams are trailing in games. Their 46.6 percent rushing success rate also ranks fourth in the NFL. If the Rams can get back to committing to running the ball, it should help settle down their quarterback. 

Special Teams Remain a Weekly Disaster

Not much needs to be said here when it comes to the Rams’ special teams. Poor coverage and short punts allowed the Broncos to come back from a 16-0 deficit. If the field goal unit does its job against the Bills, the Rams win that game as well. After moving on from Mevis, Blake Grupe ended up on injured reserve because he was forced to make a tackle after the coverage unit let Devin Duvernay through. Now, the Rams signed Brandon McManus.

This season, the Rams have accumulated -29.4 EPA on special teams alone. They have a -13.8 percent special teams DVOA, which also ranks 32nd. Nobody cares about special teams until it matters and the Rams are paying the price for that right now. It’s costing them games. 

A Lack of Discipline Is Costing the Rams

The lack of discipline in timely moments this season has been uncharacteristic for a Sean McVay-coached football team. A big reason why the Rams were unable to capitalize in the red zone against the Broncos was because of penalties on offense. Steve Avila and Davante Adams had penalties on plays that would have resulted in a first down. 

Against the Cardinals, Warren McClendon had a false start that made a 4th-and-3 a 4th-and-8. Additionally, while the unnecessary roughness penalty was questionable, the defense was still offside, allowing Jacoby Brissett to be more aggressive than he might have otherwise.

The Rams Have No Reliable Closer on Defense

For the amount of talent that the Rams have on the defensive line, even without Myles Garrett, it is odd how unproductive they are rushing the quarterback. The Rams get pressure at a respectable rate. Their 40 percent pressure rate ranks 15th in the NFL and is right there with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. However, the Rams aren’t getting to the quarterback. They have a four percent sack rate, which ranks 27th in the NFL. The Rams also have just eight sacks, which ranks 28th. 

The Rams generated plenty of pressure last year as well, but they also ranked seventh in sacks and ninth in sack rate. Only four players have recorded a sack this season, and not a single one is a defensive lineman. Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, and Aaron Donald have not recorded a sack in 2026. The absence of Garrett certainly plays a role, but that needs to change. 

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