The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2026 season as Super Bowl favorites. However, the issue with super teams is that they typically aren’t looked on favorably by the football gods. In 2011, the Philadelphia Eagles went 8-8 after building an offseason dream team on paper. After losing to the Cardinals, the Rams have hit rock bottom.
Through six weeks, the Rams sit at 2-4, and everything is crumbling around them. They are a team without an identity. Additionally, the injuries are starting to pile up and they didn’t have a lot of depth to begin with. Wide receiver Davante Adams will be out for two months and they also lost Poona Ford and Kobie Turner. The Rams still can’t figure out special teams and they are now onto their third kicker.
For much of the season, the Rams deserved the benefit of the doubt. They had a long trip to Australia and then faced a grueling schedule. With that said, after an 18-16 loss, this Rams team might just be what their record says they are. Right now, they are an inconsistent, below-average team still trying to figure out who they are.
After being ranked at the back of the top 10 in last week’s power rankings, the Rams have dropped significantly. Maybe the Rams needed to be counted out before they could start proving people wrong. However, they are running out of time. Let’s jump into this week’s consensus power rankings.
ESPN - 14th
The Rams dropped six spots from No. 8 to No. 14 in ESPN’s power rankings. An argument can be made that they should have dropped further. ESPN is the highest on the Rams, as it is the only outlet that has them ranked inside the top 15. Sarah Barshop noted the team’s lack of an identity.
“Coach Sean McVay tried to describe why the Rams are beating themselves with penalties, turnovers and "so many unforced errors" at critical times on offense,” wrote Barshop. “But ultimately, he said he's "not really sure" why the Rams can't get out of their own way.”
The fact that even the head coach seems lost and unsure of how to fix it is concerning. In 2021, McVay had a conversation with Raheem Morris that changed the course of the season. When the Rams were 3-6 in 2023, it was Cooper Kupp who had that conversation. McVay needs that from someone right now or this could spiral very quickly.
Sports Illustrated - 16th
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what has gone wrong with the Rams. They could arguably be 5-1 right now. They should have beaten the Denver Broncos, Harrison Mevis should have made the kick to beat the Buffalo Bills, and they should have beaten the Cardinals. However, all this Rams team is right now is a series of “what ifs,” and that doesn’t win football games. The Rams dropped 10 spots in Connor Orr’s power rankings with Sports Illustrated this week.
“I don’t know what is happening with the Rams, but I know that we’ll all wish these takes vanished when the team beats the Raiders, Chargers, Commanders and Cardinals in successive weeks,” wrote Orr. “There’s still time for the “trade Sean McVay to the Jets for three firsts” fan forum post to come down!”
The Athletic - 19th
The Rams stay inside the top 20 in The Athletic’s Power Rankings, but only just. Last week, the Rams ranked 10th and were still ranked fifth two weeks ago. With each passing week, the media is losing faith that this Rams team can turn it around.
NFL Media - 24th
Nick Shook from NFL Media has been much lower on the Rams this season than most and that’s reflected in his rankings. Shook continues to be proven right, though, and now has the Rams ranked in the bottom 10 at No. 24. He’s the only analyst to have the Rams outside of the top-20. It may seem harsh, but it’s hard to blame him. The Rams just lost at home to a Cardinals team that has essentially waved the white flag on the season.
“The offseason darling and preseason Super Bowl favorite is now 2-4. The Rams will be without Davante Adams for more than a month (if not longer), Myles Garrett still isn’t back and they’re down two defensive tackles after Sunday’s loss to Arizona,” Shook wrote. “Los Angeles lacks an offensive identity, can’t take care of details and is already in need of a third kicker in 2026. This is a mess that Sean McVay needs to start to clean up quickly.”
Pro Football Talk - 17th
As the Rams continue to lose and suffer injuries at key spots, the narrative will continue to fall back on how they should have drafted a wide receiver in the first round. As Mike Florio wrote, “The 13th overall pick should’ve been used on a receiver.”
It’s a fair criticism, but if the Rams believed in Ty Simpson, there was still a process behind that pick. The one that still doesn’t make sense is Max Klare in the second round. Antonio Williams was drafted shortly after and continues to produce for the Commanders.
Fox Sports - 16th
After watching the Rams on Sunday, it’s hard to look at the product on the field and not come to the conclusion that they look broken. A team ranked No. 29 in defensive EPA per play and last in scoring defense held a Sean McVay offense to 16 points. Again, as the Rams lose, a narrative will likely surface that the Rams and McVay blew it with a super team. However, the core of that super team still hasn’t played a single snap together.
“I have now officially lost all faith in the Dream Team. I was willing to write their early struggles off to jet lag and a mostly brutal stretch of opponents in the first five weeks,” wrote Ralph Vacchiani. “But their hideous 18-16 loss to the Cardinals this past Sunday broke me. It might have broken the Rams, too.”
CBS Sports- 18th
Finally, the Rams dropped from No. 10 to No. 18 in Pete Prisco’s rankings with CBS Sports. It’s very possible that the Rams can turn it around over the next four games and still end up at 5-5 at their bye week. Given how this team has played up to this point, there isn’t a lot of confidence in their ability to string wins together.
This Week's Opponent: Las Vegas Raiders
The Rams enter Week 7 with an average ranking of 17.7 and will take on the Las Vegas Raiders this week, who have an average ranking of 18.4. However, while the Raiders have lost three in a row, they have played teams close. Two of their last three losses are by just three points.
While the Rams may be favored to win this game, as seen last week, nothing is a guarantee. The Raiders played the Bills close and the Rams will need to be sharp if they're going to leave Vegas with a win.
The Grisak 10 - Ranking the NFL's Best Teams After Week 6
After losing to the Cardinals, the Rams have officially dropped out of my top 10 as well. It's hard to justify them being there until they earn it. The top three are pretty solid, with the Chiefs and 49ers interchangeable. With the Seahawks losing to the Broncos, they could start to drop. The next two weeks should start to provide some more clarity.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google