The Los Angeles Rams made several big moves this offseason, including trading for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett while also bringing Aaron Donald out of retirement. The idea was to build a dominant defense to complement an already strong offense and put the Rams in a position to contend for a Super Bowl.
However, the campaign is going off the rails after the first six weeks of action. After a stunning loss to the Arizona Cardinals that dropped them to 2-4, the Rams are falling well short of expectations.
Now, Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Tomlin has taken a shot at the team, poking fun at all the hype surrounding them this offseason.
Mike Tomlin Takes a Jab at the Rams’ Offseason Hype
Star quarterback Matthew Stafford hasn’t been at his best to start the season, even after winning his first career MVP award. The defense has also taken a hit with Garrett landing on injured reserve, leaving the Rams with plenty of questions to answer on both sides of the ball.
The numbers reflect those struggles. Through six weeks, the Rams rank No. 14 in the league with a PFN Offense Impact Score of 75.0 and No. 14 with a PFN Defense Impact Score of 76.2.
For a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, those rankings fall well short of expectations. Tomlin appeared to have a similar view after the Rams’ latest loss, offering a pointed two-word label for the team.
“August Lombardi,” the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach said with a laugh.
Typically, the phrase is used to describe teams that generate plenty of preseason hype and championship expectations but fail to deliver once the regular season begins.
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“You gotta show up each and every week, man. It has been less than fluid for the LA Rams thus far this year,” Tomlin added.
The Rams have also struggled to find consistency on special teams, ranking last in the league with a minus-15.3% special teams DVOA.
That unit had a nightmare outing against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, allowing a 70-yard return on the opening kickoff, missing a 50-yard field goal and having a potential game-winning 48-yard kick blocked in overtime. Those miscues helped seal a 37-34 defeat.
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Turnovers have been another thorn in the Rams’ side. The problem showed up as early as Week 1, when they gave the ball away twice and were routed 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia after arriving in Melbourne just 28 hours before kickoff.
Since then, things haven’t gotten much easier. With key players sidelined by injuries and problems cropping up across the roster, the Rams have a lot of ground to make up.
The Rams entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but right now, even getting back into the playoff picture looks like an uphill battle. Sitting at the bottom of the NFC West, they’ll need to clean things up quickly if they hope to salvage their season.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.