Things just got that much more dire for the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams dropped their second straight game by a field goal after a defensive lapse allowed the Arizona Cardinals to nab a last-second divisional win at SoFi Stadium. It was a game where the Rams offense looked sluggish, their ground game nullified and Matthew Stafford stymied by an aggressive defense that sacked him three times and hit him seven more.
Postgame, head coach Sean McVay told reporters he had "nothing positive to say about today."
A day later, the long-term outlook for the Rams this season has gotten even bleaker with three serious injuries to major contributors. Davante Adams ruptured his semitendinosus (hamstring and knee); the star wide receiver will be out six-to-10 weeks at the minimum. Blake Grupe, the newly signed kicker, tore his ACL attempting to tackle Arizona's Devin Duvernay on a kick return and is out for the season.
The front seven, however, will feel the brunt of the impact. Nose tackle Poona Ford is also done for the year with a ruptured tricep and defensive end Kobie Turner was placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss "a handful of weeks," McVay told reporters.
"Those guys are key contributors for us," he said. "There are a lot of emotions. The first thing is support these guys, be there for them. Then the next thing is make sure that we figure out what's the best way for our team to be able to move forward in the absence of some critical factors for us. That's part of it.
"That’s an unfortunate part of this game."
The devastating rash of injuries piled onto the 2-4 start begs the question: Can this Rams team, the one which began the season as Super Bowl favorites, still contend?
Who will replace the Rams' injured players?
The D-Line already was shorthanded without Myles Garrett, who is still on IR and has yet to return from knee surgery. The good news here is that not only is this the most talented unit on the team, it's also the deepest. Braden Fiske, Ty Hamilton and Tyler Davis likely will hear their numbers called and should be capable of stepping up during the extended absences of Ford and Turner.
Per reports, veteran free agent kickers Brandon McManus and Matt Prater are working out for the Rams on Tuesday as they look for a second new signing at that position in as many weeks.
The biggest challenge will be trying to replicate Adams' production. Konata Mumpfield and CJ Daniels are his backups on the team's unofficial depth chart, but Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell could possibly see more reps as well.
McVay also said he'll have conversations within the organization about adding another receiver.
"It's significant when you don't have a player like Davante, but we have to be able to adjust. His contributions can't be measured. You don't replace somebody like him," he said. "So what you do is you have to be able to figure out, what's the next right thing? What does that look like in terms of our vision? Having some other guys out too has been uniquely challenging, but it's part of it so we'll have to adjust and adapt. Sometimes it might be a week-to-week thing based on what we think is the best way to approach it or attack the opponent."
What's wrong with the Rams?
Injuries aside, LA has struggled with consistency on the offensive side of the ball and mental errors on defense. Turner told reporters postgame on Sunday that they've had good weeks of preparation but haven't been able to execute on gamedays.
McVay added that three of their losses have come down to one or two plays late in the game "not going in our direction."
"That's the truth," he said. "That's where we're at. ... I think we have to be able to bring (preparation) to life. I think there are always instances where we want our practice, preparation, and performance to equal game reality."
Another bit of optimism for Rams fans: there is precedent of in-season turnarounds under McVay. In 2023, they started the year 3-6 through Week 9 before winning four of their last five – with their lone loss in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens – to finish 10-7 and sneak into the playoffs. They did it again in 2024, starting 1-4 and resetting after a bye week to again finish 10-7, which was good enough to win the NFC West that season.
While there probably won't be a divisional championship this year (have you seen the San Francisco 49ers?), there's a long road ahead for the Rams. But if there's any coach up for the challenge, it's McVay.
"That's what you sign up for," he said. "You don't just sign up for all the good moments. That's what makes it worth it is because it is hard. This is a good challenging moment and this is where we're going to lean in."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can the LA Rams still contend amid disastrous start and injuries?