Back in September, after a 41-10 loss to an Arizona Cardinals team they had historically dominated, the Rams packed up the visitors locker room at State Farm Stadium in a thick silence.
For a team eight months removed from a playoff appearance, a week removed from taking the preseason NFC favorite to overtime, the manner in which this loss had played out needed processing. All while trying to wrap their heads around the injured bodies that continued to pile up across the team’s training rooms.
“It seems like that was an eternity ago,” head coach Sean McVay said Monday.
That Week 2 loss to Arizona was a low for the Rams, even if true rock bottom came three games later when they fell to 1-4 heading into their bye. But as the Rams prepare for the rematch this weekend with their NFC West foe, the contrast with their current standing couldn’t be more stark.
Winners of four in a row after Sunday’s 19-9 win over the New York Jets, and eight out of 10 since the bye. A full game lead in the race for the NFC West title with two left to play. Complete control of their own destiny.
But after Week 2, the Rams were just trying to figure out how to stand their ground on the field and not get out-muscled at the line of scrimmage. How to field a full offense with Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp and two starting offensive linemen staring down long rehabs. How a young a defense with a new coordinator could learn on the fly while still competing.
“I think that a lot of those things that we had to navigate through did provide us a callous, where there’s some of that resilience and that toughness,” McVay said. “I think it forced us to develop some depth that we would not have otherwise. Guys have gotten opportunities to step up. Those are challenging things.”
They were dealing with it before, too, with the offensive line and defensive secondary getting hit hard with injuries. But that loss to the Cardinals crystalized how difficult the path forward was going to be.
But as the weeks passed, they gained experience, particularly on that defense. The pass rush came alive, linebacker play steadied and the fusion of veteran and rookie in the secondary began to bear fruit. The offense got healthier. Nacua returned to his 2023 form with little effort, and the line rediscovered its punishing physicality, allowing running back Kyren Williams to eclipse 100 yards in three of the last four games.
As the two sides of the football hit their stride in tandem, the Rams began to develop their 2024 identity, as a team that can win in different ways, whether it’s a shootout against Josh Allen or a grinder against tough San Francisco and New York defenses.
“Our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to effect what we did coming off of that bye,” McVay said.
As they head into the Arizona rematch, the Rams are in high spirits. They again head into the week of practice with no injuries expected to impact their status for Saturday’s game.
And should the Chicago Bears do them a favor on Thursday night and beat the Seattle Seahawks, currently sitting a game behind in second place in the NFC West, the Rams could wrap up their division title with a win against the Cardinals.
“You know what’s at stake, but I think what you also know is none of that really matters if you don’t handle what we are responsible for controlling,” McVay said. “What I’ve loved about this group is since we’ve even talked about these types of conversations, our guys have handled their business.”