The Los Angeles Rams’ sluggish start to action in Atlanta on Monday, after 11 days of rest, led to a second straight loss and Sean McVay’s club faces a tougher postseason path.
Matthew Stafford threw two first-half interceptions, including a pick-six, and the defense was run over by Bijan Robinson, including a 93-yard touchdown that led to a 21-point halftime lead. Fueled by a Jared Verse field goal return for a TD, LA tied the game late, but the defense gave up a field goal with 21 seconds left and Stafford failed to connect on four straight passes to secure a 27-24 loss.
“It was too much to overcome,” McVay said via the team’s official website. “We put ourselves behind the eight ball and that’s why we’re sitting here with L.”
Monday’s slow start came a week after the Rams blew a 30-14 fourth-quarter lead to Seattle, knocking the Rams out of contention for the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed. Back-to-back losses now have the Wild Card-bound Rams looking at the No. 6 seed, which would include a trip to either Chicago or Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs. A Rams win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18, along with a 49ers loss to Seattle, would give LA the five seed, which will face the NFC South winner (Carolina or Tampa Bay).
McVay said he plans to play his starting lineup in Week 18 in hopes of finding a groove heading into the tournament.
“Oh, we’re playing,” he said, noting that was always the plan. “We need to play better football. So I don’t know what the ramifications are and those different things, but we had to play better.”
Stafford completed 22 of 38 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions for the game. It marked the QB’s first 3-INT day since Week 1, 2022 (a 31-10 loss to Buffalo). After throwing just two INTs in the first 11 games, Stafford has thrown six picks since Week 13 — only Shedeur Sanders (8) and Brady Cook (7) have more in that span, according to NFL Research.
With a pick 6 in the first half, Stafford tied Brett Favre for the most interceptions in NFL history with 32. Stafford and Favre are the only QBs with more than 30 career interceptions.
The QB’s poor performance could cost him a chance to earn his first NFL MVP award, with the Patriots’ Drake Maye taking the reins.
“He’s a real go-getter,” McVay said of Stafford. “We wouldn’t be in a lot of the great situations we’re in without (Stafford), but tonight was a night where he’s able to play better.”
The same can be said for the entire Rams team that got bullied in the first half. The offense turned the ball over and the defense didn’t get the needed stops late. Los Angeles has scored 27-plus points in four of its last five games. That’s not a good recipe heading into January.
“If we play like we did in the first half, if we play like we did overall, we’re going to be at home and watch everything else go down in two weeks,” defensive end Kobie Turner said. “So we’ve got to get our stuff together. We’re going to go back and watch the tape. I have so much faith in these guys.”
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