As the Los Angeles Rams find themselves at 0-2 just two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the challenges ahead are glaring and multifaceted. The initial optimism of the offseason has quickly given way to somber reflections on a spate of injuries, performance issues, and roster uncertainties.
Injury Troubles Plague the Rams
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp's injury woes have resurfaced, with a left ankle sprain sidelining him for an extended period. This is a painful echo of 2022, when Kupp suffered a similar injury requiring season-ending surgery. The Rams' offense, already grappling with various issues, will now have to navigate without one of its star playmakers.
Adding to the Rams' woes, guard Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III are both nursing shoulder injuries. The trio of Kupp, Jackson, and Johnson are prime candidates for injured reserve—an indication of the team's mounting infirmary list. Head coach Sean McVay expressed his unease, stating, "The amount of moving parts that we've had offensive line-wise has been wild."
Offensive Line Struggles
McVay's concerns are not unfounded. The offensive line's instability has been glaring. In the recent loss to the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 216 yards, but it wasn't enough to prevent a defeat. Sacked five times and losing a fumble, Stafford's vulnerabilities were laid bare, compounded by the fifth-longest average time to throw in the league for Week 2, at 3.25 seconds.
Stafford, who missed the latter half of the 2022 season due to a spinal cord contusion and concussion, is no stranger to physical setbacks. His protection on the field, however, remains a critical area of concern for the Rams.
Defensive Dilemmas
The defensive side of things is equally troubling. The retirement of Aaron Donald, a cornerstone of the Rams' defensive front seven, has left a void that rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, first and second-round picks in 2024, are struggling to fill. Adding salt to the wound, corners Darious Williams and Derion Kendrick are on injured reserve, further weakening the defense.
The Rams, who had the fewest adjusted games lost due to injury last season, are now experiencing the other side of that coin. "The Rams' good fortune last season included the fourth-fewest injuries on offense and the fewest on defense," pointed out Frank Schwab. The stark contrast in 2024 highlights the unpredictable nature of injury luck in the NFL. Schwab also observed, "It went from 146.6 AGL in 2022 to 26.4 last season, which is an incredible shift and shows how injury luck often has no rhyme or reason."
The Road Ahead
Facing a grim situation, the Rams are not just battling their opponents on the field but also contending with a potentially debilitating injury curse. Sean McVay's admission that, "We're kind of running out of those [injured reserve] spots and we're only into Week 3 in terms of the return to play," underscores the urgency and depth of their predicament.
Historically, no NFL team starting a year 0-3 has managed to win a Super Bowl, a statistic that looms ominously over the Rams as they seek to turn their season around. However, the team does have several draft picks in their arsenal: their own first, third, fourth, and sixth-round picks for the 2025 draft, along with additional sixth-round selections from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans. These could provide a silver lining as they look to rebuild and reinforce their roster.
The Rams' early-season struggles are a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in the NFL. The challenges they face require a blend of resilience, strategic clarity, and perhaps a touch of the very luck that carried them through a less injury-laden 2023. As the season progresses, the Rams will need to address their frontline woes decisively if they are to salvage what remains of their championship aspirations.