The Los Angeles Rams, preseason Super Bowl favorites, are sitting at a shocking 2-4 record after suffering an 18-16 loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday. That wasn’t just any loss either; it was the largest upset by an NFL team in about three years, with the Rams favored by a massive 13.5 points. This supposed “super team,” loaded with talent like reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, a dynamic duo of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, plus defensive stars Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald, is now dead last in the NFC West, and the whole NFL is wondering if they can even bounce back from this mess.
Stafford Is Not The MVP We Knew
Matthew Stafford was incredible last year, leading the entire NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns on his way to MVP honors. This season? He just isn’t the same guy. The eye test screams it, and the numbers back it up big time. The explosive plays that defined the 2025 Rams offense are gone. Stafford ranks 14th in the percentage of completions gaining 20+ yards, hitting only 13% this year compared to an elite 19% last season, which ranked him third. His EPA per dropback has plummeted from third in 2025 to 16th, and his air yards per attempt went from first to 13th. Even his percentage of passing attempts over 20+ air yards tanked from third to 20th.
It’s not just the deep ball either; his connection with Puka Nacua has completely dried up. When targeting Nacua 10+ yards downfield this season, Stafford is a dismal 8 of 20 with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. And if you narrow it to 20+ yards downfield? He has the same number of completions as interceptions, with just two of each. The Rams offense still racks up yards, sitting top three in the league with 401.3 yards per game, right up there with the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers. But when it comes to actually putting points on the board, they’re 20th in scoring offense at 22.5 points per game. The New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers are scoring more, for crying out loud! Sean McVay has to find some answers because the explosive plays just aren’t there.
Special Teams Is A Disaster, And It’s Costing Points
Forget about the offense and defense for a second, because the Rams’ special teams unit is quite literally the worst in the NFL this season. Their special teams EPA sits at an abysmal -35.8. To put that in perspective, their special teams have directly cost them roughly 36 points through six weeks. Think about that: 36 points! No other team in the entire league has a special teams EPA worse than -16.9. This isn’t just bad; it’s historically awful. It’s the worst special teams EPA by any team through six games since Washington posted a -41.5 back in 2013. That’s a huge problem for a team trying to compete in a tough division.
Between the catastrophic special teams, Matthew Stafford’s missing deep ball, and a flurry of key injuries that have hit this squad, the Rams are really battling it out at 2-4. They were supposed to be Super Bowl bound, a “super team,” but now they have some serious ground to make up in the NFC West. Sean McVay’s got his work cut out for him if this team wants to turn things around and prove they aren’t completely cooked this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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