Two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams find themselves in a precarious position with a 0-2 record. The challenges are numerous, as injuries and underperformance present significant obstacles early in the season.
Injury Woes Compounding
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp is expected to miss an extended period after suffering a left ankle sprain. This mirrors an injury he sustained in 2022, which ultimately required season-ending surgery. The Rams' offense will surely miss Kupp's presence, given his pivotal role in their passing game.
Adding to the woes are injuries to guard Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III, both dealing with shoulder issues. Head coach Sean McVay acknowledged that all three may be placed on injured reserve, noting, "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, but that is a possibility for all of those guys."
Offensive Line Struggles
One of the most glaring issues has been the state of the offensive line. McVay himself highlighted the instability, stating, "The amount of moving parts that we've had offensive line-wise has been wild." This has had a direct impact on quarterback Matthew Stafford, who continues to find himself under siege.
In a tough loss against the Arizona Cardinals, Stafford threw for 216 yards but also lost a crucial fumble after being sacked five times. Stafford’s average time to throw in Week 2 was 3.25 seconds, ranking fifth-longest in the league for that week. The lingering impact of Stafford missing the latter half of the 2022 season due to a spinal cord contusion and concussion cannot be overlooked.
Defensive Challenges
On the defensive side, the Rams are acclimating to life without star defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who has retired. This has left the front seven significantly weakened. Rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, both early draft picks in 2024, are now bearing much of the defensive load.
The secondary is also thin as corners Darious Williams and Derion Kendrick are on injured reserve. This strain on the defense is a drastic shift from last season, when the Rams had the fewest adjusted games lost due to injury. As NFL analyst Frank Schwab pointed out, "The Rams' good fortune last season included the fourth-fewest injuries on offense and the fewest on defense."
A Worrying Trend
Given the team’s current predicament, it’s worth noting that no NFL team starting a year 0-3 has ever won a Super Bowl. This historical context amplifies the urgency for the Rams to turn their season around quickly. Despite the odds, they have some assets for future planning, holding their own first, third, fourth, and sixth-round picks for the 2025 draft, along with additional sixth-round picks from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans.
Schwab poignantly noted the erratic nature of injury trends in the NFL, stating, "In 2022 they dealt with numerous injuries and finished second in adjusted games lost due to injury. 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 Rams are clearly hoping for a reversal of fortune as the season progresses. However, with a slew of injuries to key players and evident issues on both sides of the ball, the path ahead promises to be challenging. Coach McVay and his team will need to find solutions quickly to avoid a lost season.