Rams Have Pieces to Make Deep Run Next Season Despite Huge Disappointment

It was understandable that Rams coach Sean McVay second-guessed himself on multiple occasions in the final minutes of Sunday night’s drama-filled NFC championship game against the Seahawks.

McVay sprinted toward the end zone before a critical fourth down as if he contemplated calling a timeout, before ultimately riding with Matthew Stafford regardless of what he noticed on the field. Stafford’s pass was broken up by cornerback Devon Witherspoon to keep it a four-point game with five minutes left in regulation, but at least McVay had all his timeouts after trusting what he had seen countless times—the future Hall of Famer coming through in the clutch.

However, McVay didn’t show the same restraint a few minutes later, didn’t lean on what he already knew about his suspect secondary and doubted himself one too many times in the 31–27 loss that sent their NFC West rivals to the Super Bowl.

For four quarters in Seattle, McVay saw his defensive backs get picked apart, a familiar theme throughout the season, and still he decided that he needed to use a timeout to figure out whether cornerback Cobie Durant gave up a first down to Cooper Kupp. The answer should have been an obvious yes if McVay didn’t doubt what he already knew about one of the biggest weaknesses on his roster. McVay burned the timeout, didn’t call for a challenge and watched Sam Darnold connect with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 14 yards two plays later to kill more clock. As a result, the Rams had only 25 seconds to cover 93 yards on their final possession.

I’ve felt all seasons that it was difficult to trust the Rams to win it all because of their weaknesses in the back end of the defense and on special teams, which also hurt L.A. on Sunday when Xavier Smith muffed a punt that led to an easy touchdown for Seattle in the third quarter. But I also came around on why Rams GM Les Snead has had the cheapest defense in the league the past three years in large part because he has Stafford on his side, and having a quarterback of his caliber often keeps L.A. in most games.

The Rams were a few plays away from advancing to another Super Bowl with Stafford. All six of their losses this season were by one score, with four decided by a field goal or less. But Snead and McVay need to return to their aggressive ways to maximize this second window they have created with Stafford. After winning the Super Bowl in 2021 and eventually parting with several veterans from that era, the Rams quickly reinvented themselves to build a playoff team. But they have fallen short in three seasons, with a wild-card loss in Detroit, a divisional round loss in Philadelphia and a conference championship loss in Seattle.

They’re getting closer to achieving the ultimate goal again by keeping draft picks, getting younger and maintaining a healthy salary cap, but the Rams now need a dominant season, one where they steamroll opponents and secure home field advantage to avoid losing playoff games on the road. However, that won’t happen unless the Rams drastically improve the secondary and special teams, which has been a problem for three years now—they were historically bad in 2023.

This latest roster-building philosophy from Snead needs tweaking because the secondary couldn’t keep tabs on Smith-Njigba, who cleared 100 receiving yards before halftime and finished with 10 catches for 153 yards and one touchdown. Darnold finished 25-of-36 for 346 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. This same secondary allowed the miracle game-tying touchdown from Caleb Williams to send last week’s playoff game to overtime, and Bryce Young had plenty of success against this unit in the wild-card round in Carolina.

The Rams have to get 37-year-old Stafford to commit to another season before this front office maps out a game plan for the offseason. And while we’re on the topic, Stafford’s age shouldn’t be a factor because he had a career year in the regular season, torched one of the best defenses in the league with a 374-yard, three-touchdown performance on Sunday and will likely win his first career MVP in two weeks. Additionally, don’t expect this latest contract dilemma to drag out with Stafford like the prior two offseasons because he will be owed $40 million guaranteed if he’s on the Rams’ roster by the fifth day of the new league year in March.

But, again, bringing back Stafford should be a no-brainer, and the team should punt on finding his successor for at least another season, especially during a down year for quarterback prospects in the draft. If Snead and McVay don’t want to ruin the healthy salary cap they have built in recent years, at least one of the two first-round picks they have in April needs to be on a cornerback and the other on a player who will make Stafford’s roster better in the present and help him win a second Super Bowl before it’s all said and done.

Still, the Rams should spend money in free agency and prioritize players who are recognized for their special teams prowess. Spending for wide receiver Davante Adams and defensive tackle Poona Ford paid off. Now, it’s time to prioritize the weaknesses that kept this team from making the big game.

A team this high-powered offensively shouldn’t have multiple Achilles heels.

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