Three Major Observations From Rams Puzzling Loss

In their last primetime game of the season, the Los Angeles Rams came out flat against an opponent they beat nine out of ten times. The Atlanta Falcons knew what they wanted to do before the game, and they executed their game plan to perfection.

The Rams were coming off a mini-bye week, as it's been 11 days since they were on the field. Despite their extended break, this was the most unprepared I've seen the Rams all season. This loss was inexcusable on many fronts. What are some of my major takeaways from it?

Three Major Observations

Kissing an MVP Goodbye

It was of the utmost importance that Matthew Stafford came out and exceeded or matched Drake Maye's Week 17 performance. Maye threw for five touchdowns and was efficient against the New York Jets. He made up a lot of ground in the MVP race, though Stafford remained the favorite.

All Stafford had to do was play a clean game and lead his team to win in order to continue to stay in the lead. Instead, he went out there and threw three interceptions. He had multiple opportunities to win the game down the stretch, and he missed wide-open receivers and didn't look like himself.

Credit to the Falcons defensive line, which constantly beat the Rams backup offensive linemen and were in Stafford's face all day. That can help explain why he was so off, but the throws he was attempting were unlike him at all.

He's usually a master at manipulating the defense with his eyes and fitting the ball into tight windows. The Falcons were keyed in on him all game, and Xavier Watts specifically made two excellent plays by watching Stafford's eyes and jumping in front of the ball. Sean McVay may elect to rest the starters in their Week 18 game against the Arizona Cardinals, and if this is his last regular-season performance of 2025, he's going to retire without an MVP award in his resume.

Missed Opportunities

If it wasn't for Jared Verse blocking and returning a field goal attempt for a touchdown, this game would've been over before it got to that final two-minute warning. While the Rams players deserve a lot of slack for failing to execute their game plan, I believe McVay deserves a lot of blame as well.

I understand that he wants their offense to be aggressive, but going for it on 4th down four times and only converting one of them is awful. Specifically, in their second drive in the fourth quarter, McVay had a chance to kick a field goal but chose to run the ball on 4th down. The Falcons' defensive line had been killing them up to that point. Why not pass the ball if they were going to go for it anyway?

There was a missed pass interference penalty on Xavier Smith as the game was ending, but the Rams shouldn't have been in that position in the first place. The reality is that the Rams beat themselves, and the Falcons just didn't turn the ball over.

The Rams had four penalties that accounted for 35 yards, but they were crucial penalties. Backup offensive lineman D.J. Humphries was responsible for wiping away two big plays by himself. This loss puts the Rams' record this season in one-score games at 4 - 5. How am I supposed to trust this team in the playoffs when they've shown who they are in crunch time?

Major Playoff Implications

Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) reacts after a play against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Rams had two major reasons to win this game against the Falcons. For starters, they own their pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. With the Falcons winning, they now have the 12th overall pick, and a win against the New Orleans Saints next week could drop them all the way down to the 15th pick or beyond.

This game had major playoff implications, as the Rams could've locked up the fifth seed with a win. That means they'd face whoever wins the battle of the NFC South, which is exponentially easier than who they face if they're the sixth seed. A road game against either the Chicago Bears or Philadelphia Eagles sounds like a much taller task. The Rams heavily disappointed me with this loss, and their hopes of being a Super Bowl team are slowly fading away.

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