Monday Morning Rambling: Rams Leave More Questions Than Answers After Three Weeks

We’re officially three weeks into the 2026 season and following the Los Angeles Rams losing to the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, it feels like we have been left with more questions than answers. After three weeks, it feels like we should be starting to figure out what this Rams team is going to be this season. However, it seems like I know less about this team now than I did before Week 1.

The Week 1 loss against the San Francisco 49ers was essentially a throwaway game due to the long trip to Australia. It became clear that the travel plans were mismanaged and the Rams came out flat. While the Rams won in Week 2, New York Giants starting quarterback Jaxson Dart left the game on the first series. The Rams won, but how much stock could you put into it?

…and then there was Sunday night against the Broncos. The Rams led 16-0 at the half and were dominating a good football team. By halfway through the third quarter, it was a tie game. The fourth quarter provided excitement, but the Rams came up short, 30-26.

Despite the Rams erring on the side of caution with players throughout the offseason, they have yet to have their biggest stars healthy at the same time. Myles Garrett went on injured reserve shortly after Week 1, a game in which Aaron Donald missed as he got into football shape.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Puka Nacua could play, but the wide receiver felt like he wouldn’t be able to play with the same level of explosiveness that he’s used to. While Nacua is expected back next week, the Rams have been cautious with him.

They can dominate against good teams. The Rams outgained the Broncos by 206 net yards in the first half. It’s the Rams’ largest first-half net yard differential since they outgained Arizona by 327 yards in Week 13 of 2019. The Rams did that against a team that was in the AFC Championship game last year.

To start the season, the Rams haven’t played 60 minutes. The first half of Sunday night’s game against the Broncos showed what this team can be. In moments, they’ve shown flashes. This is still a talented roster. While they may sit at 1-2, the season is by no means finished. A 7-3 record at the bye is still realistic.

Still, they are a team that lacks consistency. In a game where anything less than playing for 60 minutes would result in a loss, the Rams played sharp for 30. In their two losses, the Rams were outscored 47-10 in the second half. They were completely shut out in the second half against the 49ers and gave up 30 second-half points on Sunday night.

Coming into the season, the Rams were given a super team label. If this season has answered anything, it’s that they are very clearly not that. With that said, the stars that gave them the super team label haven’t been on the field together.

Offensively, I’m not sure what this team wants to be. They lack a true identity and some of that is because they’ve missed Nacua and Terrance Ferguson left with an injury halfway through Week 3. On defense, it feels like they are still figuring things out and how to best utilize the personnel that they do have. Despite making changes on special teams, the Rams can’t help but get in their own way.

When Ethan Evans out-kicked his coverage by 30 yards to start the second half, setting the Broncos up at the Rams’ 42-yard line and leading to an eventual touchdown and two-point conversion, it was hard not to have flashbacks to last season’s Week 16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks

Again, this is still a team with a lot more questions than answers at this point and it feels like that shouldn’t be the case three weeks in. The Rams sit at 1-2 with their backs against the wall and a tough schedule looming. For as realistic as 2-3 is, the Rams could very easily find themselves at 1-4 after five weeks with the Eagles and Bills ahead. McVay has never beaten Nick Sirianni and the Bills look like the best team in football.

The Rams have a lot of questions right now and over the next two weeks, they’ll have a chance to answer those. They’ll either start to look like the team that many expected them to be or find themselves in a spot where they are clawing for a playoff spot like they did in 2023 and 2024.

It’s still early in the season and there’s still time for the Rams to figure out who they are. However, unlike the loss in Week 1, time is quickly running out. Three weeks into the season, we’ve seen enough flashes to know what the Rams are capable of, but they haven’t been able to sustain it. They still lack an identity in some key areas. Until they can put together a full game, we’re left wondering what to make of this Rams team.

3 Things I Can’t Stop Thinking About.

1. The Late-Game Officiating

It’s the one thing that analysts and talk shows can’t stop thinking about and for good reason. The call was egregiously bad. If the interception stands, Josh Wallace ends the game with a turnover. If Quentin Lake isn’t egregiously called for illegal hands to the face, the Rams potentially win in regulation or the game goes to overtime.

NFL games should be decided by the players on the field. That’s not to say late-game penalties shouldn’t get called, but there’s a balance in also allowing the players to play. In a sense, it felt like the Rams got a win stolen from them.

With these types of calls, we’re too quick to jump to the conclusion of ‘X-team didn’t lose because of that one call.’ While that may be true, it also absolves officiating of any responsibility. It’s a cop-out. Sean McVay left his press conference early, likely because he didn’t want to risk getting fined for calling out the officiating. Late in games when the stakes are higher, it doesn’t make sense for these types of calls that are blatantly incorrect not to be reviewable. Officials have a difficult job, but officials need to either have more accountability or the league needs to do more to help them.

2. Injuries that Changed the Game

There are two injuries that significantly changed the game. After dealing with an ankle injury throughout the week, tight end Terrance Ferguson aggravated it in the first half. McVay alluded to the injuries at tight end affecting what they could do on offense during his halftime interview. The Rams went from running 13 personnel at a 45.7 percent rate in the first half to a 27.8 percent rate in the second half. Ferguson’s absence limited what the Rams could do in the run game and marry that into the passing game.

On defense, Jaylen Watson left the game with a shoulder injury. Watson has struggled at times this year, but he is crucial to what the Rams want to do on defense. The drop-off from Watson to Josh Wallace and Emmanuel Forbes was evident.

3. Special Teams Gaffes

How many times are we going to have this same conversation? Last year in Week 16, it was a big punt return that sparked the comeback from the Seattle Seahawks. It was the same on Sunday night as the Broncos had a big punt return that put them on the Rams’ side of the field. On the next punt, Forbes was called for a penalty that moved the Broncos from their own nine-yard line to around midfield.

Harrison Mevis was the lone bright spot on special teams as he went 4-for-4 in the kicking game. However, the punt unit has cost the Rams on more than one occasion this season and changes need to be made.

Turning Point

There are two plays that completely changed the trajectory of the game. The big punt return that put the Broncos on the Rams’ 42-yard line certainly gave Denver some momentum. However, the turning point in the game was Matthew Stafford’s interception that turned into a pick-six.

At that point, the Rams still led 19-16 and had a 79.5 percent chance to win the game. Following the interception returned for a touchdown, that dropped to 29.1 percent. The Rams lost 50 percentage points of win probability on that one play. They got some of it back following Stafford’s touchdown pass to Konata Mumpfield. However, if Stafford doesn’t throw an interception there, the Rams possibly get another field goal or at least force a long field for the Broncos’ offense.

Upon Further Review: It Happened Again

In Week 16 last year, the Rams led the Seahawks 30-14 in the fourth quarter. Within minutes, the Seahawks had tied the game after two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. The comeback was sparked by a bad punt from Evans that allowed a big return.

The Broncos scored two touchdowns in their comeback on Sunday night and had to travel an average of 47 yards on each scoring drive because of special teams mistakes. For the third time in the last two years, McVay and the Rams have blown a double-digit halftime lead.

Looking Ahead

Heading into Week 4, the Rams sit at 1-2 with games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills on deck. McVay is 0-4 against Nick Sirianni and the Bills look like the best team in the NFL. It’s very possible in two weeks, the Rams sit at 1-4.

Not many would have expected the Rams to be 1-2 at this time coming into the season, but it is their current reality. There’s no ‘get-right’ game against the Arizona Cardinals next week for the Rams to figure things out and feel good about themselves again. They’ll have to do that against two of the better teams in the NFL. The Rams will need to get a defining win against a good team to get back on track.

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