Monday Morning Rambling: Rams Face Early Adversity, but This Isn’t 2022 All Over Again

Entering the 2026 season, the Los Angeles Rams were seen as Super Bowl favorites. During the offseason, they traded for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. They also added Jaylen Watson in free agency to help shore up their secondary. To put it simply, they were a team that was 'all in'.

It seemed like almost a foregone conclusion at times in the media that the Rams would be in the Super Bowl. However, the consistent message from the coaching staff and players throughout the offseason was that the games aren’t won on paper and none of the hype meant anything.

“The last time I checked, none of that stuff means anything,” said head coach Sean McVay early in training camp. “We're not going to allow the outside expectations to change the way that we approach every day with the way that we work, the way that we enjoy it, and have the appropriate mindset and energy.”

The 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 humbled the Rams very quickly. After the game, the knee injury that Myles Garrett had been dealing with placed him on injured reserve. Despite entering the week healthy, Puka Nacua suffered a hip injury during practice and is trending towards not playing in Week 2 against the New York Giants.

For a season that started so promising with the additions of Garrett and McDuffie, as well as the return of Aaron Donald, it could get very bleak very quickly. An argument could be made that Monday night’s game against the Giants is a must-win. Conference games are used for playoff tiebreakers. If the Rams lose to the Giants and then the Eagles in two weeks, that would put them at 0-3 in the NFC.

Rams Are Better Prepared Than They Were in 2022

It’s certainly fair, albeit still an overreaction, to have flashbacks to the 2022 season. During the 2022 season, the Rams dealt with a historic number of injuries on the offensive line and lost Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald to injury for half the season. The result was about what you would expect, as the Rams finished 5-12 and McVay almost stepped away from coaching.

While it’s true that the injuries to Garrett and Nacua are significant losses, this is also a team better prepared to overcome those losses. The Rams have the depth on defense to at least get by without Garrett. They have also shifted the offensive identity to not rely on their wide receivers as much as they have in the past.

So the Rams are gonna be down Puka Nacua, his replacement in Jordan Whittington, and Myles Garrett.

Man. Feeling real 2022ish rn. This sucks. https://t.co/N0KFFHaxS7
— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) September 20, 2026

The Rams will certainly miss Nacua and Garrett. Their overall ceiling won’t be as high, but this is also a core group of players that has consistently fought back when adversity strikes. In 2023, the Rams started 3-6 before finishing 10-7 and making the playoffs. The Rams were 1-4 in 2024 before finishing 10-7 and winning the NFC West. As fair as it is to say that this is like 2022 all over again, it’s also fair to say that this is a team that isn’t going to back down in the face of adversity.

“These are the opportunities to really separate yourself with how you handle them. And what we’re not going to do is change,” said McVay this week. “We're committed to our process. Then ultimately, when we get our next opportunity to swing, let's go be courageous enough to go do that. I'm excited about putting everything I got into that with this group.”

Teams can only overcome a certain number of injuries, but the Rams haven’t hit that point. Outside of the loss of Garrett, the Rams are still primarily healthy. Nacua may miss Monday night’s game against the Giants but would likely be back in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos. That's not to say that things can't snowball, but the Rams haven't come close to reaching that point.

Rams Still Have the Depth to Weather the Storm

If anything, a slow start would simply throw a wrench into how the Rams envisioned their road to the Super Bowl. When the Rams traded for Garrett and McDuffie, it wasn’t just to win a Super Bowl but also to put themselves in a better position to do so. While the Rams have made the playoffs each of the last three years, all three playoff losses have come on the road. Matthew Stafford has not lost a home playoff game.

In 2023, the Rams lost on the final drive to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. They lost in the snow the next year against the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season, the Rams lost in Seattle to the Seahawks.

Yes, it’s been done before. However, winning three consecutive road playoff games isn’t easy. The acquisitions of Garrett and McDuffie were also made to help secure a top-two seed in the NFC so the Rams could play at home for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.

If the Rams get off to another slow start, it’s unlikely that a top-two seed is in the cards. Hypothetically speaking, if the Rams are 1-4 by Week 6 when Garrett returns, they are looking at the No. 4 seed at best, assuming they can still win the NFC West. Still, a wild card spot seems more likely at that point. A wild card spot would mean the Rams would need to win three straight road playoff games if they want to play at SoFi Stadium on the final Sunday of the season.

Rams Get Their First Chance to Respond

The Rams may have lost to the 49ers in Week 1. Any Week 1 result is going to breed its own overreactions, but that’s especially the case with a loss against the 49ers. While it may be easy to resort to a ‘doom and gloom’ mindset, the Rams have only played one out of 17 games. The season is far from over.

As the Rams get ready to play the Giants, they are simply facing their first real test much earlier than anticipated. In 2021, that happened in November when they went an entire month without a win. It’s a reminder that games aren’t won on paper, and if the Rams are as good as advertised, they’ll find a way to get through this.

The expectations haven’t changed, but the path they envisioned during the offseason could become much more difficult if they don’t get back on track on Monday night. Monday night will provide the first indication of whether Week 1 was simply a bump in that road or the beginning of a much different journey than the Rams anticipated.

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