7 takeaways from Rams’ lopsided loss vs. 49ers
It was smooth sailing for the Rams in the first eight weeks of the season, cruising to a 7-1 record. Then they ran into the Titans and 49ers, getting blown out by both teams in the last two weeks.
They were embarrassed by the 49ers on the road Monday night, losing 31-10. It was one of the worst performances by the Rams under Sean McVay, dropping their fifth straight game to San Francisco.
Now one game back of the Cardinals in the NFC West, the Rams will need to rebound after their Week 11 bye when they face the Packers. But before they head to Lambeau two weeks from now, we have to reflect on what we learned about the Rams in this loss to the 49ers.
Raheem Morris misused Jalen Ramsey
The 49ers have two big-time playmakers on offense: Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Slowing them down should’ve been priority No. 1, and a good way to do that is by sticking Ramsey on one of them. That rarely happened and the Rams paid for it.
Every time Samuel and Kittle made a big play for the 49ers, Ramsey was being asked to cover someone else – like Brandon Aiyuk, who had three catches for 26 yards. For whatever reason, Ramsey didn’t get the chance to cover Samuel or Kittle much in this one despite being the Rams’ best defensive back.
Ramsey has been impactful in his “star” role covering the slot, but the Rams needed him to take away one of the 49ers’ top players on crucial third downs.
Matthew Stafford’s regression is somewhat concerning
It’s not time to slam the panic button just yet. But to be honest, Stafford’s recent struggles are somewhat concerning. After throwing just four interceptions in his first eight games, Stafford has thrown four in his last two – including two pick-sixes.
He’s not to blame for the interception that went off of Tyler Higbee’s hands in the first quarter, but he’s fortunate the 49ers didn’t pick him off two or three more times. He has not looked sharp in the last two weeks, making bad decisions with the ball and sailing passes on a couple of occasions.
There was an obvious lack of chemistry between Stafford and Ben Skowronek, which hopefully won’t be an issue once Odell Beckham Jr. gets fully up to speed. But outside of Cooper Kupp, Stafford hasn’t had a great connection with anyone the last two weeks.
He needs to get back on track after the bye because four turnovers in two games is unacceptable.
Lack of depth is getting exposed
Depth has become a problem for the Rams in the last several weeks after the team suffered injuries on both offense and defense. They’re now without Robert Woods, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Johnny Mundt and DeSean Jackson after cutting him, leaving the team thin at wide receiver, tight end and even on the defensive line a bit.
Their lack of depth is now becoming more apparent, especially at wideout. Odell Beckham Jr. is still getting up to speed but even when he’s fully involved in the offense, he won’t be able to match Woods’ value as a receiver and blocker. Ben Skowronek clearly isn’t ready to be a starter and the Rams still haven’t found a legitimate No. 2 tight end behind Tyler Higbee.
Greg Gaines is a nice replacement for Joseph-Day, but the Rams could’ve used No. 69 in the middle of their defensive line Monday night against the 49ers’ ground game.
Rams aren’t physical enough
The Rams have always been more of a finesse team than a power team under Sean McVay. That was certainly the case the last two weeks, with both the Titans and 49ers exposing the Rams’ lack of physicality in the trenches.
The offensive line isn’t getting enough chances to initiate contact and drive defenders back off the ball because of how frequently the Rams are throwing it. And on defense, the 49ers offensive line was able to seal off edges and create big holes up the middle for their running backs – and Deebo Samuel, of course. The 49ers pounded the ball time after time against the Rams and rushed for 156 yards with little resistance. On both sides of the ball, the Rams must play with more physicality up front.
Bye comes at perfect time
The Rams’ bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. They’ve now lost two straight games and have a huge matchup with the Packers in Week 12. This week off gives the Rams time to recover from their back-to-back losses, while also having the benefit of the extra preparation time before traveling to Lambeau Field.
Not to mention, it gives Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. time to learn the playbook and earn bigger roles with their new team. Hopefully this break will help the Rams snap out of the funk they’re in because right now, they look out of sorts.
Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. still need time to get acclimated
Miller played about 40 snaps or so on defense. Beckham was out there for 15 offensive snaps. Neither player made much of an impact in their Rams debuts, but that was to be expected. They still need some more time to not only learn the playbook, but to also develop chemistry with their teammates – Beckham with Stafford and Miller with the Rams’ other pass rushers, particularly Aaron Donald.
Miller said after the game that he also needs the bye week to get healthier, despite feeling good enough to play on Monday night. Beckham has a steeper learning curve as a wide receiver, needing to learn play designs, responsibilities and route combinations.
Expect them to really help the team in Week 12 against the Packers after they have two more weeks to get situated with their new squad.
This is still a Super Bowl-caliber team
Look at the standings and you’ll see the Rams are 7-3. That’s only one game behind the best record in football.
They have a top-10 offense, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey on defense and a coach who will hopefully learn to lean on the running game a bit more moving forward. In a year where there are no great teams, the Rams are still squarely in the mix in the NFC.
So long as they don’t completely collapse in the second half, they’ll be a playoff team. And once they get into the postseason, they’ll be a team that no one wants to play. Don’t completely rule out the Rams making a run to the Super Bowl later this year. They’re more than capable of righting the ship, just as the Bucs did last year.
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