The Rams did just about everything they could to beat themselves vs. Titans

The Titans ran 56 plays, picked up 16 first downs and gained a total of 194 yards. The Rams held them to only 3.5 yards per play and even forced one turnover, maintaining possession for four-plus minutes more than Tennessee did.

Yet, the Rams were steamrolled 28-16 – and their only touchdown came with 24 seconds left when the game was already decided. By looking at the box score, you would never know the Rams were blown out at home by a Titans team that was missing Derrick Henry.

The Titans didn’t really beat the Rams. The Rams beat themselves.

Not to discredit the Titans’ victory, but this was a game Los Angeles should’ve won – and likely would have if not for the list of self-inflicted wounds that ran longer than a CVS receipt.

In total, the Rams committed 12 penalties that gave the Titans 115 yards. It’s the most penalty yards the Rams have accumulated with Sean McVay as their head coach. In fact, it’s the most they’ve had in a game since 2014.

They were called for two roughing the passer penalties (the first of which was questionable), two false starts, three holding calls, taunting and unnecessary roughness, and a neutral zone infraction. There was a wide variety of penalties committed by the Rams, almost all of which proved to be costly and hurt their chances of winning on Sunday night.

“We were uncharacteristic with the penalties, the turnovers,” McVay said. “But I really think the defense started off, they were giving us a chance, big-time interception by Jalen. And then ultimately, just the momentum and flow of the game, I didn’t do a nearly good enough job of helping our players establish that, particularly on offense. You go back, you look at yourself critically and we get these things corrected.”

But even with those penalties, the Rams had a chance to win. What really did them in were Matthew Stafford’s two interceptions. He threw a Carson Wentz-inspired helicopter interception, blindly throwing the ball from his own end zone into the waiting arms of David Long Jr., who returned it to the Rams’ 2-yard line.

The Titans turned that into an easy touchdown and a 7-3 lead just one play later on a touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill to Geoff Swaim. Tennessee kicked it back to the Rams and on the very first play of the ensuing drive, Stafford threw a pick-six to Kevin Byard.

And just like that, it was 14-3, Titans. It was the first time in Stafford’s career that he threw interceptions on consecutive offensive plays, another “first” for the Rams in this game that was littered with moments that left fans faces in their palms.

Stafford even admitted after the game that he “basically spotted them 14 points.” He’s not wrong.

As McVay and Stafford both mentioned, the defense did a good enough job to win this game. The Titans didn’t have a single drive where they gained more than 50 yards on their own. Their three offensive possessions that resulted in touchdowns went for 2 yards, 44 yards and 29 yards if you exclude the penalties.

On Tennessee’s second offensive touchdown possession, the Rams gave them 20 free yards on penalties. On the Titans’ last touchdown drive, the Rams gave up 30 penalty yards on the two roughing the passer calls.

Since 2010, the Rams were 6-2 when gaining at least 340 yards and allowing fewer than 200 yards to their opponent.

The Titans took advantage of the Rams’ mistakes, but if not for those errors, McVay’s team likely would’ve left SoFi Stadium with a win. The Rams beat themselves on Sunday night.