Rams' loss to Jets exposed L.A.'s biggest issues
Mike Florio and Chris Simms debate whether the Rams can rebound after an embarrassing loss to the Jets with the playoffs approaching and the NFC West title still within reach.
Video Transcript
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MIKE FLORIO: Time now for "PFT on Yahoo Sports." Mike Florio and Peter King. Oh, wait, it's not Peter King this week.
CHRIS SIMMS: Oh, yeah.
MIKE FLORIO: Christopher Sims in for Peter King. We're going to have a little fun here, Chris, continuing our discussion, as we do every morning on "PFT Live." Let's talk for a few minutes, shall we, about the Los Angeles Rams. Their embarrassing and humiliating, as their coach, Sean McVay, called it, loss to the Jets on Sunday. Can the Rams rebound from that, given that they've got the Seahawks and the Cardinals coming up to finish the season?
CHRIS SIMMS: Well, they can rebound. I mean, listen, we both know their defense is still good, right? They played good enough to win the game the other day. I mean, really, hey, Goff threw an interception, there was a blocked punt. That put their defense in some tough spots that yeah, they gave up some points there with some short field. So I still have faith in that. Offensively, Mike, you and I have discussed this a lot. The big question about the Rams going forward is, when the run game and McVay speed sweeps and runs and the bootleg don't work, can their drop-back pass game and Jared Goff win them football games?
I think that's a really serious legit question of them. And now they're going to play two teams in the Seahawks and the Cardinals, who we know have experience playing against the offense, and know how to slow down some of the tricks of the trade there. But I still think they're going to be a pain in the butt in the playoffs, the Rams, I do. I'm not giving up on them. But that drop-back pass part, Jared Goff has to improve.
MIKE FLORIO: Cam Akers, who had developed into their workhorse tailback, he is out for this weekend's game with an ankle injury. That means Darrell Henderson or Malcolm Brown need to step up, Chris. And without that presence, it's a lot on the plate of Jared Goff. You've got some strong opinions, I've got some strong opinions about the contract that he has, the label of franchise quarterback. I'm not sure he's truly earned that. He seems to be at times more of a problem than a benefit to the offense. Because look, he does the basic things, but he doesn't do the big things.
CHRIS SIMMS: Right.
MIKE FLORIO: That can be the difference between losing and winning.
CHRIS SIMMS: That's exactly it. You know, again, there's a lot of people who can hand the ball off and throw bootleg passes, you know, five yards into the flat. And I'm not trying to say Jared Goff can only do that. There's more he can do, I understand that. But when you're being paid $35 million a year and all of those type of things, yeah, when McVay's offense doesn't deliver, I expect you to cover up the holes or the mistakes to a degree.
I'm not asking realistically for you to carry the team every week and do that. But yeah, there's a lot of issues with that play. And whether you like it or not, I think you kind of hit it. The Rams are still in the like managing Jared Goff phase, which is crazy to say at this point in his career. It really is. So we'll see. They have typically had the number of the Seattle Seahawks in their match-up ever since McVay got there. Maybe they keep that streak going this week. Big game in the NFC West.
MIKE FLORIO: Huge, huge game. Likely will determine the NFC West championship. And we'll see if the Rams can indeed turn it around. That's it for this edition of "PFT On Yahoo Sports." He's Chris Simms, I'm Mike Florio, we'll see you next time.
