Rams showed their vulnerabilities, but also their resilience in closer-than-expected playoff opener
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the euphoria of the Rams’ dramatic comeback to beat the Carolina Panthers in their playoff opener, it was easy to overlook the fact that the first step on Los Angeles’ postseason journey wasn’t supposed to be nearly this difficult.
The Rams (13-5) stamped themselves as a Super Bowl contender while rolling to an 11-3 start to the regular season, and they were double-digit favorites over the sub-.500 Panthers.
Los Angeles then jumped out to a 14-0 lead in Charlotte — but the Rams got outscored 31-13 through the next two-plus quarters, and they needed another vintage fourth-quarter comeback orchestrated by Matthew Stafford to survive.
“What I was proud of is that we found a way to finish,” coach Sean McVay said Monday. “There’s been some instances (when) we established leads and we weren’t able to sustain that momentum and make those critical plays to be the difference. I thought that was the positive takeaway from (Carolina), even though I think that we can play a lot better, and I expect us to play a lot better. In spite of all those things, we still found a way to overcome, and that’s what this is about at this point in the season.”
Before the Rams visit Chicago (12-6) on Sunday for a spot in the NFC championship game, McVay is determined to address his team’s proliferating flaws, from overall defensive shortcomings and more specific offensive mistakes to dismal special teams play.
He realizes the league hasn’t forgotten Los Angeles was in position for the NFC’s overall No. 1 seed when it had a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter at Seattle just a month ago, only to end up possibly spending the entire postseason on the road.
McVay also isn’t losing track of the fact that winning is what matters, not the Rams’ less-than-dominant performances against every opponent other than woebegone Arizona down the stretch.
McVay knows there’s plenty to fix for a team that just isn’t executing as crisply as it did from September through November. That’s unusual for McVay’s teams, which typically improve and surge as the season goes on.
The Rams’ struggles are exemplified in their nine penalties for 83 yards in Carolina — a whopping number of flags for the NFL’s least-penalized team during the regular season.
The NFL’s best offense in the regular season has continued to produce points at a high clip, but the defense hasn’t been great lately.
After a 16-game stretch over the past two seasons in which the Rams held eight opponents to 10 points or fewer, they’ve allowed at least 27 points by every opponent other than the Cardinals since Thanksgiving.
“I think there’s some things we can look at,” McVay said. “We’ve played some good teams and they made some good plays, but I know the standards for what we can do defensively. … I think we can play better.”
What’s working
Despite some isolated errors, the offensive line had another solid game in Charlotte. Stafford was sacked only once and hit six times, while the rushing game put up 116 yards on 27 designed runs. Stafford had enough time and space to lead the winning drive. The line could get much better if RG Kevin Dotson returns from injury this week.
What needs help
The season-long special teams woes that prompted McVay’s first in-season firing of an assistant haven’t gone away. Late in the fourth quarter, longtime practice squad member Tanner Ingle didn’t hold his block on Carolina’s Isaiah Simmons, who blocked Ethan Evans’ punt and created the short field for the Panthers’ go-ahead touchdown with 2:39 to play.
“This is a player that I believe in, and he made a mistake,” McVay said. “We learn from it and we grow.”
Stock up
Safety Quentin Lake returned from a two-month injury absence and played every snap, finishing with six tackles and two passes defensed. He wasn’t perfect, but the Rams have no choice but to lean heavily on their versatile captain.
Stock down
The Rams’ secondary didn’t make a play much bigger than Cobie Durant’s first-quarter interception while Bryce Young passed for 264 yards. With Ahkello Witherspoon now out for the season, the group faces a much tougher test from the Bears attack cooked up by coach Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams.
Injuries
Stafford isn’t expected to wear a splint on his sprained index finger. … Dotson has “a good chance” to return from his three-game absence with a sprained ankle, McVay said.
Key number
11 — The number of reported interview requests — as of Monday morning — for Rams assistant coaches for open NFL head coaching jobs. McVay isn’t worried about the focus of coordinators Chris Shula and Mike LaFleur and pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, since early interviews typically are just getting-to-know-you chats: “It’s a tremendous credit to those guys. They’re well-deserving. We’ve got a bunch of capable, great leaders on our coaching staff.”
Next steps
The weather will be a second formidable opponent in Chicago, with an arctic front predicted to drop temperatures to zero with possible snow. A year ago, the Rams barely lost to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia in the divisional round amid sub-freezing conditions and snow.
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