The Rams have 10 regular season games to go following their Week 8 bye.
As they begin preparation for Week 9 against the Saints and the remainder of the regular season, theRams.com identifies five storylines for fans to watch.
1) Puka Nacua and Rob Havenstein's expected return
Prior to the bye week, head coach Sean McVay said he was hopeful the third-year wide receiver would be back from his ankle injury this week, same with the veteran offensive lineman and his ankle injury. On Monday, he said both are expected to play Sunday against the Saints, barring unforeseen setbacks.
Despite missing Week 7 against the Jaguars with an ankle sprain, Nacua still ranked in the top five in both receptions and receiving yards going into the Rams' bye.
2) Will 12/13 personnel remain prevalent?
As Adam Grosbard of Southern California News Group noted, McVay's postgame answer about the tight ends' usage against the Jaguars struck a different tone compared to the previous six weeks, when that was primarily matchup-driven. And with how much success the Rams were having primarily operating the passing game through Nacua and wide receiver Davante Adams, it made sense that not a lot needed to be asked of the tight ends during that span.
Of course, matchups and available personnel played a part in that decision versus Jacksonville. The absence of Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd and Nacua, whose role often asks him to do many of the same things that are asked of tight ends in this offense, along with all four of Los Angeles' tight ends being healthy, can't be ignored. But McVay indicated this could be something that is here to stay for the rest of the season.
"I think you just mentioned it," McVay said after the Rams' Week 7 win over the Jaguars. "When we've got four legitimate NFL tight ends and you got them all up and active, let's take advantage of that. Let's be able to do some different things where we're not just in 11 personnel all the time. We have got guys that are functional, on the line of scrimmage, they can make plays in the pass game, so I think we're just continuing to learn. As the season goes, you might have an idea of what you think you're going to be but it's about utilizing all the personnel that you do have, and I think this is an exciting thing for us to be able to build on. We'll have some time to be able to look at it. Obviously, it's always predicated on the opponent, but it always starts with us and I want to make sure that I do a better job and then really us collectively of taking advantage of the depth that we have at some of these different positions, so they can make you a little more difficult to defend."
3) New addition to the secondary
The Rams acquired cornerback Roger McCreary in a trade with the Titans on Monday, giving their defensive backfield another player with inside-outside flexibility.
What impact can his versatility have on the Rams' defense once he gets acclimated?
4) Matthew Stafford's elite play, and connection with Davante Adams
The Rams' quarterback entered the bye week the league leader in passing touchdowns and third in the NFL in passing yards; even with the bye, his 17 passing touchdowns are still most in the NFL, while his passing yards are sixth-most entering Monday Night Football.
His performance has been a big part of the Rams' 5-2 to start to the season, and will be just as critical to them sustaining it over the remainder of the regular season.
So too will be his chemistry with Adams after the duo connected for three touchdowns against the Jaguars in what marked the biggest sign of progress to date with their on-field connection.
5) The race for the NFC West
Arguably the most competitive division in the NFL still remains up for grabs. Thanks to the Texans defeating the 49ers in Week 8, the Seahawks are now at the top of the division with the Rams right behind them in second, though San Francisco at 5-3 still isn't far behind 5-2 Seattle and 5-2 Los Angeles, either. Seattle is in first due to the conference record tie-breaker.
