WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Of course the Rams would rather not be coming off of a loss this week, but if there's a silver lining, it's that they've been able to respond productively to these circumstances before.
After a Week 3 road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles bounced back with an impressive home win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. Although that win over Colts was followed by a Thursday Night Football loss to the 49ers in Week 5, the Rams ripped off a six-game win streak that started with a win over the Ravens in Week 6.
"Previous experience is the best indicator of what future outcomes can potentially entail, but you earn it," head coach Sean McVay said Monday. "And like I told you guys, I love this football team, I love these players, I love these coaches. I like what we're made of. And I think that you get a chance to be able to learn about people when you go through some challenging setbacks or moments, and I think this group is well equipped to be able to handle it."
In Week 4, the Rams earned it with wide receiver Tutu Atwell – who had been targeted and used infrequently in the passing game the first three weeks – making the most of his second and final target by making the game-winning, 88-yard touchdown catch. Los Angeles' defense also created three turnovers – a forced fumble by outside linebacker Jared Verse, and two interceptions by safety Kam Curl.
The six-game win streak wasn't flawless, but when the miscues in the field goal operation became too big and too frequent to ignore by Week 10, changes were made at kicker and long snapper, and there haven't been any issues since. The depth at tight end – and progress of rookie Terrance Ferguson – led to the increased 13 personnel usage which has created a mismatch against defenses inside the five-yard line when wide receiver Davante Adams is on the field in those formations. Adams and quarterback Matthew Stafford, after a slow start to the season, found the footing to their connection, and Adams now leads the NFL in receiving touchdowns entering Week 14.
Point being: This has been a coaching staff and roster capable of making adjustments in the face of challenging circumstances.
"I think the fact that we just go back to what we've been doing and trust what we do," Stafford said when asked about the process of responding to setbacks. "Football is an imperfect game played by a bunch of humans trying to do their best, and sometimes it doesn't come out that way. But when you put the work in, you go out there, put yourself out there and try to go play for your team and try to get a win, and when it doesn't happen, yeah, you got a pit in your stomach, and it pisses you off, and it's disappointing, and all those kind of things, but you can sleep okay, knowing that, 'Hey, I did everything I could to prepare to be ready to play, go out there and play,' and so we just continue to do that process. And we got a bunch of guys in that locker room and coaches that believe in the same thing. We continue to do that, we'll like the result.'"
Rams defensive end and fellow team captain Kobie Turner shared a similar sentiment of trusting the process that's served them well on this 9-3 start to the 2025 season. They don't necessarily need to "reinvent the wheel," as Turner said. They just need to draw on that experience.
"We don't have to do anything other than be the best version of ourselves," Turner said. "And again, it doesn't matter who we play. If we play at our best, we can beat anybody. So being able to draw on that, and then also being able to have the success and the wins that we've had as well has helped us to learn, all right, whether it's win or loss, we're not reinventing the wheel, but we're definitely taking from our our experience, whether we come away with the W or L, to be able to make sure that we take steps that next week."
Those adjustments helped propel the Rams to that aforementioned six-game win streak, and, entering Week 13, the No. 1 seed in the NFC. While the loss to the Panthers dropped them to second in the conference as the Bears – with their victory over the Eagles – moved to first, the Rams are still in first place in the NFC West and in control of their own destiny.
A setback? Perhaps. But they have shown they can handle setbacks before, both this season and last.
Last year, their blowout Week 2 loss in their first meeting with the Cardinals was their worst in the first five games of the season amid a 1-4 start. But, they won the following week's game against the 49ers, and ultimately rallied to go 9-3 after the bye week and clinch a playoff berth.
This week, and this Sunday against the Cardinals in Arizona, is the next opportunity to show it.
"You have to do it," McVay said. "It's not about any words. Seen is better than said. I'm excited about the way that they came in today (Monday), the way they lifted and the way that there was an extreme ownership and accountability from coaches and players of where we can improve. You don't need to make stuff up, but let's acknowledge some of the things that we didn't do at the level that we had been accustomed to doing, particularly during the six-game win streak. How do we get back on the right side of it and recommit to doing it and understanding where everybody's ownership lies? That's our only focus and concentration. We'll put this game to bed and then all hands on deck as we move our focus and concentration towards the Cardinals."
