Two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams find themselves at 0-2, dealing with injuries that threaten to derail their campaign before it truly begins. The team’s struggles were anticipated given the squad's injuries and the departure of key players like Aaron Donald, but the severity of their woes has come as a shock.
Injury Plague Strikes
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp is set to miss an extended period due to a left ankle sprain, a grim repetition of his similar injury in 2022, which ended his season. Additionally, the Rams' offensive line is under significant strain, as both guard Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III are nursing shoulder injuries. All three—Kupp, Jackson, and Johnson—are candidates for injured reserve, a troubling scenario highlighted by head coach Sean McVay.
"We're kind of running out of those [injured reserve] spots and we're only into Week 3 in terms of the return to play, but that is a possibility for all of those guys," McVay commented, emphasizing the dire situation.
Offensive Line Troubles
The offensive line issues are not new to the Rams. McVay pointed out, "The amount of moving parts that we've had offensive line-wise has been wild." This instability has directly impacted quarterback Matthew Stafford's performance. In the recent loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Stafford threw for 216 yards but was sacked five times, resulting in a fumble loss.
Stafford's average time to throw during Week 2 was 3.25 seconds, the fifth-longest in the league, suggesting a lack of protection. His struggles are compounded by the toll injuries have taken on his body; he missed the latter half of the 2022 season with a spinal cord contusion and a concussion.
Defense Suffers Without Donald
With Aaron Donald retired, the Rams' defense is noticeably weaker and heavily reliant on rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, their first and second-round picks in 2024. The defensive secondary is also thin, with corners Darious Williams and Derion Kendrick on injured reserve. This confluence of factors leaves the Rams' defensive front vulnerable, a significant drop-off from a unit that boasted the fewest adjusted games lost due to injury last season.
Yet, the tides of fortune are unpredictable in the NFL. In 2022, the Rams contended with numerous injuries and had the second-most adjusted games lost due to injury. In stark contrast, last season saw them experiencing the fourth-fewest injuries on offense and the fewest on defense, a shift noted by Frank Schwab: "In 2022 they dealt with numerous injuries and finished second in adjusted games lost due to injury. It went from 146.6 AGL in 2022 to 26.4 last season, which is an incredible shift and shows how injury luck often has no rhyme or reason."
A Steep Hill to Climb
The team’s current 0-2 standing adds to the urgency. Historical data casts a long shadow, as no NFL team starting the year with an 0-3 record has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl. This insight underscores the high stakes the Rams face entering Week 3.
Looking ahead, the Rams hold their own first, third, fourth, and sixth-round picks for the 2025 draft. Additionally, they possess extra sixth-round picks from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans. These draft assets could become crucial tools for rebuilding, should this season continue to trend downward.
McVay, an experienced and talented head coach, will need to navigate these challenges carefully if he hopes to steer the Rams back to their winning ways. For now, the immediate focus remains on stabilizing the roster and finding wins to avoid the unforgiving fate of a potentially playoff-less season.