INGLEWOOD — The transformation of the 2024 Rams continues.
They’ve gone from the laggards of the early season to the terrors of the home stretch. From 1-4 and a team that couldn’t get it done, couldn’t catch a break and couldn’t keep people healthy, they’ve evolved to become a team that shrugs off a horrid offensive game and, essentially, gets it done.
Because of that, Saturday night they moved a step closer to an NFC West title that seemed so improbable during those first five weeks. They persevered through a slog of an offensive performance, defeated the Arizona Cardinals 13-9 to avenge an embarrassing 41-10 loss at Glendale, Ariz., in Week 2, and thus could sit down on a Sunday to watch football like the rest of us.
The only difference? If today’s results break just right, they could clinch the division before they even have to pull on the pads next week against Seattle, day and time to be determined sometime this week. (And, if that’s the case, the final regular season game would be Jimmy Garappolo Day, among others who would presumably take over starring roles for a day.)
But while the results have changed, those most intimately involved insist the attitude, demeanor and approach haven’t.
“I think this is a mentally tough team,” coach Sean McVay said. “I think this is a resilient team.
“Really, when we talked about coming off the bye when we were 1-4, finding ways to finish games … now, it hasn’t gone exactly the way we want, but we’ve been able to finish it in the positive column nine of the 11 opportunities we’ve had.”
One indicator might be games decided by a touchdown or less. When you lose a lot of those close games, there are usually reasons that go beyond bad luck or the like. Conversely, when you are successful more often than not in close games, that says something about a team’s approach and willingness to dig in and do what it takes.
The Rams lost three one-score games in that 1-4 start, at Detroit and Chicago and at home against Green Bay. But since coming out of the bye with a rush, they’ve won all seven one-score games they’ve played. (The Monday night loss to Miami in early November was an eight-point loss, 23-15.)
Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who made a game-saving play at the end Saturday night by picking off a deflected Kyler Murray pass in the end zone with 37 seconds left when the Cardinals were driving for what would have been the winning score, acted as if that was just business as usual.
“I mean, honestly, it just felt like NFL football,” he said. “I’m so used to those moments, one-score games, up four, up three and you got to stand up. Just the next play mentality, and try to make a play.”
And no, he said, there was no big difference from the vibe and the atmosphere in the first five weeks to the mood now.
“Just weekly preparation,” he said. “We weren’t getting the results that we wanted, but we have the same approach right now as we did then.”
Secondary teammate Kam Curl added:
“We really just came together as a team, know what I’m saying? We knew what we had to fix … we had to make a decision what type of team we wanted to be.
“And we made the right decision.”
It’s about making plays. The last two weeks the defense has made the biggest ones, while the offense has done just enough. In Week 15 kicker Joshua Karty did all of the heavy lifting in the Rams’ 12-6 victory over the 49ers in Santa Clara. In Week 16 they beat the woeful Jets 19-9.
Saturday night the lone Rams touchdown was Kyren Williams’ 1-yard run late in the second quarter, and Karty’s 53-yard field goal just before halftime and a 25-yarder midway through the fourth quarter – after the offense had reached the Cardinals’ 7 and stalled – made up the margin of victory. The Rams had 257 offensive yards as a team, Matthew Stafford threw for 189 and Puka Nacua’s catches accounted for 129 of those.
That needs to get better if this team is to make its mark in the postseason. A happy medium between that 44-42 shootout victory over Buffalo in Week 14 and the last three weeks’ struggles would suffice.
“We didn’t do a whole lot great, to be honest with you,” Stafford said. “Didn’t run it great. I didn’t throw it great, but we found a way to get a win and get enough points. Obviously, I had another chance down there in the red zone and didn’t come away with a touchdown.
“… Just execute, make plays, that’s what it is. Obviously, I’m the guy that touches the ball every single play, so I can do a whole lot better job of making plays and giving guys opportunities to make plays, and put the ball in some spots where our guys can go make ’em. It’s team football, but obviously it starts with me just doing a better job of getting us going, especially early on.”
But consider: Going into the bye week, in the second week of October, would you have expected Rams players and coaches to be talking about ways to improve going into the playoffs?
Neither would I. That they’ve reached that point qualifies as an accomplishment, even if it is a small one in the larger picture.
jalexander@scng.com
