The good, the bad, and the ugly after 12 weeks

There is still time to get a ticket to the playoffs in a competitive NFC West division

With not much good and a whole lot of ugly from the Los Angeles Rams matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles last week I decided to switch things up a bit—here is the good, the bad, and the ugly after 12 weeks.

The Good

There is a lot of young talent on the roster

Les Snead’s free agent acquisitions may not be living up to their hype this season but his draft picks from the last two offseasons have exceeded expectations, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Byron Young and Kobie Turner have turned into absolute studs in year two while rookies Kamren Kinchens, Braden Fiske, and Jared Verse are ahead of schedule.

On the other side of the ball Puka Nacua has already solidified himself as a star in the NFL and others such as Beaux Limmer, Justin Deditch, and Jordan Whittington will provide depth for the next four years at minimum. The young talent does have their drawbacks, especially when it comes to consistency, but the future looks bright in LA. If Snead can have another great draft and hit on another first round draft pick the Rams will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.

There is still time to put it all together

The NFC West is the most competitive division in football with all four teams having the ability to take it over any given week. The Rams currently sit in third place just a game back from first place with a favorable matchup this weekend against the New Orleans Saints.

The schedule gets a little tricky with matchups against the rest of the NFC West and a dangerous Buffalo Bills team in Week 13. Sometimes desperation brings out the best in a football team. The Rams have the talent to put it all together by the end of the season and at least get their ticket into the show come playoff time. Are they good enough to make it to the Super Bowl? If you believe in “any given Sunday” then why not the Rams?

Matthew Stafford is still really really good

Will Matthew Stafford be the face of the organization next year? There isn’t much foresight into the veteran quarterback’s future, however, he is still a top-10 quarterback when he has protection, although that has rarely been the case this season. There are two or three throws a game that Stafford completes that should be impossible, yet he finds a way regardless. It is a reminder to everyone watching that Stafford has one of, if not the best, arms in the NFL.

The Bad

Kyren Williams has regressed

It seems like the fan base has mixed feeling about the Rams starting running back this season. Believers will point out that Kyren Williams currently has 60% of the team’s touchdowns with nine on the season and is well on his way to another 1000-yard season (822 yards in 11 games) despite running behind an injury-riddled offensive line.

The critics will quickly point out his five fumbles that have derailed the team’s momentum at times and a lack of explosiveness that has limited his ability to finish runs. Regardless of what side you are on, there is some room for improvement. This week will be a true testament to Williams’ abilities with a healthy offensive line. If he continues to fumble or has a poor showing it may be time to think about giving Blake Corum more opportunities. If Corum also disappoints it might be worth looking at one of the top prospects in next year’s draft.

Free agent signings have been duds

Tre’Davious White, Jonah Jackson, and Colby Parkinson were brought in to be the difference makers in a team that was on the rise but instead have hampered the team’s progress. White lasted about three games before being benched and traded before the deadline while Jackson and Parkinson have become depth pieces rather than bonified starters on the team. Others have played well, such as Darious Williams and Kamren Curl, but even they have had their issues at times. It is not just this year that Snead’s signing haven’t worked out either—the Allen Robinson signing following the team’s Super Bowl win comes to mind immediately as another disappointment.

A young team means many ill-advised mistakes

It feels as though that any time the Rams have something going for them an ill-advised mistake crushes their momentum. In 11 games this season LA is one of the least penalized teams in the league and average a fourth best penalty per game average at 5.5 (tied with the Kansas City Chiefs). That may be a little surprising to some, myself included, but in reality it is the timing. Against the New England Patriots Jared Verse got called for a penalty when he lifted someone off of a pile during an attempted fumble recovery that turned a 4th Down into a 1st and allowed the Patriots to score a touchdown instead of a punt. With the offense limited in explosives this season any negative play feels like an impossibility to overcome.

The defense has also had plenty of miscommunications and poor tackling (113 missed tackles according to PFF) that have allowed teams to create explosive plays against them (look no further than Barkley’s 70 and 72 yard scores last week). The Rams have plenty of young talent that should improve in time, but it also means growing pains that have lost them a few games in 2024.

The Ugly

The Rams have yet to play a single complimentary game this season

Despite playing above expectations for most of the season the defense has gotten plenty of the blame for LA’s six losses this season which lead to early frustrations with rookie Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula but that changed after a three game winning streak. The blame has now shifted a bit towards the offense who have gotten some of their big playmakers off of IR and still have not lived up to expectations. A lot of that resides on the offensive line but McVay’s tendencies to call long-developing plays has also put the squad in bad positions. Regardless of who is to blame, neither side of the ball has been able to find a rhythm in unison and we still await a full complimentary game in all three phases from LA.