The Los Angeles Rams have been in the media in a negative way more recently than fans have grown accustomed to in the Sean McVay era. Last week, wide receiver Puka Nacua got into trouble after appearing on a controversial podcast and attempting to bring the hosts into the facility on a short week. On that podcast, Nacua criticized NFL officiating while also making headlines in other ways. The Rams then proceeded to blow a 16-point fourth quarter lead to the Seattle Seahawks. It’s the second big lead the Rams have blown this season. Following the game, Nacua tweeted about the officiating and how his comments may have been right.
That’s not necessarily to criticize Nacua as he is free to do what he wishes with his free time. While fans like to think that athletes are constantly studying film and the playbook, they do have lives off of the field. However, what Nacua opted to partake in certainly didn’t help on a short week and, at the very least, the optics weren’t great.
These are the types of things that many would have expected on a Jeff Fisher-led Rams team. Whether it was Jared Cook getting into trouble and causing a scene on the sideline or Kenny Britt making headlines off the field, those Rams teams had those issues and they embraced it in a sense. McVay’s Rams have been the opposite and it’s been a reason for their sustained success.
When McVay came in, he immediately changed the culture. The Rams brought in Andrew Whitworth as the ‘Papa Bear’ of the locker room. They also signed Robert Woods and drafted Cooper Kupp. These players were all eventually leaders of their specific position groups.
This isn’t to say that the Rams don’t have leadership, but it is fair to wonder whether or not this team has leadership gaps where it’s needed. Rams general manager Les Snead tends to focus on players who can fill those roles and has talked about them in the past. Again, he’s mentioned having leadership roles such as the ‘Papa Bear’, ‘Warrior’, ‘Rule-Bender’, and ‘Strategist’. However, some of those roles currently feel empty.
Rob Havenstein may not have been playing well, but it’s hard to argue his leadership value. That was the ‘Papa Bear’ of the offensive line. Nate Landman has been a great addition, but Quentin Lake is a leader on the defense that the Rams have missed. Moving on from Cooper Kupp was necessary, but Davante Adams hasn’t been the same type of leader at that position.
When the Rams went to the Super Bowl in 2021, they had the steady, veteran presence on the offensive line in Whitworth. Who is that on the offense currently? Jalen Ramsey was the leader in the secondary. That’s something that the Rams currently lack. During the final drive of the Super Bowl, Aaron Donald paced the sideline telling the defense to ‘bow up’. Who is that guy on the defense right now telling guys to lock in?
On Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks, Ernest Jones said after the game that Rams players were laughing at them as they were leading 30-14. It was as if the Rams’ players thought it was over. A lack of leadership is the only way the Nacua situation happens. That likely doesn’t happen, especially on a short week, with Kupp in the room.
The Rams may not have been old in 2021, but they had a handful of experienced, veteran leaders in that locker room. This Rams team has gained experience over the last two years. With that said, they are still very young. One of the most important players on defense is only in year two.
As mentioned, this isn’t to say that the Rams don’t have leadership or even good leadership. It’s only to say that there could be some leadership gaps where there haven’t been in previous years. That lack of leadership in key spots may be a detriment at times.
Over the past 11 days, the Rams have had time to stew on the loss to the Seahawks and do some self-reflecting. The coaching staff needed to, and did by firing Chase Blackburn. However, the players need to be able to do the same. If the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl and go on a run, it’s a necessary sacrifice. This is a very good Rams team, but if they are going to get where they want to go, the leadership throughout the roster needs to improve.
