The Los Angeles Rams season has come to its end before the team wanted it to, but this group overcame quite a few mistakes throughout the year to keep their season alive. Not all teams do that, in fact, most teams fold, whereas this team showed a real resilience, and an ability to overcome and win.
L.A. ended up making it to the final four despite multiple points this season where you wondered if they would get knocked out in round-1 of the postseason.
Starting with a 19-point blown lead to the Philadelphia Eagles early in the season, then a rough loss to the San Francisco 49ers where Kyren Williams basically fumbled the game away (he responded the rest of the way brilliantly after that blunder). There was a loss to the Carolina Panthers in the regular season, a game where L.A. was heavily favored. They blew a 16-point lead to the Seattle Seahawks, they lost to the Atlanta Falcons, but kept that one close after falling behind by three scores.
They had to come from behind late to beat the Carolina Panthers in the playoffs, another game they were favored in.
They just snuck by the Chicago Bears in the Divisional Round after Caleb Williams basically threw a Hail-Mary for a game-tying score and the chance to rip the Rams hearts out. Instead, the Rams rallied and found a way.
In their final game, the Rams didn’t roll over, only losing by four points, but despite their resilience, they did come up short. It hurts because this team looked like they could win any game. Teams can say, “Any Given Sunday”, but the Rams were doing it.
After the Seahawks loss in Week 16, Sean McVay went on talking to anyone who would listen about how he expected the team’s scars to make them stronger. He wasn’t wrong. The team did seem to respond from their losses. All the way to the NFC Championship game.
This team wasn’t perfect, they didn’t live up to their potential, but they never folded.
L.A. should be disappointed they didn’t get to the Super Bowl, AND they should be proud that they never gave up on their season despite some real low points.
Credit McVay, Matthew Stafford, the captains, players and coaches for navigating what was a hard-fought year, and though L.A. did lose the 1-seed, and eventually the NFC, they really did put together a heck of a campaign.
That should count for something.
