The Los Angeles Rams had to be experiencing flashbacks to their dreadful 2022 season during their 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, with injuries messing up their offensive line and quarterback Matthew Stafford under constant pressure as a result.
Stafford was sacked six times, four of which came in the second half, after allowing one in the first two games. It was eerily similar to what Stafford experienced last season behind frequently changed lines before suffering a spinal cord injury that ended his season.
The Rams’ (1-2) difficulties began when left tackle Alaric Jackson went down with a thigh injury. He was replaced by second-year tackle Zachary Thomas, who had just played one offensive snap in his NFL career.
In his 35 plays in place of Jackson, Thomas struggled against defensive end Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati front.
Coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams said he considered shifting Joe Noteboom from right guard to left tackle but opted against it since it would have required him to change positions twice during the game. During training camp, Noteboom was battling with Jackson for the starting left tackle position.
“Zach Thomas had done a really good job with a lot of the repetitions that he had gotten, and felt like making a two-man switch wasn’t in the best interest,” McVay said in a Monday interview.
“We’ll look at the tape and figure out if that’s something that we want to do moving forward if Alaric is out for an extended period of time.”
Noteboom sustained a knee injury late in the third quarter, but was able to return after missing three plays.
If Jackson is unable to play, it will be up to Thomas, Noteboom, or practice squad member AJ Arcuri to protect Stafford, who has been sacked at least five times in four of the last 12 games.
Despite the constant pressure, McVay did not opt for the run. Out of their 27 plays in the second half, the Rams had four called runs and a Stafford scramble.
McVay blamed the disparity on how the game transpired and Cincinnati’s defense.
“There were some advantageous opportunities that we were unable to capitalize on,” McVay said. “Sometimes you have sequences where you are trying to call run, and they’ll give you a structure that enables you to be able to get into different plays, whether that be throwing it or another run, and that was something that came up tonight.”
WHAT IS SUCCESSIVE
Joe Mixon was held to 65 yards on 19 carries by the run defense. Take away his two longest rushes for 27 yards, and Aaron Donald and company limited Mixon to 2.24 yards per attempt, showing improvement after being overwhelmed by Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers.
WHAT IS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE
The secondary was unable to contain Ja’Marr Chase, who hauled in 12 passes for 141 yards. Some of the fault falls on the pass rush, since much of his productivity came on short, quick throws, but Ahkello Witherspoon bit on play action in the third quarter, allowing Chase to rip off a 43-yard gain.
STOCK UP W Tutu Atwell caught four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. On the Rams’ first possession, he nearly scored on an end-around but was ruled to have stepped out at the 2-yard line by video review.
RB STOCK DOWN For the second week in a row, Kyren Williams was unable to collect a pass that smacked him in the hands. Unlike the game-changing turnover in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, this one was not intercepted.
INJURIES: WR Cooper Kupp will not play this week after beginning the season on injured reserve, but he will be able to return on Oct. 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
NUMBER 30 KEY — Puka Nacua, a rookie wide receiver, has 30 receptions in three games after making five grabs for a team-high 72 yards in his Monday night debut. It is the most receptions in Rams history through three games.
UPCOMING STEPS
The Rams have a quick turnaround before facing the Colts on Sunday. If the Rams lose to the Colts, it will be the first time since 2014 that they are 0-4 after four games.
