After 16 games in 17 weeks, the 2019 season has officially come to an end for the Los Angeles Rams. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, heading home for the offseason early after finishing the year 9-7.
They did end the season on a high note with a 31-24 win over the Cardinals, but it was barely a silver lining to an otherwise underwhelming campaign. They simply weren’t consistent enough to make the postseason, coming up just one game shy in the standings.
Here are four takeaways from Sunday’s win, which was the Rams’ sixth in a row against the Cardinals.
Special teams remains an issue
After two years with one of the best special teams units in the NFL, the Rams took a huge step back in 2019. Greg Zuerlein missed his ninth field goal of the season on Sunday, a 47-yard attempt. The Rams also failed to pick up the first down on a fake field goal try from their own 17-yard line, which Sean McVay was not happy about.
There seemed to be a disconnect between McVay and John Fassel on that fake punt call, with McVay saying to his special teams coordinator after the play, “What are you doing?” It was a microcosm of the Rams’ season on special teams, struggling to find any sort of consistency punting, kicking field goals and in the return game.