When you lose to a 3-3 team the way the Los Angeles Rams did on Sunday, you’re bound to come under some heat. You’re also almost certain to fall not only in the standings, but also in weekly power rankings across the internet.
At Touchdown Wire, Mark Schofield dinged the Rams for their sloppy 28-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, dropping them outside the top 10 of this week’s rankings. However, they didn’t experience a precipitous fall.
The Rams only slid from No. 9 to 11, just behind the 10th-ranked Cardinals and one spot ahead of the 5-2 Saints.
If there ever was a “let down” game in the NFL, this one fit the bill from the Los Angeles Rams. Fresh off a big win on Monday Night Football over the Chicago Bears, the Rams had to travel cross-country – on the weekend we turned our clocks back nonetheless – to take on the Miami Dolphins. A team making a change at quarterback and coming off a bye week.
It did not end well for them.
Schofield points out that Brian Flores may have given everyone “the recipe for stopping Sean McVay and Jared Goff,” criticizing Goff’s performance that included two interceptions and two lost fumbles.
Like many have suggested, Schofield ponders that maybe the Dolphins are better than everyone expected, given their 4-3 record. This might look like an ugly loss now for the Rams, but if the season progresses and Miami makes a run at the AFC East, perhaps it’ll be viewed in a different light.
Not that that should be an excuse for losing a game in which you outgained your opponent by 326 yards, of course.