Rams season – Syndication Server

6 biggest reasons the Rams came up short this season

The Rams can point to a number of factors that caused them to come up short this season.

Like the other 31 teams in the NFL, the Rams came into the 2020 season with Super Bowl aspirations. There wasn’t a lot of hope externally that they’d be the last team standing in February, but those inside the building never doubted the team’s potential.

Unfortunately, they came up short of their goal, going 10-6 in the regular season and losing to the Packers in the divisional round. While their season ultimately came down to that game in Green Bay, there are a number of reasons the Rams came up short.

Here are the six biggest that caused them to stumble in 2020.

10 takeaways from first half of Rams’ season

Everything we learned from the Rams’ first eight games of 2020.

There Rams have just eight games left on their regular-season schedule, and after starting the year 5-3, they’ll try to improve in the second half. That won’t be easy, with a gauntlet of games upcoming, but this is a team that doesn’t lack confidence, even after an up-and-down first half.

Looking back on their first eight games, we learned a lot about this team. There are still minor issues to correct, specifically on offense, but this is a team built to win down the stretch.

Here are 10 key takeaways from the first half of the Rams’ season.

Rams projected to go 11-5, make playoffs in ESPN’s season simulation

The Rams get bounced in the wild-card round in this simulation by ESPN.

There are a number of methods for predicting what’s going to happen this season, but no one truly knows how the next 17 weeks are going to play out. ESPN runs 20,000 simulations each year to project what will happen in the regular season and playoffs, doing so once again this year.

However, this time around, ESPN looked at one specific simulation as the most likely outcome for the 2020 season. By using simulation No. 3,869 and adding in Mike Clay’s statistical projections, here’s what ESPN came up with for the Rams.

It has Sean McVay’s team going 11-5 and finishing second in the NFC West, sneaking in as a wild-card team. The 49ers win the division in this simulation, also at 11-5, but they win the tiebreaker with Los Angeles despite splitting the season series 1-1. This simulation has the Seahawks going 9-7 and the Cardinals 8-8, making the NFC West the only division with all four teams at .500 or better.

In the wild-card round of the playoffs, the Saints knock off the Rams with a 23-10 win, bouncing the Rams from the postseason. The 49ers are eliminated by the Cowboys in the divisional round with a 39-26 loss, with Dallas moving on to face the Buccaneers in the NFC title game. On the AFC side, it’s unsurprisingly the Ravens and Chiefs in the conference championship, with Kansas City once again advancing to and winning the Super Bowl over the Cowboys.

ESPN’s simulation has Tom Brady leading the NFL in passing with 4,615 yards, Derrick Henry once again taking the rushing crown with 1,316 yards and Michael Thomas pacing the league with 1,373 yards receiving.

PFF lays out best- and worst-case scenarios for Rams in 2020

If 6-10 is the Rams’ floor, what is their ceiling?

Heading into last season, and even the 2018 campaign, it was hard to imagine the Rams finishing well below .500. They had Super Bowl aspirations both years, and while they nearly capitalized on that belief in 2018, they fell way short of expectations last season with a 9-7 record.

Heading into the upcoming season, there isn’t nearly as much hype surrounding the Rams – not like last year after their Super Bowl appearance. They currently have just the 16th-best odds to win it all this season, tied with the Cardinals, Browns and Titans.

Given the losses they suffered this offseason and their daunting schedule in the NFC West, it’s easy to imagine the Rams finishing right at or below .500. However, they still have a promising quarterback in Jared Goff, one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league (Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods), two of the most dominant defensive players in football (Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey) and a head coach who reached the Super Bowl in just his second season.

For that reason, the Rams could conceivably win the division and make a deep playoff run if the pieces come together just right. Pro Football Focus sees both sides as being possible, laying out the best- and worst-case scenarios for the Rams in 2020.

Using simulations of the upcoming season, PFF predicted the 10th-percentile and 90th-percentile outcomes for each team. The Rams’ worst-case scenario is a 6-10 finish, with PFF citing persistent issues on the offensive line and an unproven linebacker group getting “tested early and often.”

As for the Rams’ best-case scenario, it’s an encouraging 11-5 record. Here’s PFF’s explanation for that possible outcome.

How they get there: The offensive line getting healthy and improvements from guys such as Rob Havenstein creates a more stable offensive environment for Goff. As we saw in 2018, particularly early that year, Goff can look like one of the better quarterbacks in the league when he has clean pockets to work from.

Even with the loss of Brandin Cooks, there are still guys he can get the ball to. Robert Woods is one of the more underappreciated wide receivers in the NFL, and Cooper Kupp has been one of the league’s most effective slot receivers over the past several years. That step forward on offense, along with a defense that’s highlighted by the star power of Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, is enough to get the Rams back to the playoffs.

It’s a testament to how far the Rams have come that a 9-7 record last season was considered a huge disappointment, whereas that would’ve been a colossal success during Jeff Fisher and Steve Spagnuolo’s tenures. Not to mention, they were inches from a win over the Seahawks last season as Greg Zuerlein’s game-winning field goal try sailed just wide of the upright.

If they can stay healthy and the offensive line improves even marginally, we should see a better Rams team in 2020. They did suffer some key losses on offense and defense, but their additions in the draft will help offset them. Don’t be surprised to see the Rams once again in contention this season.

Jared Goff not crazy about idea of playing in empty SoFi Stadium

Jared Goff called playing in front of empty stadiums “not ideal.”

As the 2020 NFL season nears, there remains an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about when it will begin and what form the schedule will take. No one truly knows whether the season will start on time, if it will be shortened or if there will be fans in the stands when play does eventually resume.

The Rams are facing the possibility of playing home games at their brand new stadium without fans in the seats. SoFi Stadium has already had its opening event canceled – a Taylor Swift concert in July – and it remains to be seen if public gatherings will even be allowed this fall.

Jared Goff was asked this week about the possibility of playing games in an empty SoFi Stadium and he’s not crazy about it.

“Not ideal,” Goff said on a video conference call. “Not what you want to do. I understand there are a lot of bigger implications in place right now as far as health of the world. But I know that’s not the vision we had moving to L.A. and I know that’s not the vision Mr. Kroenke had, ultimately, but if that is what it is, we have to roll with it.”

Goff fully understands the severity of the situation and the uncertainty of it all, saying he has no idea if fans will be allowed to attend games whenever they do take place.

“I don’t think it’s anything we want to do, but I’m preparing for full stadiums. Is that going to happen? I don’t know. I don’t know what the percentages are. I’m not a doctor. I’m not a scientist. Where will this progress? I don’t know. You guys don’t know. No one knows. So, we’re going to see in the next three or four months and then find out.”

This is supposed to be a memorable year for the Rams as they undergo a brand refresh, complete with new logos, uniforms, helmets and of course SoFi Stadium. But the coronavirus could delay the season, and thus the new era of the Rams in L.A.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff is hopeful 2020 season starts on time

There are concerns that the 2020 season won’t start on time due to the coronavirus.

The coronavirus has paused sports around the world, delaying the start of the MLB season and halting the NBA and NHL campaigns, among other leagues. The NFL has pushed forward with free agency starting on time and the 2020 draft still set to be held on April 23-25 – albeit in a much different setting – but it’s not certain that the season will begin on time.

Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN said last week that he’d be “shocked” if there was football this fall, shedding light on the very real possibility that the NFL and college football seasons could be delayed.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff still hopes the season will kick off on time, but he’s reluctant to speak with any conviction during this uncertain time. He hopes the opening of SoFi Stadium will go off without a hitch on July 25 when Taylor Swift takes the stage for the venue’s first event.

“We’re hopeful that will remain the goal and then be open for the NFL season, which hopefully comes on time, the preseason and all of that,” Demoff told USA TODAY. “The hardest thing to do in this period of time and probably the one thing you’ll regret is to speak to anything with certainty.”

The Rams’ and Chargers’ season will unofficially begin in August when the preseason kicks off. Week 1 of the regular season will start on Sept. 10, about a month and a half after Swift’s concert.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus has many wondering if the season will indeed begin in September, or if the start of it will be pushed back. The Rams have already announced their refund policy in case games are canceled, giving fans back their money if that does happen.

But for now, Demoff remains hopeful that SoFi Stadium will open on time and that the Rams can run out of the tunnel there this fall. If not, the Rams will adjust, as everyone has during this uncertain time.

“Whenever the first game is played at SoFi Stadium, which we certainly hope will be as soon as possible, it’ll be a great celebration,” Demoff said.

“The health and priority of the nation for everybody to stay safe comes first. And if that changes timetables, then we’ll adjust, as everybody has had to adjust to the disappointment that has come through some of the cancellations and closures. Lots of life moments have changed.”

Rams announce refund policy if games are canceled due to coronavirus

The Rams fully expect to play a full season in 2020, but they announced a contingency plan just in case.

The coronavirus outbreak has put sports on hold, halting the seasons of the NBA, NHL and MLB, among every other professional and league. The NFL isn’t in season right now, but it will be in less than six short months.

There’s so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic that it remains to be seen if the 2020 NFL season will be impacted. For now, the league is pushing forward with the draft in April, but OTAs have been canceled and later offseason activities could also be impacted.

The Rams are preparing for the worst, announcing their refund policy in the event that games are canceled next season.

Some of you may have concerns and we want to be clear about our policies regarding season tickets purchased directly from the Rams. If a game is canceled and cannot be rescheduled, or is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending (for example, if a public authority restricts gatherings to no more than a small number of people), and you are a Rams Season Ticket Member, you will receive a pro-rata refund of your season ticket purchase price for any impacted games, or the option to credit that amount toward future playoff or regular season full season tickets for the 2021 season. For example, if two games were not played during the 2020 season, you would receive a refund or credit for the face value of your tickets for the two games lost.

In the same letter to season-ticket holders, the Rams also said they plan to play a full season in 2020.

“As our season does not begin until August, we have every expectation of playing a full schedule in 2020 and look forward to you joining us at SoFi Stadium for an exciting inaugural season.”

Additionally, the Rams are extending the deadline for fans to pay for their season tickets until June 1 due to the financial impact of the coronavirus. A payment plan is also available, allowing fans to spread their payments from May 1 to October 1 instead of having a payment due on April 1.

This is a similar approach being taken by many NFL teams, allowing fans to make their season-ticket payments later in the year to avoid adding more financial strain during this difficult and uncertain time.

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6 biggest reasons the Rams missed the playoffs this season

The Rams fell well short of expectations in 2019, and these are the six biggest reasons for that.

There’s still one week left in the season, but the Los Angeles Rams have nothing left to play for. They were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday night with their heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the 49ers.

It effectively brings an end to a seriously disappointing season for the Rams, as they became just the fifth team since 2009 to miss the playoffs the year after making it to the Super Bowl.

For a team that appeared poised to return to the postseason and make another run at a title, this season fell way short of expectations.

The question now is why?

There are always several reasons for a team coming up short, whether it’s coaching, execution, injuries or just sheer bad luck. All of the above apply to the 2019 Rams.

Here are the six biggest reasons they missed the playoffs this season, in no particular order.

Injuries

The Rams were very fortunate on the injury front in 2017 and 2018. They didn’t lose many key players to injuries in the last two years, but this season, that wasn’t the case. Here’s a list of players who were hurt and missed multiple weeks this season:

LG Joseph Noteboom (IR)
C Brian Allen (IR)
CB Aqib Talib
OLB Clay Matthews
S John Johnson (IR)
WR Brandin Cooks
RT Rob Havenstein
TE Gerald Everett

Yes, every team deals with injuries, but the Rams had eight starters miss multiple games. Todd Gurley also sat out one week, Robert Woods missed a game for a family matter, Troy Hill didn’t play in Saturday’s loss due to a broken thumb, and Austin Blythe had an ankle injury that forced him to miss one game.

The Rams had issues of their own that they could control, but injuries were a big factor this season, too. They took a toll, particularly on the offensive line and in the secondary.

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