Los Angeles Rams: First loss still leaves abundance of optimism
After suffering their first loss of the 2018 season, there are still a plethora of reasons to be optimistic about the Los Angeles Rams’ current campaign.
The Los Angeles Rams left the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday with an unfamiliar taste in their mouths: Defeat. For the first time in the 2018 season, Sean McVay’s Rams didn’t put the higher number on the scoreboard, falling 45-35 to the New Orleans Saints in Week 9. With the loss, the Rams “fall” to 8-1 on the year.
There are no doubt going to be narratives about how losing at midseason is a good thing for the Rams. Though Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Co. have been juggernauts this season, it’s good for this team to get taken down a peg. Not only does it ground them a bit mentally, but it also helps erase the narrative of chasing a perfect season, one that can become suffocating.
While that may be a warranted takeaway for the Rams, there’s also reason for optimism regarding this Rams team. Yes, an LA defense that had appeared susceptible in recent weeks was finally gashed to the point that the offense couldn’t recover. However, this team is still very much going to be in contention for the rest of the regular season and in the playoffs.
Perhaps the most glaring takeaway from this game was that the Rams didn’t roll over after the first half. Again, their defense was absolutely picked apart by Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and the like. What’s more, Goff and the offense weren’t in their customary rhythm — though the right call on the Johnny Hekker fake field goal run might’ve changed that. Thus, they went into halftime down 35-17.
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Despite being hit with haymakers in the first 30 minutes of football though, the Rams didn’t come out of the locker room flat. Instead, they came out hungry and trying to claw their way back into the game. And, in truth, that’s exactly what they did. The offense and defense both came out playing inspired and put up 18 unanswered points to tie the game.
While the Saints ultimately found their footing with a 72-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Thomas to seal the game in the fourth quarter, that the Rams fought back can’t be ignored. Heading into this game with a perfect record, we didn’t fully know how they’d respond with their backs all the way up against the wall. We got the answer on Sunday.
This Rams offense isn’t going anywhere. What’s more, the defense should only improve as they get healthier and potentially get more impact from Dante Fowler, who was acquired at the NFL Trade Deadline, as he gets more comfortable playing in a new defense. They lost, but they are still in the top-teir of the NFL at large in 2018.
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Perfection may no longer be attainable this season, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to win a Super Bowl and, while the Saints may look like they have a leg up on LA in that regard, the Rams are very much in the mix. One loss, especially one where they showed real fire and moxie playing from behind, doesn’t change that a bit.