The Los Angeles Rams won their next game to bounce back from three previous losses. They failed to do that on Monday night, losing to the Atlanta Falcons in rather embarrassing fashion, 27-24.
They let their loss to the Seattle Seahawks snowball and have now lost two games in a row. Sean McVay was frustrated, Matthew Stafford had his worst game of the season, and the defense gave up 195 yards rushing to Bijan Robinson.
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There weren’t a lot of positives to come out of this game, and while the sky isn’t falling, the Rams still have a lot to correct before the playoffs begin.
Rams desperately need Alaric Jackson healthy
DJ Humphries was a liability at left tackle all night. He was blocked early in the game on a failed fourth down by the Rams, was whistled for an illegal formation on Pukanacua’s 36-yard reception, was sacked in the third quarter and was outplayed the entire game.
His most expensive play may have come in the fourth quarter when a holding penalty negated Puka Nacua’s game-tying 41-yard touchdown catch, although Nacua did find his way into the end zone a few plays later.
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Jackson is questionable and Sean McVay figures he might be able to play, so this doesn’t appear to be a long-term injury, but the Rams need him healthy in the worst possible way. They couldn’t make the playoffs with Humphries at left tackle.
Quentin Lake continues to be missed
His defensive abilities were obviously excellent, but Lake will be particularly missed as a run defender. He’s disciplined and maintains good angles to the ball carrier, which helps prevent big plays when running backs get into the second and third levels of defense.
Bijan Robinson held the Rams to 195 yards on the ground Monday night, and that’s not to say Lake would have completely changed the outcome, but his presence as a slot defender would certainly help limit some of Robinson’s bigger runs.
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Unstable secondary could be Rams’ downfall
That’s not to say the secondary is giving up on the huge play of Kirk Cousins and the Falcons passing attack. The Rams allowed just 126 passing yards, 34 of which came on Robinson’s catch.
The problem is that the coverage is never that tight, leaving the support players unable to cover when defenders need to leave the field. Aside from a pass breakup by Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the opening seconds, they didn’t create many difficult passes for Cousins.
It was the only pass the Rams defended all game.
It’s not a good sign that they’ve been rotating cornerbacks without finding their best trio, which has kept Akelo Witherspoon out the past two weeks and Darius Williams on Monday night. Come playoff time, the Rams need cornerback to be better.
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Rams stumble into playoffs
There’s a big difference between the Rams’ last two losses. Against the Seahawks, they completely fell apart in the fourth quarter. Against the Falcons, they didn’t play well at all. Their offense totaled just 363 yards, going 5-for-13 on third downs and turning the ball over three times.
There was a lot to be happy about in the loss to Seattle, but it’s hard to find many positives from this game. As McVay said afterward, the Rams “have to play better.” That’s exactly why he plans to put his starters on the field in the finale against the Cardinals.
If the Rams can’t clean up the pieces on both sides of the ball, they’re not going to get very far in the playoffs. Getting Davante Adams, Kevin Dotson, Quentin Lake and Alaric Jackson back at some point would help, but that’s not how Los Angeles wanted to end what was a great year leading up to the past two weeks.
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Matthew Stafford awarded MVP
Stafford’s disastrous first half made Derek Meyer the front-runner for MVP. Stafford then threw another interception in the fourth quarter as the Rams tried to tie the game.
The MVP is partly a team award, so when you fail as a quarterback, your chances of winning votes diminish. Not only did the Rams lose, but Stafford played terribly. In what was arguably his worst game of the year, he was intercepted three times and missed several open throws, including one that would have put the Rams in field goal range or a possible touchdown in the final seconds.
Meyer is now a -550 favorite to win NFL MVP and is unlikely to pass up that opportunity in the final week against the Dolphins.
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Terrence Ferguson continues to deliver brilliant performances
Ferguson only had two catches, but they were both spectacular performances. His first catch was a 27-yard pick off the left side, catching the ball just when the Rams needed it badly. He then completed a 27-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, rewriting the score to 24-10 and bringing the Rams closer.
He only saw four targets on the night, but both of his catches were big plays in the game to keep the momentum going. He will be a special player for the Rams in 2026 after a full offseason of training, but his impact is already being felt this year as one of the team’s primary tight ends.
Special Forces have made progress under Ben Kotwica
After Chase Blackburn was sacked, it took just one play for the Rams’ special teams to make a game-changing performance. A thorn in the side of the Rams all year long, special teams is actually what helps them stay in this game.
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Jared Verse’s blocked field goal and touchdown turned the game around, and the Rams trailed by just seven points from what might have been a 17-point deficit. Ethan Evans had a perfect punt, but it was knocked down at the 2, and Jordan Whittington completed a beautiful 38-yard kickoff return.
Roger McCreary did take a penalty on the Rams’ first punt return, but for the most part, the special teams have improved.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams vs. Falcons: 7 takeaways from Los Angeles’ frustrating loss
