Two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams find themselves grappling with a frustrating 0-2 start. This early hole is compounded by a series of injuries to key players, including star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who is sidelined with a left ankle sprain that looks set to keep him off the field for an extended period. Unfortunately, Kupp is no stranger to this type of setback; a similar injury in 2022 required season-ending surgery.
Injuries Are Piling Up
Alongside Kupp, the injury list for the Rams includes guard Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III, both dealing with shoulder injuries. These players are potential candidates for injured reserve, a move that head coach Sean McVay doesn’t rule out. "We're kind of running out of those [injured reserve] spots and we're only into Week 3 in terms of the return to play, but that is a possibility for all of those guys," McVay highlighted in a recent press conference.
McVay has also been vocal about the struggles facing the team's offensive line. "The amount of moving parts that we've had offensive line-wise has been wild," he remarked. This instability has had a direct impact on quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has already been sacked five times in a recent loss to the Arizona Cardinals. During that game, Stafford threw for 216 yards, but his performance waned due to the continuous pressure, culminating in a lost fumble. Alarmingly, Stafford's average time to throw in Week 2 was 3.25 seconds, the fifth-longest in the league for that week.
Stafford, battling his own history of injuries after missing the latter half of the 2022 season with a spinal cord contusion and concussion, has not been able to find his rhythm behind this beleaguered line. The offense is clearly feeling the loss of a consistent and dependable protector.
Defensive Challenges
The challenges are not limited to the offense. The defense is also reeling, primarily due to the retirement of Aaron Donald, a cornerstone of their front seven. In his absence, the unit now leans heavily on rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, both of whom were first and second-round picks in 2024. This reliance on fresh faces might suggest a potentially volatile season ahead for the defensive squad.
Further complicating matters, the Rams have had to place cornerbacks Darious Williams and Derion Kendrick on injured reserve, cutting into their depth at vital positions. The defensive side of the ball is experiencing growing pains that are acutely felt in the face of such personnel losses.
Reflecting on their Fortunes
Last season, the Rams enjoyed a relatively healthy roster, recording the fewest adjusted games lost due to injury. According to sports analyst Frank Schwab, "It went from 146.6 AGL in 2022 to 26.4 last season, which is an incredible shift and shows how injury luck often has no rhyme or reason." Schwab added that "one tangible reason to worry about Rams regression is their injury luck last season." This year's unfortunate reversal in fortune is a stark reminder that injuries can unpredictably and dramatically alter a team's trajectory.
A Tough Road Ahead
The path forward is fraught with challenges for the Rams. They find themselves edging toward a precarious 0-3 start, a record no NFL team has famously recovered from to win a Super Bowl. Moreover, the concern deepens when considering their team dynamics and the currently injured roster. If their luck with injuries doesn't improve, the Rams may face an uphill battle in the highly competitive NFC West.
Despite these obstacles, the Rams' leadership and talent give reasons for cautious optimism. They hold their own first, third, fourth, and sixth-round picks for the 2025 draft, in addition to additional sixth-round picks from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans. This draft capital could be invaluable in bolstering the squad, either via new young talent or as trade assets as the season progresses.
In summary, the Rams are indeed in testing times. Their early 0-2 record is exacerbated by a litany of injuries, but this is a team sport, and the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. Immediate adjustments and a bit of luck on the injury front could still see the Rams stabilize and challenge their misfortunes, preserving hopes for a competitive remainder of the season.