As the Los Angeles Rams find themselves at a disappointing 0-2 start to the 2024 NFL season, the team's injury woes and early struggles offer cause for concern. The franchise, which experienced an unusual stroke of good fortune with the fewest injuries in the league last year, now grapples with a return to less favorable circumstances.
Key Injuries Plague the Rams
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp will miss an extended period due to a left ankle sprain, the same injury that ended his season prematurely in 2022. His absence represents a significant blow to an offense already strained. Guard Jonah Jackson and safety John Johnson III are also nursing shoulder injuries, adding to the team's growing list of ailments. With the trio of Kupp, Jackson, and Johnson III being potential candidates for injured reserve, the Rams are running short on IR spots only two weeks into the season.
"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," head coach Sean McVay remarked, encapsulating the team's current predicament.
Problems with the Offensive Line
One of the glaring issues for the Rams has been the performance of their offensive line. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked five times and lost a fumble in the recent defeat against the Arizona Cardinals. McVay did not mince words: "The amount of moving parts that we've had offensive line-wise has been wild."
Stafford's struggles are magnified by his average time to throw, which stood at 3.25 seconds in Week 2, ranking as the fifth-longest in the league for that week. Considering his history, including a spinal cord contusion and concussion that caused him to miss the latter part of the 2022 season, the urgency to fix the offensive line cannot be overstated.
A Defense in Transition
On the defensive front, the retirement of Aaron Donald has left a void that the Rams are still trying to fill. The team now places its hopes on rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, drafted in the first and second rounds in 2024. The Rams' defensive secondary is also under strain, with corners Darious Williams and Derion Kendrick currently on injured reserve.
Last season's good fortune with injuries now seems like a distant memory. As NFL analyst Frank Schwab noted, "The Rams' good fortune last season included the fourth-fewest injuries on offense and the fewest on defense." He further highlighted the dramatic shift from 2022: "In 2022, they dealt with numerous injuries and finished second in adjusted games lost due to injury. 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."
Facing History
The Rams face an uphill battle, not just against their immediate schedule but also against history. No NFL team has ever won a Super Bowl after starting a season 0-3, a fate they desperately seek to avoid. The team holds their own first, third, fourth, and sixth-round picks for the 2025 draft, in addition to acquiring extra sixth-round picks from the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans. These assets will be crucial as they look to rebuild and fortify their roster moving forward.
As the Rams prepare for their next game, the focus will be on mitigating these injuries and addressing the glaring issues on both sides of the ball. Coach McVay and his staff have their work cut out, aiming to turn the season around before it spirals further out of control. The resilience and adaptability of this team will be tested in the coming weeks, as they navigate a challenging landscape fraught with setbacks and uncertainties.