We spoke this year about the losses that sting. We could speak about losses that humble you. And then there are losses that rip the mask off an entire organization and expose every structural crack, every conditioning flaw, every coaching miscalculation, and every ounce of misplaced optimism that has been propping up a team pretending to be something it simply is not. The team is not even trying now.
Monday night’s 27–24 collapse against the Atlanta Falcons was not just another loss in the standings. It was a referendum on what this Rams team has become. And the verdict was devastating. They are not even trying.
Yes, the Rams technically “almost won.” Yes, they mounted a second-half rally or more of a late third-quarter and fourth-quarter rally. Yes, they clawed back from a 21–0 halftime embarrassment to tie the game late. None of that matters. Because the way they started, the way they were dominated physically, the way they were hit, the way they were out-coached, and the way they were out-conditioned tells you everything you need to know about where this team truly stands.
This team has not merely regressed.
This team has quit.
The season may as well be over because this year went from us being a so called powerhouse stated by me many times, to a team that is not even trying any more.
The 21–0 Hole Was Not Bad Luck — It Was a Blueprint for Failure — The Team is not Even Trying.
Let’s start with the opening half, because that is where this game was truly lost.
The Rams were shut out in the first half for only the third time in Sean McVay’s entire tenure — a staggering statistic when you consider this offense entered Week 17 leading the NFL in scoring and yards per game. Instead of playing like the league’s most explosive unit, they played like a preseason roster trying to survive.
Matthew Stafford opened the night by handing Atlanta the game on a silver platter after the first two sets of downs went by in 8 seconds. Two early interceptions — including a humiliating pick-six by Jessie Bates III — instantly put the Rams in a 14–0 hole before they even had a chance to establish rhythm. Stafford would finish with three interceptions, officially putting an end to any MVP conversation and reinforcing what Rams fans already know that when this team is rattled, Stafford becomes part of the problem, not the solution.
But Stafford did not fail alone. He was hung out to dry by a shattered offensive line that simply did not belong on the same field as an NFL team.
DJ Humphries and the Offensive Line Disaster
With Alaric Jackson and Kevin Dotson sidelined, the Rams were forced to roll out a makeshift offensive line that was immediately exposed as a liability which I get sucks but this is the Pro’s and therefore you need to step up big time. If you cannot pplay on a pro team at the highest level, do anything else but play on the Rams team.
D.J. Humphries’ performance was nothing short of catastrophic. It was unreal that this guy is in the NFL today.
He allowed constant pressure, surrendered multiple sacks, missed critical blocks, and committed drive-killing penalties that directly erased game-changing plays. Two massive Puka Nacua receptions were wiped out — one that would have set up a first-and-goal, and another that would have been a touchdown. On a critical fourth-down attempt, Humphries missed his block entirely, resulting in a loss and a turnover on downs.
This was not just a “rough night.” This was a warning flare.
The Rams do not have trustworthy depth at tackle and itys bad. Its worse than last year when we were not deep. That is a terrifying reality heading into the postseason.
Without Dotson, the run blocking collapsed as well. Short-yardage push disappeared. The offense became predictable. Drives died early. Three-and-outs piled up. Time of possession evaporated.
Rob Havenstein is currently on the Rams’ injured reserve (IR) list. He was not activated for the Week 17 game against the Falcons, and his return this season remains uncertain.
Havenstein was placed on injured reserve in mid-November due to ankle and knee bursitis. He has missed the last five games and was confirmed by head coach Sean McVay to be unavailable for the Week 17 matchup against the Falcons.
While a return from IR is possible—players must miss a minimum of four games and Havenstein is now eligible to return—he has not progressed enough in his recovery to be considered game-ready. His potential return for the final regular season game in Week 18 or the playoffs remains unclear, and there is speculation that this could be his final season with the team due to recurring injury concerns.
In his absence, Warren McClendon Jr. has been starting at right tackle and has performed well.
The Rams did not control the game. They did not dictate tempo. They simply tried to survive.
And then the defense completely unraveled.
Bijan Robinson Turned the Rams into a Highlight Reel just like when Saquon Barkley did the same for his reel.
While the Rams stumbled, Bijan Robinson put on a clinic.
He gashed the Rams for 195 rushing yards, 229 total yards from scrimmage, and two touchdowns — including a demoralizing 93-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter that put the Rams down 21–0 just before halftime.
The Rams’ defense would barely touch him, almost petting his body instead of actually tackling him. The Rams defenders would fall on their faces, grazing him before he ran downfield every time.
The Falcons compiled 219 rushing yards overall.
That is not a “missed assignment” problem.
That is a conditioning problem.
That is a physicality problem.
That is a culture problem.
And, it is a Coaching problem.
You do not allow 219 rushing yards unless your defense is being dominated at the point of attack, out-conditioned late, and mentally checked out.
The Rams were not just losing — they were being pushed around.
Coaching, Conditioning, and a Soft Identity
This loss was not simply about injuries. Injuries happen. Good teams overcome them. We became deeper as a team this year for that very reason. These players need to step up when given that chance to play.
What happened Monday night exposed a team that is not prepared physically, not prepared mentally, and not being coached with urgency. I saw glimpses of it this year but it was made clear in this game.
Sean McVay’s calm, optimistic, “we’ll be fine” demeanor is no longer leadership—it is negligence. When your team comes out flat, undisciplined, slow, and unmotivated, someone in charge must take accountability. Someone must set the tone. Someone must demand more—and I mean throwing a chair across the locker room floor, knocking over a locker, and yelling at the top of his lungs for the team to wake up type of care—or he needs to go. If this halftime speech was about hope and whatnot, he needs to go and I hate saying it. This team needs to be slapped around while telling it to wake up.
This team does not look angry when it loses.
It looks confused.
It looks bewildered.
It looks defeated.
It looks out of breathe.
It looks like kids chewing their mouth pieces instead of keeping it unbitten into for gods sakes.
By the third quarter, you could see it on their faces.
They had already accepted the outcome.
The irony is the team then came back and almost won.
Puka Nacua Was Ignored, and the Refs Didn’t Help
One of the most baffling coaching failures of the night was the decision to not feature Puka Nacua early. The Rams’ most dangerous offensive weapon was not even targeted in the first half. When the ball finally went his way, it resulted in explosive plays — most of which were erased by penalties.
And yes, the officiating was atrocious. The Rams have been openly targeted since Nacua called out the officiating earlier this season. Any marginal contact against the Rams is flagged. Any blatant hold on Rams receivers is ignored. Games are being altered by inconsistent enforcement, and this one was no exception.
But the Rams did not lose because of the refs. They still could have and should have won.
They lost because they let themselves get punched in the mouth and did nothing to stop it. They certainly did not come to play in any way where they threw the punches in the mouths, so to speak. I honestly wanted to turn off the game to watch something more pleasant, like episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, because that is how this game was—watching something about rape and child pornography would have been more tolerable than watching the Rams this week.
A Hollow Comeback Does Not Fix a Broken Foundation
Yes, Jared Verse’s blocked field goal returned for a touchdown sparked a rally. Yes, the Rams clawed back. Yes, they tied the game.
But make no mistake — the comeback did not erase the reality.
They still lost.
Verse played horribly outside of that play and maybe one to two others.
They still trailed 21–0.
The running game was a gruel.
Puka had like 29 yards in almost three-quarters.
They still allowed nearly 200 rushing yards.
They still threw three interceptions.
They still relied on miracle moments to stay alive.
Zane Gonzalez’s 51-yard game-winner simply finished what the Rams had already handed Atlanta.
The Bigger Problem: This Team Is Wasting Its Window
This roster has championship-level talent.
Puka Nacua. Davante Adams. Matthew Stafford. A capable defense. Ironically, the front line on Offense is one of the best in the League. The defense when they come to play is one of the top defenses if not the top defense in the league.
The ingredients are there.
But the Rams are not playing like contenders. They are playing like a team that shows up expecting to win instead of preparing to dominate.
They are under-conditioned. The defense cannot play 40 minutes.
They are undisciplined. Stick to a game plan and execute it.
They are out-coached. The three and outs in 5 seconds must stop.
They are mentally soft. Stop bniting on that mouth piece. Take it out of your mouth like an adult and watch the game you are playi8g instead of sulking.
And worst of all — they are predictable now whereas this year, they were not that even remotely.
This team could have won every game on its schedule. Instead, they have handed multiple games away. The Seahawks. The Eagles. Now the Falcons. Even the other losses had us in it at the very end and we could have won it or we lost in the last second.
Every loss has been self-inflicted or we could have still won them all literally.
Final Reality Check (For Me)
The Rams are now stumbling into the postseason with zero momentum, serious offensive line concerns, defensive conditioning issues, and a coaching staff that appears content with “almost.”
And “almost” does not win Super Bowls.
Until this team gets angry.
Until they get physical.
Until they get conditioned.
Until the coaching staff stops selling hope and starts demanding accountability —
They are not contenders.
They are a talented team pretending to be one.
And the league has officially figured that out.
I have zero hope right now for the team to win the Super Bowl. Even if they beat the Cardinals, it won’t change that opinion. They honestly needed to win by 50-something to whatever against the Falcons, or it was not a victory to me, and the same goes for the Arizona game next week. If they do not beat them by 35 to 50 points, it will not change my opinion. Only when they dominate once again for 40 minutes next week and in the Wild Card as a goddamn 6th seed—mind you, after being the #1 seed last week—will I change my opinion. They look beatable, and when a team looks beatable to me, that means a well-coached team that comes to play will beat the Rams. Until then, I’ve got nothing outside of being pissed the fuck off today.