The Rams traveled to Pittsburgh this week fresh off a bye and on a two-game win streak. They left Pittsburgh with a deflating 17-12 loss.
It was yet another disastrous game for the Rams offense. There’s a lot to break down from this loss. Since most of these takeaways are going to be depressing ones, let’s start out with a positive.
Aaron Donald shines in homecoming game
Donald had yet another dominant performance against the Steelers. Playing in his first NFL game in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Donald put on a show for his friends and family in attendance. Donald had quite a few key tackles and teamed up with Clay Matthews to sack Mason Rudolph for a safety in a pivotal moment of the game.
The Rams have gotten their money’s worth and then some when it comes to Donald. He’ll have a chance to win his third straight Defensive Player of the Year award at the end of the season and is essentially a lock to make his fifth consecutive All-Pro team. Donald has been one of the few bright spots for the Rams this season.
Defense shines, but comes up short in the end
The Rams’ defense put on a clinic for about 23 of the Steelers’ 31 total minutes with possession of the football. There were a few lapses, but overall the Rams’ defense dominated Rudolph and the Steelers. They forced two crucial turnovers, scored a touchdown, and notched a safety. Rudolph felt the pressure from Donald and company all afternoon. The Rams’ defense outscored their own offense 9-3, which is alarming on a ton of levels.
Still, the defense came up short in a pivotal moment in the fourth quarter. The Rams couldn’t come up with a stop on a fourth-and-1 from the Steelers’ own 35-yard line. Had they stopped Pittsburgh, the Rams would have gotten the ball with great field position and a ton of momentum. Instead, the Steelers went on an eight-minute drive that ended in a field goal, and the Rams lost the game.
The defense deserves no blame for this loss, but not being able to close-out that fourth and one certainly stings.
Cooper Kupp disappears
Kupp failed to come up with a reception on Sunday. The third-year receiver found a way to not catch any of his four targets. It was the first time he failed to catch a pass in his NFL career if you exclude games where he was injured.
The Steelers talented cornerback tandem of Joe Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick blanketed Kupp all game long. Goff failed to find his favorite target in the loss. Without Brandin Cooks on the field, Kupp is guaranteed to see intense coverage from defenses. Hopefully he’s able to overcome it better than he was in this game moving forward.
Puzzling usage of Todd Gurley continues
Gurley ran the ball 12 times for 73 yards against the Steelers. It was his highest yardage total and his most efficient game on the ground since Week 1. The fifth-year back shined on his limited touches in this game.
Still, the fact that we continue to use the term “limited touches” when it comes to Gurley is alarming. The Rams have continued to have no real plan on how to handle Gurley’s usage. McVay chose to not bring Gurley onto the field on multiple drives in this game. His percentage of snaps played has ranged from 53% to 93% this season. This week’s game felt more on the 53% side.
It would be great to get more clarity on the situation from McVay and Gurley, but we know that’s never going to happen. This whole situation has become completely unpredictable. It feels like the only thing we can predict is that Gurley will continue to have underwhelming games for the remainder of the season.
Slump continues for Jared Goff
Goff had yet another abysmal road performance against the Steelers. He completed just 22 of his 41 passes for 243 yards and added three turnovers. His streak of bad performances against good teams continued on Sunday.
Goff is playing behind a historically terrible offensive line, but how long can that be used as an excuse for his poor play? The offensive line isn’t making him throw irresponsible passes that result in turnovers. The offensive line isn’t making him miss open receivers. The offensive line is hampering Goff, but he also shoulders plenty of blame for his slump.
Fans will jump to Goff’s defense and blame his play entirely on the offensive line, while critics will claim that he was only ever good because of Sean McVay and will never get back to where he was last season. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. Unfortunately for Goff, the offensive line isn’t going to get better. He’s going to have to adapt to it. Carrying a bad offense is what separates the good quarterbacks from the greats.
The offensive line is an unfixable disaster
For the first two years of Sean McVay’s tenure with the Rams, the offensive line suffered little-to-no injuries and achieved great success. They were a healthy and consistent unit that protected Goff and Gurley at all costs. The group played a huge part in getting the Rams to the Super Bowl last season.
Boy, have things changed. Injuries to Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein thrust Austin Corbett and Coleman Shelton into action this week. The pair of second-year linemen have a lot in common: neither guy was here at the start of the season, and neither guy has done anything to prove that they actually belong in the NFL. The offensive line was bad when Allen and Havenstein were on the field, and they continued to struggle with Corbett and Shelton.
The Rams have now had four of their five Week 1 starters leave games due to injury this season. All five of their Week 1 starters have been massive disappointments this season. The Rams chose to use a next-man-up mentality when it came to replacing Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan this offseason. They chose not to invest heavily in the offensive line in the draft or in free agency. Essentially, they put all their eggs in the Brian Allen and Joseph Noteboom baskets. It turns out that basket had plenty of holes and could not support said eggs.
The unfortunate reality is that there isn’t any way the Rams can fix this offensive line. Allen is not what they expected him to be, Austin Blythe and Havenstein’s productivity has fallen off a cliff, Whitworth’s age is showing, and they don’t have any quality backups to shake things up. This unit has destroyed the Rams offense this season. They’ve derailed Goff’s progression and have only helped amplify the perception of Gurley’s health issues. They’re a disaster, and it’s hard to imagine that they’re going to get any better.
Rams fans, say a prayer for Jared Goff’s health tonight. He’s going to continue to run for his life behind this offensive line.
