Editor’s note: This is the Tuesday Oct. 3 edition of the “Game Day with Kevin Modesti” newsletter. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
Good morning. In yesterday’s newsletter I said we’d find out a lot about the Rams when they faced the 49ers on Monday night. How did that work out? Answers, or more questions, below.
In other sports news:
- The Dodgers lost a game but got Tony Gonsolin back.
- Lakers coach Darvin Ham made his strongest statement of support for Russell Westbrook.
- Kawhi Leonard was on the court for the Clippers.
- Newly ranked UCLA must show it belongs when it faces Utah.
- USC is mourning the death of football great Marvin Powell.
- An investigation of harassment and sexual coercion in the NWSL has disturbing findings.
- And columnist Mirjam Swanson has a rare observation after looking at the Rams, Chargers, USC, UCLA, St. John Bosco and Mater Dei: This is a football town.
- In the fourth quarter of the Rams-49ers game, I was thinking this is the worst the offense has looked in the Mathew Stafford era without him throwing an interception. Then he threw an interception that USC’s Talanoa Hufanga returned for a touchdown that sealed a 24-9 loss. Now it was a complete shambles.
Beat writer Gilbert Manzano, in his game story from Santa Clara, did well to sum it up in one sentence: “Stafford and his depleted offensive line took more hits, and it’s starting to become an identity for the reigning Super Bowl champions, who have struggled to manufacture explosive plays and have failed to get prize free-agent wide receiver Allen Robinson involved.”
The Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein let the Rams have it: “From Super Bowl champions to super average. Mediocre. And trending perhaps toward … super bad? That’s where the Rams find themselves …”
The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue left no doubt this was about the offense: “There was once a time when this defense holding another team under 20 points meant a near-sure win for the Rams; so far, their offense – between injuries, stalls in the run game and no passing cohesion – is lacking an identity.”
ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop had a telling stat: “(The 49ers’ Deebo) Samuel had two plays for 29 or more yards on Monday. The Rams have one of that distance or more all season.”
And Cam Inman, 49ers beat writer for the San Jose Mercury News, threw in the failure of the Rams’ ground game: “The Rams are the Stafford-Kupp show, so the run game is a mere sideshow, and one the 49ers limited to 57 yards on 18 carries.”
Four games after they won the Super Bowl is too early to write off the Rams. They’re 2-2, but so is San Francisco and everybody else in the NFC West. Injuries to offensive linemen are a big reason Stafford was sacked seven times and pressured constantly, and an injury to Van Jefferson could be one reason for the lack of variety in the passing game; injuries should heal. Odell Beckham and Robert Woods are missed; Beckham could be back later in the year, but Woods won’t. I wrote before the season that fans should be prepared for setbacks during what could be a difficult schedule; these are setbacks, all right.
And Rams coach Sean McVay and his staff problem-solve well, like after the 0-3 November last season.
But McVay and first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen have big questions to answer.
Is it protection, receivers or Stafford that’s preventing any success with downfield passes?
While it’s great that they get Kupp open over and over despite the coverage he attracts, what can be done to get the ball to Robinson more?
When will Robinson show the knack for catching “jump balls” that we heard so much about after the wide receiver signed with the Rams? I remember two passes in the end zone that Robinson couldn’t come down with last night.
How can they improve in the red zone? Last season the Rams were competent in that area; this season they’re one of eight teams scoring touchdowns on less than half their trips inside the 20-yard line.
Is this the best we can expect to see from Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, or is the running game a victim of the offensive line injuries?
Without a touchdown, the Rams were trailing but still in the game in the fourth quarter thanks to defense – break but don’t bend? – and Matt Gay’s reliable leg.
Then, the absence of fourth-quarter magic from Stafford made it clear it isn’t January and February anymore.
Instead, we had the image of two Rams having to be separated on the sideline.
Gilbert Manzano addressed some of these questions and concerns in his postgame House of Horns video podcast and in his follow-up story this morning.
But the answers that matter most have to come from McVay, his staff and team leaders with Super Bowl rings in the short week before they host the Cowboys on Sunday.
What we learned about the Rams last night is that there’s a lot to figure out.
TODAY
- Angels and A’s play in Oakland in the second to last game of the season (6:40 p.m., BSW). Did you realize the Angels have the seventh-best win percentage in baseball (.600) over the past 40 days?
- Dodgers and Julio Urias face the Rockies (7:10 p.m., SNLA, FS1). Urias’ 2.12 ERA leads the National League, 0.16 ahead of Sandy Alcantara, and is second in MLB, 0.32 behind Justin Verlander.
- Kings visit the Ducks at Honda Center for a preseason game (7 p.m., BSSC) after L.A. beat Anaheim 2-12 at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
READERS REACT
I asked readers to watch the Monday night game and answer the question: Do the Rams look good enough to repeat as Super Bowl champions?
Twitter user @LACal44 replied: “They need to get healthy. Too many injuries.”
@trinityjon said: “Need to trade for an edge rusher, see improved health on the OL, and add @obj (Odell Beckham Jr.).”
@TomBaranowski1 wasn’t thinking about the injuries: “Need MUCH improvement in OL, DB’S, better play calling. I know it’s early yet, but as of now I don’t even see them making the playoffs.”
NEXT QUESTION
The Rams and Chargers both are 2-2. Which team would you rather be right now? Email your answer to KModesti@scng.com.
280 CHARACTERS
The Angels are now tied with the Tigers for the longest playoff drought in the majors. Both teams last made it in 2014. https://t.co/WzB5vXq8Rn
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) October 4, 2022
– Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher after the Phillies clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2011
1,000 WORDS
TALK TO ME
Thanks for reading the newsletter. Send suggestions, comments and questions by email at KModesti@scng.com and via Twitter @KevinModesti.
Editor’s note: Thanks for reading the “Game Day with Kevin Modesti” newsletter. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.