Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade Ramsey to the Dolphins in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2023 draft, as well as tight end Hunter Long.

The trade was agreed to on Sunday but cannot be made official until the new league year begins on Wednesday.

As part of the deal, Ramsey's salary will be guaranteed at $36.9million over the next two seasons.

The 28-year-old just completed his seventh season in the NFL and is still considered one of the top cornerbacks in the league.

The fifth overall pick of the 2016 draft, Ramsey was named to his sixth Pro Bowl in 2022 as he compiled four interceptions, two sacks, three forced fumbles and 18 passes defensed while playing in all 17 games.

An instrumental part to the Rams' Super Bowl championship in 2021, Ramsey now joins a Dolphins team who went 9-8 to make the playoffs last season but had the sixth-worst passing defense, yielding an average of 234.8 pass yards per game.

In his career, the three-time All-Pro has 19 interceptions, seven forced fumbles and 92 passes defensed.

Los Angeles handed the keys to an offense that can be one of the most explosive in football to Matthew Stafford, parting ways with Jared Goff and some significant draft capital to acquire him from the Detroit Lions.

Stafford joins a team that was two wins away from the Super Bowl last season, the Rams undone by league MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

The Rams are gambling that Stafford's arrival gets them back to the sport's grandest stage.

However, the financial pressures facing Los Angeles mean the Rams' roster is likely to look very different in 2021.

What will their remodelled group need to do to realise their ambitions next season?

Here we try to answer that question by looking back at the Rams' 2020 campaign using Stats Perform data.

Offense

It is not difficult to see why Sean McVay lost patience with Goff, the number one overall pick of the Rams in the 2016 draft.

The Rams finished the season 18th in yards per play with 5.54, their second successive year outside the top 10 in that regard having been second in 2018 (6.36) when they reached the Super Bowl.

Goff's inability to hang on to the football played a contributing role in their struggles to move the ball more efficiently.

His 17 giveaways were tied for the fourth-most in the NFL while 73 of his 182 incompletions were down to poor throws. Only nine quarterbacks delivered more poor throws in 2020.

Just 14 of Goff's incompletions were drops, tied for 20th among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts, indicating his receivers were relatively reliable.

Goff had decent success going downfield. His passer rating of 103.4 on throws of 21 or more air yards ranked 10th among quarterbacks to have attempted 25 such throws.

Stafford, however, ranked fifth with a rating of 118.5 and attempted 57 such passes to Goff's 36 at a better completion percentage (35.1 to 33.3), illustrating his greater willingness to push the ball deep and his superior prowess as a downfield thrower.

The Rams will want to give Stafford more support than Goff received from the running game, which averaged 4.27 yards per attempt last year, putting them 17th in the NFL.

Cam Akers' progress could be key in that regard. The 2020 second-round pick came on strong down the stretch and proved himself a big-play threat.

He had four rushes of at least 20 yards with his average distance of 41.8 yards on those carries the most among rookie running backs to have more than one such attempt.

But any progress the offense makes may be cancelled out if the defense takes a step back from its position among the league's elite.

Defense

By many measures, the Rams had the best defense in football last season.

Los Angeles ranked first in opponent yards per play allowed (4.56) in 2020, with their dominance encompassing both the passing game and the run game.

Indeed, the Rams allowed the least passing yards per play (5.08) and the third-least rushing yards per play (3.76).

Just 46.8 per cent of offensive plays run against them were successful, with only three defenses performing better by that measure. The Rams were the third-best team in the league at stopping teams on the critical third and fourth downs, allowing a success rate of 35.9 per cent.

Their numbers in terms of takeaways were not quite as impressive, the Rams finishing with 22, seven shy of the league-high 29 set by the Miami Dolphins.

Though the Rams perhaps did not take the ball away as much as they would have liked, Los Angeles still excelled at preventing opponents from scoring.

Los Angeles finished the year first in opponent scoring efficiency, allowing scores on 51 of 183 opponent drives.

The Rams' defense was led by another Defensive Player of Year effort from star defensive lineman Aaron Donald.

Donald's sack total of 13.5 was a low number by his lofty standards, but he was the clear leader in knockdowns and hurries, his combined total of 94.5 comfortably outstripping the man he beat to the DPOY award, T.J. Watt (83).

There is little to suggest Donald will not continue to dominate but, for the Rams to remain the league's best on defense, they will need to adapt to the loss of coordinator Brandon Staley - who was replaced by Raheem Morris - and the likely departures of several key pieces.

Offseason

The Rams' move to land Stafford came at a high price, leaving them with a distinct lack of capital with which to furnish the roster around him.

Los Angeles traded a third-round pick this year along with first-rounders in 2022 and 2023 to acquire Stafford, leaving them without a first-round selection until 2024.

With Donald and Jalen Ramsey in place for the long term, the defense looks in pretty good hands, but it may be a little top-heavy given the talent the Rams look likely to lose on that side of the ball.

Safety John Jonson, cornerbacks Darious Williams and Troy Hill, and edge rusher Leonard Floyd are all set to hit the market in a year where the Rams are projected to be nearly $30million over an assumed salary cap of $185m.

Replenishing those positions, and sourcing a replacement for unrestricted free agent guard Austin Blythe, will be priorities for the Rams, along with finding a deep threat who can help them harness the most of Stafford's upside throwing the deep ball.

The problem is that the Rams, as it stands, only have three picks in the 2021 NFL Draft with which to add to their group.

That number will go up when compensatory selections are factored into the equation, but the reality is that the Rams will not be as deep as in previous years.

Los Angeles will need to get creative to bolster the roster this offseason, yet the fate of the Rams' 2021 campaign rests predominantly on the success of their bet on Stafford to be a significant upgrade on the quarterback they were so eager to ship out.

The defending Super Bowl champion Rams are 3-5 heading into the visit of the Cardinals after suffering successive losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The sole team propping them up in the NFC West is Arizona, who dropped to 3-6 with a home loss to the Seattle Seahawks last time out.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray will be a game-time decision with a hamstring injury, and it may well prove a battle of deputy Colt McCoy and Rams backup John Wolford. Stafford (concussion) is listed as questionable having returned to practice in a limited capacity on Friday.

"It could go all the way up until 90 minutes before kick-off," coach Sean McVay said of Stafford. 

"Because when you've got a guy that's a veteran player like him, you're not gonna risk at all… We're not gonna skip any steps, so I don't want that to be misunderstood. But I think it would be silly of me to rule him out."

Even if Stafford cannot play, the Rams can have reason to be optimistic of beating the Cardinals.

The Rams are 10-1 against the Cardinals since 2017, including a win in Arizona in Week 3 this year. The lone loss came at SoFi Stadium last season. The only team with more wins against a single opponent since 2017 are the New England Patriots, who are 11-0 against the Jets.

However, the Rams have the worst offense in the NFL by yards per play, averaging just 4.71. Additionally, they have gone three-and-out on 29.4 per cent of their offensive drives this season, the second-highest mark in the league (Pittsburgh, 31.8). Last season, they did that on just 13.3 per cent of their drives, the second-lowest mark in the league (Kansas City, 10.1).

The Cardinals, therefore, should not have much fear of the Rams pulling away as the Seahawks did last week, but, with Arizona averaging just 4.88 yards per play, a low-scoring game looks likely regardless of who is under center. 

If the Rams are to prevail, wide receiver Cooper Kupp will be the probable offensive difference-maker.

Last week, Kupp produced his 20th career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017. The only other players with more than 15 such games in that span are Davante Adams (19) and Tyreek Hill (18).

Reigning Super Bowl champions the Chiefs needed overtime to see off the Los Angeles Chargers 23-20 in Week 2.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens powered past the Houston Texans 33-16 on the road.

Meanwhile, Kyler Murray dazzled for the high-flying Arizona Cardinals and Russell Wilson sparked the Seattle Seahawks.

MAHOMES' CHIEFS OUTLAST CHARGERS

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs stayed perfect thanks to Harrison Butker's 58-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining in OT.

Butker drilled three field goals for the day as he tied a Chiefs record for distance, while becoming the second kicker in NFL history to make a pair of 58-yard kicks in the same game.

It completed a rally for the Chiefs, who overturned a 17-6 deficit in the third quarter to survive an impressive NFL debut by Chargers rookie Justin Herbert.

Herbert threw 311 yards to become the ninth player since the merger to top 300 in his first game. He was 22 of 33 for a touchdown and interception.

As for former MVP and last season's Super Bowl MVP Mahomes, the Chiefs quarterback finished 27 of 47 for 302 passing yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 54 yards.

RAVENS PRESERVE UNBEATEN RUN

The Ravens overcame a slow start to extend their regular-season winning streak to 14 games – the longest run since the Carolina Panthers reeled off 18 successive victories in 2014-15.

Reigning MVP Jackson threw for 204 yards and a touchdown, while he rushed for 54 yards in Houston, where the Ravens led 20-10 at half-time.

The Ravens rushed for 230 yards compared to the Texans' 51 as Mark Ingram II had 55 and a touchdown.

"We feel like we have the best backfield in the league. We just try to prove that, week in, week out," Ingram said.

MURRAY HAS CARDINALS SOARING

Murray continues to show why the Cardinals were so desperate to draft him with the number one pick last year after inspiring a 30-15 victory against the Washington Football Team.

Second-year quarterback Murray finished with 286 yards and a touchdown, while he ran for two TDs in a stunning display.

Murray – a dual-threat – put on a show as he ran with the ball and went for 14 and 21 yards to help the Cardinals improve to 2-0.

"As soon as I leave the pocket I survey the field," Murray said. "Seeing how the blocks were set up, they were set up pretty perfectly. Once I get a guy one on one, I like my chances."

Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins had eight catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Wilson fuelled the Seahawks to a 35-30 win over the New England Patriots.

Wilson was 21-of-28 for 288 yards and five touchdowns as the Seahawks made it two victories from two games.

It condemned Can Newton and the Patriots to their first loss of the season after Tom Brady's QB replacement in New England finished 30 of 44 for 397 yards, a touchdown, interception and a sack in Seattle.

Week 2 scores:

Chicago Bears 17-13 New York Giants 
Dallas Cowboys 40-39 Atlanta Falcons 
Green Bay Packers 42-21 Detroit Lions 
Tennessee Titans 33-30 Jacksonville Jaguars 
Indianapolis Colts 28-11 Minnesota Vikings 
Buffalo Bills 31-28 Miami Dolphins 
San Francisco 49ers 31-13 New York Jets 
Los Angeles Rams 37-19 Philadelphia Eagles 
Pittsburgh Steelers 26-21 Denver Broncos 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-17 Carolina Panthers
Arizona Cardinals 30-15 Washington Football Team
Kansas City Chiefs 23-20 Los Angeles Chargers
Baltimore Ravens 33-16 Houston Texans
Seattle Seahawks 35-30 New England Patriots

The Chiefs ran out 35-9 winners on Sunday, with quarterback Mahomes at his inspired best.

Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bills picked up a 24-21 victory against the New England Patriots – their first home win against the six-time league champions since 2011.

MAHOMES INSPIRES RAMPANT CHIEFS

There was no stopping the Chiefs in their home clash with the Jets, whose dismal start to the season never looked likely to end.

The Jets are 0-8 after a wonderful display from Kansas City, who were marshalled brilliantly by Mahomes as the star threw for 416 yards and five touchdowns.

AFC West leaders Kansas stemmed Sam Darnold from the off, and the visiting quarterback could only watch as Mahomes ran the show.

Darnold did not have his top receivers Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman to aim for due to injuries and was only 18 of 30 for 133 yards as the Jets fell to 0-8 for the first time since 1996.

Kansas' triumph also took head coach Andy Reid onto 229 wins – tying him with Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau for the fifth-most in NFL history.

Second in the AFC West are the Las Vegas Raiders, who overcame the Cleveland Browns – third in the AFC North – 16-6.

BILLS SNAP PATRIOTS STREAK, GRANT STUNS RAMS

The Bills ended a nine-year wait for a home victory over the Patriots as they claimed a 24-21 win in Buffalo.

Cam Newton's fumble on a late drive ultimately cost the Patriots, who are now 2-5 from their opening seven games. 

As well as marking Sean McDermott's first triumph over Patriots coach Bill Belichick, it is a win that moved the Bills (6-2) to 4-0 in the AFC East.

New England had not lost an away game at Buffalo since September 2011, while the Bills had not beaten the Patriots at all in seven games prior to the Week 8 clash. 

Meanwhile, Jakeem Grant scored a stunning touchdown to help the Miami Dolphins to a 28-17 success over the Los Angeles Rams.

Grant ran in a mesmerising 88-yard punt return – the first this season in the NFL – helping the Dolphins, who sit second in the AFC East, to a fourth victory of the season.

In an all-NFC North clash, the Minnesota Vikings clinched a 28-22 win over their rivals Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Dalvin Cook was the star with four touchdowns – three running and one receiving.

STEELERS STAY PERFECT

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the only unbeaten team remaining after they maintained their winning start with a dramatic 28-24 triumph over the Baltimore Ravens.

Lamar Jackson looked set to win it for the hosts in the dying seconds in Baltimore, yet AFC North leaders Pittsburgh clung on thanks to some fantastic defense.

With the last throw of the game, Jackson attempted to pick out Willie Snead in the end zone, but his flat pass was knocked down by a combination of Justin Layne and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Defeat leaves the Ravens at 5-2 and second in the division, which is stacked up by the Cincinnati Bengals (2-5-1), who shocked the Tennessee Titans.

Joe Burrow was key, with the quarterback completing 26 of his 37 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns.

Burrow also avoided any sacks, as the Bengals sealed a 31-20 victory – their second home win of 2020.

In Sunday's other game, the Indianapolis Colts halted the Detroit Lions' two-game winning streak with a 41-21 rout.

Week 8 scores:

Atlanta Falcons 25-17 Carolina Panthers
Buffalo Bills 24-21 New England Patriots
Cincinnati Bengals 31-20 Tennessee Titans
Las Vegas Raiders 16-6 Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts 41-21 Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings 28-22 Green Bay Packers
Kansas City Chiefs 35-9 New York Jets
Miami Dolphins 28-17 Los Angeles Rams
Pittsburgh Steelers 28-24 Baltimore Ravens

Having led the Rams to Super Bowl LVI glory in his first year in LA, Stafford's second season has not gone to plan.

The former Detroit Lions QB underwent elbow surgery in the offseason and did not look the same player as the 2022 campaign began.

In nine games with Stafford under center, the Rams were 3-6, with the QB throwing only 10 touchdown passes and eight interceptions for a passer rating of 87.4 – his worst since 2014.

Stafford had averaged 287.4 yards per game in 2021 but only topped that mark in one game this year.

A spinal cord contusion then cut Stafford's season short in Week 11, prompting concerns around the 34-year-old's long-term future.

But in an appearance on his wife Kelly's The Morning After podcast, Stafford responded flatly to a question asking if he would retire: "No."

Stafford signed a four-year, $160million extension with the Rams in March, and the team are confident he can avoid surgery ahead of a 2023 return.

Coach Sean McVay said earlier this month: "He'll be good. To my knowledge, there's nothing like that [surgery] that's going to be required or necessary.

"And it will be great for Matthew to have a healthy offseason and do a lot of the things that I think he'll feel good about being able to do."

It was a miserable game from beginning to end for the Broncos, conceding a field goal on the opening drive before quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception from their third play, gifting the Rams the field position to score again and take a 10-0 lead.

Things went from bad to worse when the Broncos' second drive also ended in a Wilson interception, with Rams running back Cam Akers delivering a second touchdown in the first quarter to jump ahead by three scores.

The Rams went on to score touchdowns on both of their next two drives, with Akers and Tyler Higbee both collecting two by half-time to blow out the margin.

Akers put the exclamation point on the drubbing with his third touchdown run of the game to open the fourth quarter, before Wilson finally found a consolation score, firing a touchdown pass to Greg Dulcich.

Mayfield, in his third start since being picked up off the waiver wire, completed a superb 24 of his 28 passes for 230 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. Higbee was his top receiver, catching nine passes for 94 yards and both of Mayfield's touchdowns.

Wilson was 15-of-27 for 214 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, although Jerry Jeudy was excellent, bringing in six catches for 117 yards. For Wilson, it was his first game with three interceptions since October 2020.

Playing in only his second game for the Niners following his blockbuster trade from the Carolina Panthers, McCaffrey made a huge impact at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

The star running back ran for a touchdown, took a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to score another and also picked out Brandon Aiyuk with a 34-yard pass for a rare treble.

McCaffrey is the first NFL player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to achieve a touchdown trifecta feat.

He racked up 94 rushing yards and 55 receiving yards, as well as turning provider for wide receiver Aiyuk.

The 49ers stormed back in the second half to move to 4-4 ahead of their bye week and McCaffrey says the victory was more important than personal achievements. 

"Obviously, those things are really cool," McCaffrey said. "I think the biggest thing is coming out with a win and playing a second half like that, too.... But I'm just proud to be a 49er and it felt good to get a win today."

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan knows he is fortune to have McCaffrey after they got back on track despite being without Deebo Samuel.

"I think everyone knows how good of a player he is, but I just like how consistent he is and under control in what he does," Shanahan said.

"He's a very smart player, and he makes a lot of plays and stuff, but it's the consistency of how he plays his game. I feel like he was a great guy to add for us."

A win for the Niners leaves them second in the NFC West ahead of the 3-4 Rams.

After being acquired in a trade from the Carolina Panthers less than two weeks ago, McCaffrey showed exactly why he is considered arguably the best running back of his generation.

Against the reigning champions, he became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to score a rushing, receiving and passing touchdown in the same game.

His first score came through a trick play in the second quarter, as what appeared to be a regulation toss play to the right-hand side turned into a halfback pass as McCaffrey dialled up a 34-yard rainbow pass to Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had his side leading 14-10 at half-time after a one-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown and a 16-yard toss to Cooper Kupp, but McCaffrey put the 49ers ahead with a nine-yard touchdown catch late in the third period.

It was followed by a quick Rams punt, before McCaffrey put the exclamation point on his day by punching in a one-yard touchdown to begin the fourth quarter.

The 49ers offense fired on all cylinders, with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completing 21 of his 25 passes for two touchdowns and no turnovers, as Aiyuk and George Kittle also caught touchdown passes.

McCaffrey finished with 18 carries for 94 yards on the ground, eight catches for 55 yards through the air, and completed his only pass attempt for 34 yards.

King Henry continues to own the Texans

Tennessee Titans workhorse Derrick Henry was unstoppable against the Houston Texans, carrying the ball 32 times for 219 yards and two touchdowns in a grinding 17-10 win.

Incredibly, it is the fourth consecutive matchup against the Texans where Henry has posted at least 200 yards and two touchdowns, and the sixth total time of his career against all teams. No other player in the history of the league has more than three career games of at least 200 yards and multiple touchdowns.

With his second touchdown, Henry – who had such a significant workload due to rookie quarterback Malik Willis making his debut start in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill – broke the Titans' career touchdown record with his 75th.

The Bills looked strong throughout at SoFi Stadium, with quarterback Josh Allen putting in a sensational performance as he threw three touchdowns, rushed for one of his own, and completed 26 of 31 passes for a total of 297 yards.

After unveiling their Super Bowl LVI banner, the Rams struggled in front of their own fans as all 10 of their points came in the second quarter, with Buffalo shutting them out in the second half.

"When you look at a lot of the ways that this game unfolded, [I] feel a huge sense of responsibility to this team," McVay said after the loss.

"We weren't ready to go. I take a lot of pride in that, and that's on me. I've got to do better. There were a lot of decisions that I made that I felt didn't put our players in good enough spots.

"So it was a humbling experience, but we're going to stay connected. We're going to all look inward. We're going to do a better job moving forward."

Allen became the first QB in NFL history to record 250+ passing yards, 50+ rushing yards, three or more passing TDs, a rushing TD, 80 per cent completions and a win in the same game.

Speaking to NBC after the victory, Allen said: "We knew if we came out and tried to execute the way we know we can execute, we were going to move the ball the ball and score. Our defense played a hell of a game.

"Defense's job is to get the ball back, but the offense can help and let them go and pin their ears back by getting up and putting them in legit passing situations and letting them go. 

"We got a bunch of dawgs up front. [Former Ram Von Miller] is the leader of that D-line and they played outstanding."

The Bills play the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium in Week 2, while the Rams will look to put their opening defeat behind them as they host the Atlanta Falcons.

In the first regular-season game with fans at SoFi Stadium, Stafford delighted a packed house with a display of why the Rams traded two first-round picks to acquire him from the Detroit Lions.

Stafford completed 20 of 26 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns, posting a passer rating of 156.1, the highest ever by a player in his debut with a new team. 

And McVay could hardly have been more effusive in his praise of his new quarterback.

"I think it was just his steady demeanour throughout the course of the game," McVay said. "Just like you had seen in practice and seen from afar, but I think the first drive of the second half I thought was most impressive.

"But then I'm thinking about what an unbelievable job he did progressing, finding Robert Woods on the last touchdown, so there were multiple things but I think the overall game management and I think the expectation. You could just see there was a look in his eye. He had confidence in his team-mates.

"He expected to play well and he did a great job. It's hard to say there was one thing. I loved everything he did tonight."

Stafford's second throw of the game saw him hit Van Jefferson on a 67-yard touchdown throw on which he booted to his left off the play-fake, flipped his hips back to the right sideline and unfurled a perfect ball to find the second-year receiver on a deep post route.

"I think it was a great job by him being able to flip his hips and make an unbelievable throw," McVay added.

"I think that's kind of one of those things – he's gifted. He's got a great ability to be able to change his arm slot and make all types of throws, whether it be short, intermediate or down the field.

"You're not limited in anything you can do in the pass game. Hopefully, we'll continue to build on options and opportunities that we have moving forward."

The Rams wideout suffered an ACL injury in February's Super Bowl LVI as Los Angeles narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at their home of SoFi Stadium.

Beckham Jr signed a short-term deal with the Rams last November, though it was expected he would re-sign after an impressive postseason.

The 29-year-old is yet to find a new NFL side as he remains a free agent, but a reunion with the Rams appeared seemingly unlikely after Beckham Jr revealed his disappointment with his former team.

"LA knows where I wanted to be… but they didn't offer me….anything!," he posted on Twitter.

"So [I don't know] what people want me to do, I definitely know my worth and what the offer was isn't reflective of that.

"So it's tough to say that I can come on back even though I thought I finally found that home!

"But yes, LA treated me normal and special all in the same breath, we see how that played out! For both sides.

"I went out to win a [trophy] there knowing the risk of playing without an ACL… and then I got the lowest of low offers after that going into the next season."

Beckham Jr ended the series of posts with "Impossible" followed by two laughing emojis, suggesting he values himself far above what the Rams offered.

The Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs are said to be the favourites to sign Beckham Jr, though Rams coach McVay claimed negotiations are far from over.

"I love Odell," McVay told reporters. "We have constant dialogue. He also knows that certainly I don't think that's the last [offer] that would come from us. I'm not familiar with what it is.

"He knows how we feel about him. We've got a little bit of time. But [I] love Odell. Nothing but good things coming from me."

Monday night's 24-9 loss saw the Rams fail to capitalise on several touchdown opportunities, with McVay pointing to "self-inflicted wounds".

San Francisco's Deebo Manuel caught six passes for 115 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown, and when the Rams were still in the game, at 17-9 in arrears, quarterback Matthew Stafford was intercepted by Talanoa Hufanga. That pick-six summed up the Rams' night.

"I liked the way our guys battled, they competed and got it to a one-possession game," said McVay.

"But the story of the night from an offensive perspective was self-inflicted wounds, above-the-neck errors where we're not doing things we're capable of, and I expect us to be better than that.

"Defensively, I know we continue to battle, we gave ourselves a chance. We can tackle better, you credit them for making the plays, and I thought special teams hung tough, but overall we didn't do enough to win the football game.

"I'm not going to make any excuses. We've got to play better. A lot of it was just things where guys we were counting on didn't do what they were supposed to do."

McVay took his share of the blame, saying: "I put us in some bad spots.

"However you want to cut it, we have to be better collectively, coaches and players.  There's no other way around it and no way I know how to fix it other than go back to work."

The Rams will face the Dallas Cowboys, who are on a three-game winning streak, in Week 5.

"Everybody needs to be able to look inward," said McVay. "In the red area, to have three good drives and only come away with nine points in a game that was a back-and-forth battle like that, that ended up being the difference.

"And when you do make it a one-possession game and you've got some momentum, a couple of game first downs and we throw an interception for a touchdown on a screen, those are the things that don't help you win games."

McVay had been pondering his future following the conclusion of a difficult 2022 campaign that ended with Sunday's overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. 

The 2017 NFL Coach of the Year confirmed he was weighing up his options when speaking at Monday's end-of-the-season press conference.

The Rams dropped nine of their final 11 games to finish 5-12, the highest loss total in a season for any team defending a Super Bowl title, amid a mounting swarm of injuries to several key players that included quarterback Matthew Stafford, 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

"I think what I liked to do is be able to take the appropriate time," McVay said on Monday. "I've never gone through anything like this, but you want to make sure that you're considerate of the people that are affected.

"That's the most important thing and you want to be able to have the consistent conversations and dialogues that have existed with the people that I love and really care about.

"But that doesn't mean it takes away the empathy, the level of responsibility that I do feel for the people that would be affected as it relates to my decision moving forward, and so those are the things that you don’t take lightly.

"You want to be able to make sure that you're intentional about taking the appropriate time, while also making a decision in a manner that's considerate of those people that would be affected."

McVay, who at age 36 became the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with the Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last February, has four years remaining on a new contract he received prior to the start of this past season.

The Rams reached the playoffs four times in McVay's first five seasons in charge and won 55 regular-season games over that span, tying him with Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin for the third-most victories of any coach through his first five seasons in NFL history.

McVay is also the youngest head coach to lead a team to a Super Bowl after guiding the Rams to the title game during the 2018 season at the age of 33.

The Rams have compiled a 60-38 record with three NFC West titles during McVay's tenure, as well as a 7-3 mark in postseason play.

A restructuring of Donald's deal in LA will see him guaranteed $95million over the next three years, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

However, for the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, it is a price worth paying.

Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and played a vital role in the Super Bowl LVI win over the Cincinnati Bengals last year.

Given the uncertainty that followed that victory, with Donald hinting at a possible retirement, McVay is simply delighted to be getting his best defender back.

"It's not great news; it's phenomenal, outstanding, any nice adjective that you can place around it," McVay told SiriusXM.

"It's a big deal, and he's earned it. And he truly is one of one, in my opinion.

"This means so much to me, to our organisation.

"I think the respect that he's garnered around this league from guys that have done it at such a high level, what he's accomplished through his eight years is unparalleled.

"And so [we] wanted to be able to find a solution to get him taken care of and have him continue to lead the way for our team, for our defense.

"We had a feeling it was trending in the right direction when he was at our wedding on Saturday night. A lot of good things have happened the last couple days for me."

As well as earning an unprecedented salary, Donald now has the freedom to retire in 2024 without any financial consequences.

First, though, the 31-year-old is "locked back in to go get us another ring", as he said in a video released by the team.

And that pursuit would be aided by the Rams also bringing back Odell Beckham – another attendee at the McVays' wedding, even if Sean claimed he "crashed" the event.

"He was a baller," McVay said of a receiver who signed for the Rams last November but was out of contract after tearing his ACL against the Bengals.

"We want to try to be able to get him back. I would love to work with him every single day."

Beckham has been listed by the Rams as "questionable" for the game, with the hip complaint impacting his ability to practice during the week.

The 29-year-old wide receiver was a limited participant at Wednesday's session while he missed Thursday's practice completely.

McVay told reporters on Friday that he would be "surprised" if Beckham did not play when pressed on the issue. Beckham added that he expected to play.

"I’ll be alright," Beckham told reporters. "I’ve been through worse."

The Rams have lost their past three games against top contenders, the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, slipping to a 7-4 record and second in the NFC West.

Beckham joined the Rams on a one-year deal last month after agreeing a release from the Cleveland Browns.

The three-time Pro Bowler has suited up twice for the Rams since his switch, with seven receptions for 99 yards and one touchdown.

The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in California, though it will be beyond midnight in Germany by the time the game starts.

This week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Germany would stage four NFL games over the next four seasons, starting from the 2022 campaign.

Indeed, it will be Bayern's Allianz Arena that hosts the first NFL regular-season game to be played in mainland Europe, with Frankfurt the other venue.

With the Super Bowl dominating headlines in the lead-up to this weekend, Nagelsmann was quizzed on his preference ahead of the Rams-Bengals clash.

"I don't have a favourite. My favourites have all been eliminated," Nagelsmann explained in a news conference on Friday.

"I don't have one favourite team. I have a connection to the Kansas City Chiefs, but I also find the Green Bay Packers interesting."

He then quipped: "Most of the time, when I watch the Super Bowl I fall asleep at halftime because I have a [lot of] work to do."

Asked if he is excited by the prospect of the NFL coming to Germany, following its success of staging games in London over recent years, Nagelsmann joked: "The anticipation in Germany is very great... when I get tickets!"

In total, five NFL regular-season games will be played outside the United States next season.

Three will take place in London, one in Munich and one in Mexico.

The Cardinals improved to 4-0 for the NFL season thanks to a Murray-inspired 37-20 victory over the Rams in the battle of two undefeated franchises on Sunday.

Arizona quarterback Murray passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 39 more yards as the Cardinals dismantled the Rams at Sofi Stadium, ending a run of eight straight defeats against a Sean McVay-coached team.

Murray became just the third player in the Super Bowl era with a 4-0 record, completion percentage of 75 or better and 1,200-plus passing yards in his team's first four games of a season, after Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson.

"I was pretty confident coming into this game with the game plan we had, the week of practice we put together, probably the best game plan that I think personally that we've had since I've been in the league," Rams star Murray told reporters.

"With that, being confident in all the guys, this team, I was just confident in going out there and letting it ride. The guys did the same and I can't be more proud of them."

Murray added: "Not really too worried about what other people think. I think the guys in the locker room understand what we're doing, what we're capable of and where we can take it."

The Cardinals have not reached the playoffs since losing to the Carolina Panthers in the 2015 NFC Championship Game.

But, Arizona are attracting plenty of attention this season – the Cardinals have scored at least 30 points and had at least 400 yards of offense in every game.

"Not a statement," Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "We wanted to get a week better. Division games are important. We've got to continue to play physical football and clean some stuff up."

Newton inspired Sunday's demolition of the hapless Chargers in Inglewood, California, where the Patriots kept their postseason hopes alive.

Reigning champions the Chiefs overcame the Denver Broncos to punch their ticket to the playoffs yet again as the New York Giants claimed a huge upset against the Seattle Seahawks.

NEWTON STANDS ALONE IN NFL AS PATS RUN RIOT

Patriots quarterback Newton was at the forefront of New England's ruthless demolition of the Chargers on the road.

Newton ran for two touchdowns to become the only NFL quarterback with double-digit rushing TDs in three different seasons, while he also set the league record for most multiple-touchdown games in a season by a QB with four in 2020.

The former MVP finished 12-of-19 passing for 69 yards and a touchdown, while he carried for 48 yards and a pair of TDs as the Patriots claimed back-to-back wins to improve to 6-6.

It was the 29th shutout in New England's history and 12th under head coach Bill Belichick, who moved past Tom Landry for third-most games coached with 455.

According to Stats Perform, New England's win was the largest road shut-out victory in NFL history by a team that entered the game with a losing record.

Los Angeles (3-9) were condemned to their worst loss in franchise history, eclipsing a 49-6 demolition against Kansas City in 1964.

CHIEFS FIRST AFC TEAM INTO PLAYOFFS

The Chiefs were far from their best but still trumped the Broncos 22-16 to secure a spot in the postseason for the sixth successive campaign – a franchise record.

Kansas City improved to 11-1 for the season after seeing off Denver for the 11th consecutive time, a streak dating back to 2015.

The Chiefs, who are yet to clinch a fifth straight AFC West title, saw star quarterback Patrick Mahomes finish 25 of 40 for 318 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.

Mahomes has thrown for at least 300 yards in five consecutive games, having achieved the feat last season and the campaign prior. Via Stats Perform, he is the only quarterback to have a five-plus game streak in three successive seasons.

Travis Kelce caught a touchdown as he posted his fifth consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards – no other tight end in league history even has five total seasons of 1,000 receiving yards, per NFL Research.

Kelce is also the first TE in the Super Bowl era with 1,100-plus receiving yards in his team's first 12 games of a season. He set the previous record in 2018.

Denver's Drew Lock completed 15 of 28 passes for 151 yards, two touchdowns and as many interceptions on the road.

GIANTS CLIP SEAHAWKS' WINGS, RODGERS MAKES HISTORY

In what has been described as one of Seattle's worst losses of the Pete Carroll era, the Giants stunned the Seahawks 17-12.

The Giants were 4-7 entering the clash, while the NFC West-leading Seahawks were looking to extend their advantage.

But the Giants – using backup quarterback Colt McCoy – had other ideas against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, who were outscored 14-0 in the third quarter.

Wilson struggled on home turf in Seattle, where he was sacked five times and finished 27-of-43 passing for 263 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams are now level atop the NFC West with 8-4 records after the latter beat the Arizona Cardinals 38-28.

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers became the fastest player to throw 400 career touchdown passes in the Green Bay Packers' 30-16 success against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Rodgers reached the milestone in his 193rd NFL appearance, eclipsing Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Philip Rivers after finding team-mate Davante Adams in the third quarter.

After throwing three touchdown passes, Super Bowl champion Rodgers also became the first player in league history with 35-plus TD passes in five different seasons.

Week 13 scores:

Cleveland Browns 41-35 Tennessee Titans
Las Vegas Raiders 31-28 New York Jets
Minnesota Vikings 27-24 Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins 19-7 Cincinnati Bengals
Indianapolis Colts 26-20 Houston Texans
Detroit Lions 34-30 Chicago Bears
New Orleans Saints 21-16 Atlanta Falcons
Los Angeles Rams 38-28 Arizona Cardinals
New York Giants 17-12 Seattle Seahawks
New England Patriots 45-0 Los Angeles Chargers
Green Bay Packers 30-16 Philadelphia Eagles
Kansas City Chiefs 22-16 Denver Broncos

With the coronavirus pandemic decimating offseason practice schedules and preventing any preseason games from taking place, 2020's crop of first-year players will start their pro careers having had very little time to adapt.

Yet, even in exceptional circumstances, there are still plenty of players from a talented rookie class with the chance to excel in their maiden season.

Here we look at 10 rookies to watch in the 2020 campaign.

Joe Burrow - QB, Cincinnati Bengals

The first overall pick in the 2020 draft will look to carry arguably the greatest season by a quarterback in the history of college football into his rookie year into the pros. Should he succeed, it will likely result in a quick turnaround for a moribund Bengals franchise. The reports from training camp suggest he is a position to do just that.

KEY STAT: Burrow's 60 passing touchdowns for National Champions LSU were the most in a single season by a college football quarterback.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire - RB, Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs used the final pick of the first round to select Burrow's former LSU team-mate. With Super Bowl hero Damien Williams opting out of the season, Edwards-Helaire has been a consensus first-round pick in fantasy drafts and - entering the league's most explosive offense - this do-it-all running back is in a situation to enjoy a monster rookie season.

KEY STAT: Of running backs selected in the 2020 draft, only Raymond Calais (7.5) - a seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - had a higher yards per touch average than Edwards-Helaire (6.9) in 2019.

Chase Young - DE, Washington Football Team

Young was an easy pick for Washington with the second overall selection. Some believe his upside is greater than last season's Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa, who was taken in the same spot by the 49ers in 2019. Playing on a defensive line stacked with first-round talent, Young has the ability to replicate the impact his former Ohio State team-mate had for San Francisco with a Washington team that has few bright spots.

KEY STAT: Despite serving a two-game suspension Young's 16.5 sacks were the most in the NCAA last season.

Tua Tagovailoa - QB, Miami Dolphins

Tagovailoa will have to wait for his NFL debut after veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick was named the 2020 starter. That is not much of a surprise given Tagovailoa has not played a game since dislocating his hip for Alabama in November. However, given the frenetic nature of Fitzpatrick's play, the fifth overall pick should eventually get a chance to prove he, and not Burrow, was the best quarterback in the class.

KEY STAT: Tagovailoa led the NCAA in touchdown percentage in 2019, with 33 (13.1 per cent) of his 252 pass attempts resulting in scores.

Brandon Aiyuk - WR, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers traded up from 31 to 25 to select wide receiver Aiyuk with their second pick of the first round. When a play-caller of Kyle Shanahan's talents makes such a move, the rest of the league needs to take notice. Aiyuk has reportedly started to vindicate that decision with impressive performances in training camp and has the skillset to make one of the league's premier offenses even more devastating in 2020.

KEY STAT: Aiyuk averaged 18.2 yards per touch in 2019 for Arizona State. Of wide receivers selected only CeeDee Lamb (19) - the first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys - averaged more.

Isaiah Simmons - LB, Arizona Cardinals

Aiming to help the Cardinals slow down the 49ers offense will be Cardinals first-round pick Simmons, who can operate as a linebacker, safety and even occasionally as a cornerback. His remarkable blend of size and athleticism gives Simmons the potential to be a true position-less player on defense and the key to him thriving as a rookie will be defensive coordinator Vance Joseph making the most of his physical attributes.

KEY STAT: Simmons showed his versatility in his final season at Clemson, recording eight sacks, three interceptions and eight pass breakups.

Antoine Winfield Jr. - S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While there has been so much focus on the Buccaneers' offense following the arrival of Tom Brady, the defense also looks championship-ready and Winfield can be a crucial contributor in his first year. The second-round pick is the son of former Pro Bowl defensive back Antoine Winfield Sr. and the same playmaking ability his father had has been apparent in Tampa Bay's preparations for a season where expectations will be extremely high.

KEY STAT: Winfield's seven interceptions for Minnesota in 2019 were the fourth-most in college football.

Jalen Hurts - QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts' selection in the second round by the Eagles caused a stir, but Hurts will not be displacing Carson Wentz as starter, at least not yet anyway. It is likely, though, that the Eagles use Hurts as runner in the red zone, the former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback having the dual-threat ability to add another dimension to the Philadelphia offense.

KEY STAT: The 3,274 rushing yards Hurts gained from 2016 to the end of the 2019 season were the third-most by a quarterback in that span.

Cam Akers - RB, Los Angeles Rams

With Todd Gurley now a member of the Atlanta Falcons, second-round pick Akers will carry much of the burden of reviving the Rams' running game in 2020. Having excelled in college despite playing behind a poor offensive line at Florida State, Akers should be confident of making a successful transition to the pros for a Rams team that also had a fair share of struggles in the trenches last season.

KEY STAT: Akers averaged 93.3 scrimmage yards per game in three seasons at Florida State, with that number the third-highest among running backs in the Atlantic Coast Conference between 2017 and 2019.

Jonathan Taylor - RB, Indianapolis Colts

Second-round pick Taylor is set to step into a heavy-duty role in the Colts backfield as a rookie. He should get a larger share of the carries than team-mate Marlon Mack, who is a free agent at the end of the season, and will be the favoured back in the red zone. If he performs as he did during a stellar collegiate career at Wisconsin, Taylor will be in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation.

KEY STAT: Taylor averaged 150 rushing yards per game during in his career at Wisconsin (2017-19), the highest average of any running back in college football in that timeframe.