There will be plenty of the Rams in this season's marquee timeslots as the full 2022-23 schedule was released on Thursday, including a Monday night fixture against the Green Bay Packers in week 15, and a Christmas Day game against Russell Wilson's Denver Broncos six days later.
The Broncos will not have to wait long for their first eyebrow-raising matchup, travelling to take on Wilson's former team, the Seattle Seahawks, in the first Monday night fixture of the season.
Week one's third primetime game sees Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading to 'Jerry World' to take on the Dallas Cowboys.
Patrick Mahomes – the man with the richest contract in the sport – will get his first primetime appearance of the season in week two's Thursday night showdown, as his Kansas City Chiefs host arguably Mahomes' only competition for best young quarterback, taking on Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers gets the Sunday night fixture in week two against the Packers' long-time rivals as the Chicago Bears come to town, and his week three matchup against Brady's Bucs will be must-see TV.
The Rams have the toughest strength-of-schedule based on their opponents' 2021-22 records (164-125, .567 winning percentage), while the Cowboys and the Washington Commanders are tied for the easiest schedule (133-155-1, .462 winning percentage).
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions will be the only team in NFL this season to not have a primetime game.
The complete week one schedule features:
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams (Thursday night)
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (Sunday afternoon)
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets
Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Commanders
San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
New York Giants at Tennessee Titans (Sunday late-afternoon)
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday night)
Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks (Monday night)
Goff will no longer have running back Todd Gurley and receiver Brandin Cooks at his disposal after Gurley was released on March 19 and Cooks was traded to the Houston Texans on Friday.
''It's always super tough to lose friends or team-mates,'' Goff said during a conference call on Wednesday.
"I understand there's a business in this game and those two guys understand that as well, and that was a decision made. Whatever the decision is, we move forward."
Despite no longer having a three-time Pro Bowler in Gurley and a four-time 1,000-yard receiver in Cooks, Goff does not see a reason to panic.
''We'll be just fine,'' he said. ''Nothing to worry about. I mean, we've got a lot of work to do, [but] it's only April right now, and we're going to work through this offseason and let's see what comes of it due to the coronavirus, but it's how the game goes. Teams make changes all the time, and we're going to find other contributors.''
Running back Darrell Henderson Jr. is expected to fill the void in the backfield while Josh Reynolds will step in to a starting receiver role. Henderson carried the ball 39 times for 147 yards and a 3.8 average last season and Reynolds caught 21 passes for 326 yards and one score.
"I would expect some of the stuff that was tailored to Brandin and Todd to be not there anymore. That's the easiest way to say it," Goff said. "There was a lot of runs that Todd really liked and a lot of stuff that we did to get Todd the ball in certain ways."
Gurley had 21 offensive touchdowns in 2018 as the Rams ranked second in the NFL in scoring at 32.9 points per game – the franchise's highest mark since the 2000 team averaged 33.8 points. Los Angeles' scoring dipped to 11th in the league last season at 24.6 points per game, and Goff says regardless of who is lining up around him, it is all up to him for the offense to be successful.
''It's always been on me,'' he said. ''It's always been on the quarterback, and that's never changed. Since I've come into the league, it's always been up to me to make things happen.''
Los Angeles activated Ernest Jones from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Niners at SoFi Stadium.
Jones has not played since suffering a high ankle sprain against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16.
The Rams will be grateful for his return as they prepare to face a 49ers offense that consistently looks to torment linebackers and complete passes over the middle of the field.
San Francisco swept the regular-season series between the two teams, with the Niners winning the last six meetings with the Rams.
Third-round pick Jones impressed in the regular season, racking up 61 tackles, two interceptions and a sack.
In the regular season, Jones allowed a big play on just 10 per cent of targets, the fifth-best ratio among linebackers targeted at least 25 times.
Kupp clutched his right ankle when he landed awkwardly trying to catch a fourth-quarter John Wolford pass and was checked by the Rams medical staff before walking to the locker room.
The Rams wide receiver, who also hurt his right ankle late in their Week 8 game but played the following week, did not speak to media afterwards.
"I don't have anything right now," McVay told reporters. "I just know it didn't look good, it didn't sound good."
Kupp, who won last year's Super Bowl MVP, has been the Rams' key offensive player this season. The wide receiver has 72 receptions for 813 yards with six touchdowns, with one rushing TD from nine carries this season.
The Rams' latest loss left the Super Bowl LVI champions with a 3-6 record, sitting last in the NFC West after three straight losses.
Kupp enjoyed an historic 2021 season, becoming the fourth player in NFL history to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the same season, alongside Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe and Steve Smith Sr.
The 29-year-old had 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 2021 regular season, before adding 33 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns in the postseason.
Stafford, who played just three playoff games in 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, ended his first year in LA by leading the Rams to a 23-20 Super Bowl LVI win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Representing a significant upgrade on predecessor Jared Goff – who headed to Detroit as part of a trade that also saw the Lions receive two first-round picks – Stafford threw for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns in the 2021 regular season.
The team improved from ranking 13th in passing offense in 2020 (250.9 yards per game) to fifth in 2021 (273.1 yards).
The one-time first overall draft pick added 1,188 yards and nine touchdown passes in the Rams' successful playoff run, including three scores in the defeat of the Bengals.
Stafford's existing contract had been set to expire following the 2022 season, but the new deal added to the end of that is set to keep the quarterback in LA through 2026.
The extension guarantees Stafford $135m, according to reports, and was crucially secured before his $10m roster bonus was due on Sunday.
This should allow cap space for the Rams to further improve their roster in free agency, with another title tilt on the cards as both coach Sean McVay and superstar defender Aaron Donald appear set to return despite claims to the contrary.
The Rams have already signed Allen Robinson and Stafford will again be able to look to Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp in a fearsome offense.
Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed they were "just being smart" with the pair who had injuries during their Super Bowl-winning campaign last season.
Akers was part of the Rams' Super Bowl triumph after missing most of the season due to an Achilles tear in July last year, while Henderson had a four-game layoff with an MCL sprain.
McVay said the pair were full participants during practice.
"They looked good," McVay told reporters. "They got a few reps and so, it was a good thing.
"Like I mentioned, Darrell was able to get a bunch of full-speed work the other day. Cam looked good today. So I expect all hands on deck."
Henderson led the Rams' running backs for touchdowns last season with five from 10 starts. He had 149 rushing attempts for 688 yards, along with 29 receptions for 176 yards and three TDs.
Ramsey earned his third straight Pro Bowl selection last season and is widely considered among the best in the league at his position.
Acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars in October for two first-round picks, Ramsey totaled 33 tackles, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception in nine games for the Rams this past season.
Ramsey will make $13.703million this upcoming season in the fifth year of his rookie deal and the Rams have already said they realise he deserves to be one of the NFL's highest-paid cornerbacks.
"It will get handled," Ramsey said on Tuesday in a video conference call.
"The Rams know where I stand, and that's all that matters. They've been in contact with my agent. They're on the same page. They know what's up … Everybody knew what type of situation it was going to be once they traded for me. I think it doesn't need to be talked about that much. It'll get handled."
Ramsey's contract could end up exceeding the five-year, $82.5m deal that the Miami Dolphins gave Byron Jones in March that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the league.
"There's a lot of dialogue," Rams coach Sean McVay said on a video conference with reporters. "The anticipation in acquiring him is that he is a Ram for a long time. We went and got this guy with the hope that it's not a short-term thing."
Beckham and Miller will make their second appearance since joining the Rams when the 7-3 Los Angeles franchise visit Lambeau Field.
After his release from the Cleveland Browns, Beckham debuted in the 31-10 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 before the team's bye – the three-time Pro Bowler caught two passes for 18 yards.
Miller – acquired from the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster trade – was inactive for his first game before debuting against the 49ers, playing 45 of 68 snaps while recording two tackles.
McVay is anticipating an increased role for Beckham and Miller against the 8-3 Packers this week.
"A lot more, hopefully," McVay told reporters on Friday when asked if he expected to get more out of the pair in their second appearance for the Rams.
"Odell [is] just getting more familiar," McVay said. "I mean for him to be able to even play in the game against the Niners is an incredible credit to him."
"It helps because he's getting up to speed mentally," McVay added. "You don't take for granted how important those physical reps and the rapport that he and Matthew are continuing to develop is and so because we'll do a little bit more reps today, we'll end up getting about the same amount that we would in a normal week, so it will be a good thing, but he's done great."
McVay said: "Von did a good job, played a lot of snaps. I think he'll be that much more healthy, that much more fresh coming off the bye and giving his ankle another handful of days to continue to make progress and steps in the right direction without having any setbacks over these last couple of weeks."
Miller has been dealing with an ankle issue and the Super Bowl MVP added: "I'm feeling pretty good, feel a little bit more comfortable with the playbook, ankle is a whole lot healthier. So the bye week was great."
The Rams have lost two straight games following defeats to the 49ers and Tennessee Titans. According to Stats Perform, it is the first time the team have lost consecutive games with both being by double digits since McVay became head coach in 2017.
The 2020 NFL season is scheduled to begin on September 10, despite all preseason games being cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Previously, McVay has been sceptical regarding training camp and the NFL season but the 34-year-old coach has faith in the campaign going ahead.
"I feel a lot better now, having a little bit more knowledge and understanding of – it's really about the risk mitigation, keeping our ecosystem clear," McVay said.
The Rams are scheduled to face the Dallas Cowboys in their NFL opener on September 13.
McVay added: "We're still going to play football. I think there's a better understanding of how we apply those risk mitigation practices.
"I made the comment about social distancing – we're not going to do that on the field, but in those meeting settings when you can do that and you're wearing your masks, those are the times that we're going to do that."
"Guys are chomping at the bit to get back and understand that that's going to be part of how we have a successful season – is guys successfully handling themselves in the right way with regards to the risk mitigation," McVay continued.
"We've always just talked about handling yourself in a professional manner outside the building for just good decision making and now that's an added part of it as we navigate through this."
He, obviously, ended up not retiring, with the Rams ultimately restructuring his contract to give him a record payday in early June.
But from the time the Rams raised the Lombardi Trophy to the time Donald agreed to the massive raise, coach Sean McVay says his ongoing conversations with the future Hall of Famer were crucial in getting a deal done.
"My dialogue with Aaron throughout the process I thought was key to be able to feel good about it but also understand what needed to get done to have him come back and lead the way for us," McVay said on Monday.
Donald’s restructured deal guarantees him $95million over the next three years, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The hefty price is justified, however, given he’s widely considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history.
A Super Bowl championship was the last major accomplishment left to achieve for the 31-year-old Donald, who has three Defensive Player of the Year Awards and seven consecutive First Team All-Pro selections on his resume.
So McVay understood why Donald wanted to take some time to evaluate his career after playing a vital role in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals with a pair of sacks against Joe Burrow.
"When you reach (and win the Super Bowl), when he had been working so hard to try to get to that goal, there's an exhale," McVay said. "I think you want to be able to let the dust settle, figure out what's important. What can we do to accommodate that? If you still want to be able to play football."
Donald still has the passion to play and McVay credits their conversations as a big reason why one of the most feared defensive players ever will be suiting up for the Rams in their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
"(Donald and I) had great dialogue throughout the course of the offseason," McVay said. "I think like anything else, it's such a long process when you're able to play 21 games and if you include the pre-season, you're talking about 24 games last year. So many emotions."
All operations will take place away from the Rams' training facility on Wednesday except for those going through pre-arranged rehabilitation programmes.
The unnamed player is now isolating away from the rest of the roster.
"This evening, we learned a Rams player tested positive for COVID-19," a statement read.
"The player immediately entered self-quarantine and out of an abundance of caution, we are entering intensive protocol.
"Other than select players with assigned rehab, all football activities will take place remotely on Wednesday. Players and coaches will conduct their normal meeting schedule from home.
"This decision was made in consultation with the NFL and medical officials as the health and safety of the team is our highest priority."
The 6-3 Rams are scheduled to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) on Monday.
McVay has led the Rams to four playoff appearances and two trips to the Super Bowl in five seasons since the team made the then 30-year-old the youngest head coach in modern NFL history in 2017.
He became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 36 when Los Angeles defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in February.
The 2017 NFL Coach of the Year's 55 regular-season victories are tied with Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin for the third-most of any coach through his first five seasons in NFL history.
McVay also sports a 7-3 postseason record with three NFC West titles over his tenure, along with an NFC championship in 2018 that resulted in the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance in 17 years.
Snead, entering his 11th season as the Rams' GM after remaining with the team following its move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles in 2016, has also played a major part in the franchise's recent success by assembling one of the league's most talented rosters through the draft and trades.
The Rams have drafted five Pro Bowl players, most notably three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, under Snead's watch.
The 51-year-old has also established a reputation as one of the league's most aggressive and shrewd executives by acquiring several other members of last season's championship core via the trade and free agent markets.
Snead snared three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 and landed quarterback Matthew Stafford in a blockbuster trade with the Detroit Lions in March 2021.
He later made two significant in-season moves that contributed to last season's title run by trading for star pass rusher Von Miller and signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
"As an organisation we constantly strive to better ourselves every day. This requires selflessness, dedication and great leadership throughout. Sean and Les personify this mindset," Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement.
"They have been crucial to many of our successes that transcend wins and losses. They epitomise the 'We, not me' mantra that permeates the entire organisation.
"We look forward to many more exciting seasons at SoFi Stadium as Sean and Les continue to play meaningful roles within the organisation and throughout the community."
Los Angeles will kick off the 2022 NFL season Thursday night at SoFi Stadium against reigning AFC East champion, the Buffalo Bills.
McVay revealed on Monday that the 31-year-old defensive tackle had an ankle sprain, although he was still undergoing examination on the severity. He said Rams' medical staff indicated they feared it was a high ankle sprain.
Donald joins quarterback Matthew Stafford (concussion protocol) and wide receiver Cooper Kupp (high ankle sprain) on the sidelines.
"We're finding that out right now," McVay told reporters about Donald's injury. "He's still meeting with the doctors and getting the necessary scans.
"On Wednesday when we re-convene I'll have a little bit more information for you."
Donald has five sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, 11 quarterback hits and a forced fumble in 11 games this season.
"Obviously we'll take the appropriate steps for Aaron in terms of how we move forward and what that means as far as his availability for this week and the weeks to come," McVay said.
McVay added there was no update on Stafford, who remains in protocol, but rejected talk of shutting down all their star players despite the reigning Super Bowl champions' 3-6 record.
"I think you've got to take each individual case," he said. "As a competitor for those players, you want to be mindful of all the things that go into that. I've always consistently said being smart. They're all factors. We're trying to compete.
"But it's been something nobody could have predicted. When it rains, it pours."
On Sunday, the Rams confirmed wide receiver Allen Robinson II will miss the remainder of the season with a foot stress fracture.
Not since 2001 had the Rams trumped the Patriots, suffering Super Bowl defeats in 2002 and 2019, with a minus-92 point differential and minus-eight turnover margin during that run.
But the in-form Rams (9-4) finally celebrated a victory over the Patriots in Los Angeles on Thursday.
The result snapped New England's NFL record streak of 17 consecutive seasons with double-digit wins – the Patriots fell to 6-7 with three games remaining.
Jared Goff was 16-of-25 passing for 137 yards, one touchdown and an interception, while the Rams quarterback rushed for another TD on four carries and 11 yards.
Patriots counterpart Cam Newton finished nine of 16 for 119 yards, no touchdowns and interception – a pick six – to go with seven carries and 16 yards as New England had their two-game winning run halted.
Newton was eventually withdrawn as Jarrett Stidham was introduced under center and completed five of seven passes for 27 yards.
The Rams raced out to a 10-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter and never looked back – Goff's one-yard run and a 35-yard field goal from Matt Gay setting the tone at home to the Patriots.
A 79-yard interception return via Kenny Young extended the Rams' lead early in the second period before Nick Folk converted a 29-yard field goal to ensure the Patriots entered half-time with some points on the board.
It was bleak for the Patriots as the Rams continued their dominance in the third quarter – Goff's pass to Cooper Kupp putting the game beyond reach with less than two minutes remaining in the third, the final score of the contest.
The third quarter also saw Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald sack Newton to surpass Von Miller (83.5) for the fourth-most sacks in a player's first seven seasons since individual sacks were tracked in 1982.
Meanwhile, Rams team-mate Cam Akers became the fourth youngest player in NFL history to rush for 170-plus yards in a game, per Stats Perform.
The Super Bowl LVI champions suffered their third loss of the season, with Stafford and the offense struggling again in a 22-10 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Rams have managed only one touchdown in their past nine quarters, with Stafford finding wide receiver Cooper Kupp in a 75-yard catch and run against the Cowboys.
Stafford has also been left banged up with the Rams' offensive line cursed by injuries, allowing five sacks on Sunday, for a total of 21 for the season. The QB was also pressured 20 times by the Cowboys defense, the equal second most in a game for Stafford's career.
"I love Matthew Stafford," McVay told reporters. "He is competing and doing everything in his power for this team. He needs some help. We've got to be able to help him."
McVay had no quick fixes for his side's offensive line issues, while he continued to back Stafford.
"I think he's doing everything he can," he said. "I think he needs more help. Guys got to play better around him.
"We've got to be able to help him be able to give himself a chance to sit on his back foot, just past even a hitch on some things.
"I'll ride with that guy to the end of time. And he's continuing to do everything in his power to try to help our team move the football, score points and we've got to be able to help him out more."
Stafford completed 28 of 42 attempts for 308 yards with one interception against the Cowboys, showing that he has been able to play through pain after copping so many hits.
"I feel OK," Stafford said. "It's part of the game."
"We've got to find a way to get the ball in the end zone. Got to do a better job sustaining some drives, giving ourselves some more manageable situations and find a way to get more points."
The Rams edged the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 with quarterback Matthew Stafford finding Kupp for two touchdown passes.
Kupp had 11 receptions for 142 yards for the game, with his fourth-quarter TD helping them reel in a 10-point final-change deficit.
The 28-year-old led the NFL in the key receiver statistics with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Kupp has 386 receiving yards this postseason, which is the third all-time most in playoffs history before the Super Bowl.
"He's just a special player," McVay said at the post-game news conference. "I talked about Matthew [Stafford], competitive greatness, Cooper was that today.
"Just big catch after big catch. He's competing in the run game. He does so many things.
"We'd have no chance of being here today without Cooper Kupp."
The victory means the Rams have reached the Super Bowl for the second time in five seasons under McVay, having been beaten by the New England Patriots three years ago.
Stafford completed 31 of 45 passing attempts for 337 yards with his two touchdown passes for Kupp.
The Rams traded in 33-year-old QB Stafford from the Detroit Lions in March last year, with the move paying off.
"We went out and got him because we thought it was a chance to get a great player of his magnitude," McVay said. "Those things don’t come around often.
"He's elevated everybody around him. He's made me a better coach. He's made his teammates better. He's such a great person.
"He's a great competitor. We've seen that all season but it's really been on display this last couple of weeks. We talk about competitive greatness, he embodied that today."
Stafford endured years of under-achievement with the Lions, with only three postseason games which were all defeats, and was delighted to reach a Super Bowl for the first time in his 13-year career.
"I don’t know that I ever thought about what I'd be feeling at this moment," Stafford said. "I probably just sat there and wished I'd be in those games.
"I'm so happy that I've got that opportunity and we've got an opportunity to be in another one that I've always wanted to play in."
He added: "Long time coming, you know. [I] Spent a lot of years in this league, I've loved every minute of it. I feel blessed to be able to play in this league as long as I have. It's an opportunity."
Stafford has been skipping the Rams’ full-team portions of training camp practices and instead has been throwing in individual drills and 7-on-7 setups. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback dealt with an elbow injury last season and received an injection in the affected area during the offseason.
''It's a little bit abnormal for a quarterback,'' McVay said Thursday. ''Some of this stuff is things that MLB pitchers deal with, so it is something that we're kind of learning about on the fly with his feedback.''
While McVay stressed that Stafford could probably play in a game this week, the Rams clearly are trying to figure out how to keep him healthy for the season and are being careful not to overtax his arm.
"We want to try to have him operate in as little pain as possible,'' McVay said. ''I think anytime that you've played as long and are as tough as he is, I don't know if you're ever truly pain-free, but the goal would be for September 8, and really looking towards 17 games, then hopefully some games after that, if we earn that opportunity.
"That's kind of the perspective and the big-picture approach that we want to be able to take. I don't know that I would feel as comfortable taking that approach if it wasn't for the experience that he's accumulated.''
Stafford, 34, played in all 17 regular-season games in 2021 and then played four postseason games, leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl title since returning from St. Louis. He finished with 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season, his first with Los Angeles after 12 in Detroit.
Bruss headed to Los Angeles as a third-round selection from Wisconsin and arrived with great potential as a right guard, starting the first two preseason games as competition for places heated up.
However, the 22-year-old will not feature in the upcoming campaign after sustaining a season-ending injury to his right knee in the second quarter on Friday against the Texans.
"We obviously drafted him with confidence that he could be a guy that could potentially contribute for us this year," Rams coach Sean McVay said.
"Unfortunately now, as a result of what's occurred, that won't be the case. But [you] put your arm around him, you help him attack the rehab the right way.
"And I trust that he's going to do everything in his power to come back better next year than he was this year."
Bruss had been competing with Coleman Shelton for the starting right guard spot, though it will be the latter who appears in Week 1 at home to the Buffalo Bills on September 9.
While McVay believes Shelton's versatility will help the Rams, the Los Angeles coach expects his other players to step up and seize their opportunities in the absence of Bruss.
"It's an unfortunate thing for Logan, but guys have to be able to step up," McVay added.
"And that's the unfortunate part about this business and this game is that injuries do occur and let's go ahead and respond the right way with the way we attack our rehab.
"I hate it for Logan, but I am encouraged and very excited and optimistic about what we can be up front this year."
Tremayne Anchrum Jr., AJ Jackson and Bobby Evans were all cited by McVay as those who have shown development in preseason and could excel in 2022.
"I've seen incredible strides from Tremayne Anchrum, he's been outstanding in the preseason," McVay said.
"I think he's really done an outstanding job in these first two preseason games of showing that he absolutely belongs and he's a guy that could play and be ready to go if need be. And then the same thing with AJ Jackson.
"Those guys have stood out, and then you've got a guy in Bobby Evans that has started at guard, he's started at tackle in meaningful games that we've won over the last couple of years.
"And then you've got some young intriguing prospects in guys that have been here."
San Francisco rode a dominant defensive performance to knock off the Rams 24-9, extending the 49ers' regular-season winning streak against their NFC West rivals to seven games.
Matthew Stafford failed to throw a touchdown pass having also drawn a blank in the Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. It marked the fourth time in his career that Stafford had gone without a scoring throw in successive games.
Yet even with their offense misfiring, the Rams and head coach McVay have reason for hope heading into Sunday's clash with the Dallas Cowboys.
Since McVay took over in 2017, the Rams have gone 3-1 against the Cowboys, including a win in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at the end of the 2018 season.
Los Angeles' average margin of victory in those successes has been 16 points and, going against a backup quarterback in Cooper Rush, the Rams would appear to be a strong bet for a two-touchdown win in this matchup.
Yet Rush is proving himself a top-tier backup as Dak Prescott recovers from a thumb injury.
He has helped the Cowboys to three successive victories after they lost the season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Having won his first start against the Minnesota Vikings last year, Rush is the first quarterback in Cowboys history to win his first four starts. The only other NFL players to do so since 2005 are Kyle Allen (5), Patrick Mahomes (6), Jimmy Garoppolo (7) and Trevor Siemian (4).
And Rush and the Cowboys may have a formula for making it five wins for their number two signal-caller.
The Rams' nine-point effort against the 49ers marked the second time they had failed to score more than 10 this season. They were held to 10 by the Buffalo Bills in the season curtain-raiser.
Los Angeles had only failed to surpass 10 points seven times in McVay's first five seasons as head coach and have not done so more than twice in one season since doing so nine times in 2016, the Rams' first year back in their Southern California home following the return from St. Louis.
In the Cowboys, however, the Rams are facing a defense that has the talent to match the destruction the 49ers produced against a banged-up offensive line that allowed Stafford to be sacked seven times and pressured on 21 dropbacks.
Heading into Week 5, the Cowboys ranked second in pass rush win rate and boast three pass rushers in Micah Parsons (4), Demarcus Lawrence (4) and Dorance Armstrong (3) who have combined for 10 sacks so far this season.
With the Rams proving incapable of protecting Stafford as they fell to 2-2 on the season in the loss to San Francisco, that trio has a chance to consistently disrupt the Rams' passing game and allow a Dallas offense that has committed just two giveaways this season to control the ball and the clock.
Should that happen at SoFi Stadium, the Cowboys will be in an excellent position to reduce the Rams' reasons for positivity by dealing another blow to their hopes of retaining the Lombardi Trophy.
Miller, 32, joined the Rams from the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster trade on Monday, which significantly boosts McVay's 7-1 side and their NFL Super Bowl prospects.
A Super Bowl winner and MVP, Miller arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday and underwent a physical and onboarding but sat out practice on Wednesday, ahead of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans.
Miller missed the Broncos' Week 8 game due to an ankle injury suffered against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7, putting his availability to face the Titans in doubt.
"He'll do some limited work off to the side, just getting a feel for where his ankle is at. He hasn't been with us," McVay told reporters about Miller on Wednesday.
"Want to be smart, want to be able to ease him back in. We'll see what that looks like a day at a time."
McVay said the eight-time Pro Bowler was eager to play for his new team.
"Oh yeah, he's going to do everything in his power to try to play," McVay said. "But I think there's an element of let's take it a day at a time and let's be smart, let's get a feel for how he's doing, but this guy is an elite competitor and he definitely wants to be able to do that."
Miller has a pressure rate of 24.8 per cent, which was well above the pre-Week 8 average of 17.2 per cent for edge rushers.
McVay also revealed quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Robert Woods should both face the Titans, despite not practicing on Wednesday.
"We're fairly banged up so we're going to take a little bit more modified approach to practice this week," McVay said, adding later, "it's more about just being smart, being safe."
The Rams beat the Houston Texans 38-22 on the road last week after leading 38-0 heading into the fourth quarter. They are one of two teams (also the Dallas Cowboys) to score at least 20 points in every game this season, according to Stats Perform.
Meanwhile, the Rams have scored points in every half dating back to Week 13 in 2019 – their streak of 58 consecutive halves is the second-longest active streak (Baltimore, 135), per Stats Perform.
The Titans (6-2) will be without running back Derrick Henry, who underwent foot surgery on Tuesday.
