Entering the 2026 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams were viewed by many as a potential superteam. After trading for Myles Garrett, welcoming back arguably the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history in Aaron Donald, and already possessing stars such as Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Kyren Williams, expectations were understandably enormous.
Five games into the season, however, the Rams sit at 2–3, and their star acquisition, Garrett, has dealt with injury concerns. For a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, that is hardly the start supporters envisioned.
But is there actually something wrong with the Rams?
My answer is yes and no.
I am not particularly concerned about their record. What concerns me is how they are losing games, particularly their dreadful special teams play, inconsistent offensive execution, and questionable preparation.
The Rams Have a History of Slow Starts
One reason I am not panicking about Los Angeles’ 2–3 record is that Sean McVay’s teams have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to recover from difficult starts.
Consider their records through five games over the previous three seasons:
- 2023: 2–3
- 2024: 1–4
- 2025: 3–2
- 2026: 2–3
The Rams have consistently been a team that improves as the season progresses.
A significant factor is McVay’s longstanding approach to the preseason. Los Angeles generally avoids exposing established starters to unnecessary injury risks during exhibition games. While understandable, that approach comes with a trade-off.
The opening weeks of the regular season effectively become an opportunity for starters to build chemistry, regain game conditioning, and develop rhythm.
This does not excuse every early-season defeat, but it helps explain why the Rams have sometimes looked considerably better in November and December than they did in September.
For that reason, I do not consider their 2–3 record a major problem. There is plenty of time for a team with this much talent to turn its season around.
However, their record is not the issue that should concern Rams supporters.
Special Teams: The Rams’ Biggest Weakness
If there is one area that could derail Los Angeles’ championship ambitions, it is special teams.
Through five games, the Rams rank 32nd in the NFL in special teams expected points added (EPA).
Their struggles extend across several areas:
- Overall special teams EPA: 32nd
- Field goals, extra points and two-point plays EPA: 32nd
- Kickoff coverage EPA: 32nd
- Kick return EPA: 29th
- Punting EPA: 28th
Earlier in the season, their field goal and extra-point unit ranked 27th, while their punt return unit ranked 29th in DVOA-based evaluations.
These are not the numbers of a championship-caliber special teams unit.
What makes the situation particularly frustrating is that special teams were also a weakness for Los Angeles last season. This is not a new problem that suddenly appeared in 2026.
At some point, the coaching staff and front office must take responsibility for repeatedly entering seasons with such an obvious deficiency.
Perhaps the Rams believe their offensive and defensive talent is sufficient to overcome poor special teams performances.
If that is their thinking, I strongly disagree.
When Los Angeles won Super Bowl LVI, its special teams unit ranked fourth in the ranking referenced here. The previous two Super Bowl champions were ranked 13th and first, respectively.
Those figures illustrate an important point: championship teams do not necessarily require the best special teams unit in football, but they generally cannot afford to consistently lose games because of it.
The Rams do not need to become elite in this phase overnight. They need to become competent.
The Harrison Mevis Decision
The Rams’ special teams problems became impossible to ignore following their 37–34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
Los Angeles had an opportunity to win the game in overtime, but Harrison Mevis had a 48-yard field goal attempt blocked. Buffalo subsequently capitalized and secured the victory.
Mevis had struggled throughout the season, converting just five of nine field goal attempts.
Following the defeat, the Rams moved to release Mevis and bring in Blake Grupe.
I understand the decision. When a kicker repeatedly struggles and a team is losing close games, changes are inevitable.
However, replacing Mevis alone will not solve Los Angeles’ problems.
The Rams also need to improve their coverage units, return game, and overall special teams preparation.
This is an organizational problem, not simply a kicking problem.
Offensive Inconsistency and Questionable Coaching
The second issue I see with the Rams is their offensive inconsistency.
Los Angeles has more than enough talent to score against virtually any defense in football. Stafford remains an excellent quarterback, Nacua is one of the league’s most productive receivers, and McVay is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds.
We saw their offensive potential against Buffalo.
Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns, while Nacua recorded 17 receptions, 138 yards, and a touchdown.
Yet despite that production, the Rams still lost.
The problem is not a lack of offensive ability. It is their inability to consistently execute when games are on the line.
Against Denver, the Rams surrendered a 16-point lead before eventually losing 30–26. That is a game a team with Super Bowl aspirations should be able to finish.
I also question how Los Angeles approached its season opener in Australia against San Francisco.
Having players endure an 18-hour journey and then prepare to play with such a limited adjustment period was, in my opinion, poor preparation.
International travel is demanding, particularly when athletes must adjust to significant time differences. I do not believe the Rams put themselves in the best possible position to compete.
Los Angeles lost that opener 27–7.
Between the defeats against San Francisco and Denver, there are potentially two additional victories the Rams could have secured with better preparation and execution.
Even taking a conservative approach and assuming they split those two games, their record would be 3–2 rather than 2–3.
That is a meaningful difference in how their season would be perceived.
I am not suggesting that every defeat can be blamed on coaching. Players must execute, and opponents deserve credit for winning.
However, preparation, consistency, and game management are ultimately responsibilities of the coaching staff.
McVay deserves enormous credit for everything he has accomplished in Los Angeles, but that does not mean his decisions should be immune from criticism.
Should Rams Fans Be Worried?
Despite their disappointing start, I still believe the Rams have the talent to compete for a Super Bowl.
A healthy Myles Garrett alongside Aaron Donald gives Los Angeles an intimidating defensive foundation. Stafford, Nacua, Adams, and Williams provide more than enough offensive firepower to compete with the NFL’s best teams.
The roster is not the problem.
The Rams’ biggest issue is that they are making life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.
They have already demonstrated an ability to move the football and compete against strong opponents. What they have not demonstrated is the consistency required to close out games and avoid costly mistakes.
The special teams situation is particularly concerning because it has persisted across multiple seasons.
A team can overcome an occasional missed field goal or poor return. It becomes considerably more difficult when those mistakes repeatedly influence the outcome of close games.
Final Verdict: Yes and No
No, I am not concerned about the Rams being 2–3.
McVay’s teams have overcome slow starts before, and the talent on this roster gives Los Angeles every opportunity to recover.
Yes, I am concerned about their special teams, offensive inconsistency, and preparation.
The Rams have already lost games they had opportunities to win, and those missed opportunities could become extremely costly when playoff positioning is decided later in the season.
There is no reason a team with this much talent should rank last in the NFL in special teams performance.
Los Angeles does not need to reinvent its offense or make another blockbuster trade. It needs to execute more consistently, improve its special teams, and stop allowing avoidable mistakes to determine games.
The Rams are not a bad football team. But right now, they are a talented football team playing below its potential.
And until those issues are addressed, their Super Bowl aspirations will remain exactly that: aspirations.
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