After turning in one of the worst games you will ever see in Week 2, being absolutely brutalized by an Arizona Cardinals team many fans expected to see with a top-5 draft pick instead of a playoff berth, the Los Angeles Rams found themselves against the wall heading into Week 3, with the prospects of making postseason waves down 0-3 with two divisional losses a scary proposition.
And yet, through it all, Sean McVay kept his composure, prepared his team like they were 0-0, and ultimately put together a game plan worthy of exceptional praise as he welcomed the San Francisco 49ers into SoFi Stadium, suited up a team ravaged by injuries, and went on to secure the win, bringing LA to 1-2 on the season, somehow in second place in the NFC West, trailing Seattle by two games while tied with the Niners and Cards at second place.
Was the game perfect? No. Do the Rams still have room to grow heading into October? You bet, but do you know what? A win's a win, and this one meant a lot more than most because it came against a 49ers team that was a heavy favorite heading into the game.
1. The Rams are finally going to run the ball
Despite having one of the better running backs rooms in the NFL, the Rams are somehow a team that hasn't recorded a single 100-yard rushing game through the first three games of the season.
Now granted, maybe some of that has to do with their absolutely brutal offensive line situation, with 11 different linemen recording at least one offensive snap on the offensive side of the ball. Maybe, too, it's the quality of their opponents, with all three teams featuring solid to good to very good defensive lines. Or maybe it's simply the fact that the Rams have a point differential of -34 through the first three weeks of the season and have constantly had to pick up chunk plays through the air to have a chance at winning games?
Either way, while the Rams didn't have much success on the ground in Week 1 and especially not in Week 2, they actually were able to run the ball in Week 3 pretty effectively, with Kyren Williams having his best game since last season and McVay calling a true 50-50 game, with 26 passing attempts to go with 26 rushing attempts. Williams was able to pick up chunk plays on the regular, even if his 3.17 yards per attempt doesn't necessarily show it, and he contributed as a receiver, too, catching both of his targets for 27 yards and a receiving touchdown to help secure the W against those pesky Miner 49ers.
Really, the only thing the Rams didn't do well in Week 3 was get Blake Corum involved as a 1B rusher, with Ronnie Rivers recording the only runs not by Williams on the way to a nine-yard performance. While the Rams do need to figure out a role for Corum moving forward, as they simply drafted him too high to keep him stuck on the bench, in the end, if Williams can pick up 20 rushing attempts per game and 90-ish yards, few fans will be too disappointed.
2. Matthew Stafford can get production out of anyone
In Week 3, Matthew Stafford was without his two top wide receivers, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, and yet, you wouldn't know if you just looked at his stat line, as he turned in a classic “Matthew Stafford game” where he once again made a marginal player look like a star, and moved the ball effectively against an above-average passing offense.
Taking the field against a 49ers team that was almost as banged up as his Rams – and maybe even more so by the end of the game, considering the mid-game loss of Javon Hargrave – Stafford was able to make plays in the passing game early and often, connecting with Jordan Whittington and Tyler Johnson three times each and absolutely unloaded a stunner to Tutu Atwell for a 50-yard reception that almost makes up for his failed jet sweep flea flicker attempt.
Can Stafford pretty much make any collection of pass catchers work? Is he the reason why Nacua is one of the top receivers in the NFL, and the reigning rookie yards lead in NFL history? Or has Les Snead simply assembled a fantastic roster where even the Rams' third, fourth, and fifth wide receivers can play at the NFL level? Well, based on his Week 3 stat line, picking up 221 yards and a touchdown through the air while largely relying on a run-heavy gameplan, it's safe to assume Stafford is still one of the best pure passers in the NFL, even if McVay doesn't always have to have him the ball 40 times per game to have a chance to win a game.
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3. The Rams' season isn't over
Heading into Week 3, optimism was at an all-time low among fans of the Rams. They lost a close one to the Lions, a not-so-close one to the Cardinals – who also took a beating at the hands of the Lions in Week 3 – and were set to face off against a 49ers team that, while injured, was widely considered the favorite heading into the game.
And yet, through it all, McVay outcoached his fellow former Washington assistant, designed a game plan his team was able to execute effectively, and ultimately secured the win at SoFi Stadium, leaving the tens of thousands of San Francisco fans who packed out the stands to leave Inglewood with their heads hung in disappointment.
Was this a fluke? Will the Rams drop to 1-3 against a Chicago Bears team that has looked rough with ex-USC QB Caleb Williams under center? Or will they best the former Trojan and even up their record for the first time this season? Either way, hope is back and the season isn't over just yet.
