What’s With the Rams?

A 1–2 record, a lopsided opener and another close loss have put the Rams under an early spotlight.

Updated September 29, 2026

Three games, three different pictures

San Francisco beat Los Angeles 27–7 in the Melbourne opener. The Rams answered with a 28–6 win over the Giants, then lost 30–26 at Denver after Bo Nix scored with 47 seconds left. That sequence explains why the record feels unsettling: the ceiling has flashed, but the week-to-week standard has not held.

The closing problem

The Rams held a late 26–23 lead in Denver and could not finish it. Matthew Stafford had one final chance, but the offense ran out of time. Their ability to score is visible; their ability to control the decisive stretches is the question.

A sharper test ahead

The Rams visit the Eagles in Week 4. Both teams have something to answer after painful Week 3 losses. For Los Angeles, a strong performance would show that the first three games were a rough opening stretch rather than a lasting identity.

Separate the record from the recurring problem

A 1–2 record after three weeks is not enough to define a season. The contrast between a 28–6 win and two losses, however, gives the Rams something specific to examine. Their offense found points in Denver, so simply asking for more production misses the timing issue: a late lead still had to be protected and the final response had to be organized.

The Philadelphia game offers a useful comparison because the Eagles are also answering a difficult loss. Watch the Rams when the score is close late: do they maintain the same choices that built the lead, or do they become cautious and leave the defense with too little margin? That question is more revealing than calling three games either a crisis or a fluke.