RADIO
Lost in all the madness of the 2022 NFL season is the Los Angeles Rams' drastic downfall. After edging the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, they were on top of the football world.
A year later, they bowed out of playoff contention after finishing with a 5-12 record. What went wrong with the Rams in 2022? If there's anything their story proves, change is inevitable in a brutal sport. A combination of terrible decisions and bad luck led them to failure.
All is not lost for the Rams because some key players will return. But aside from their health being in question, their front office must conduct extensive groundwork to remain one of the NFC's elite teams.
Going All In For A Championship
The Rams have been a legitimate contender since Sean McVay became head coach in 2017. However, despite completing double-digit regular season wins, they always fall short in the playoffs. The most notable of their collapses is their 13-3 loss in Super Bowl LIII to the New England Patriots, considering they had the league's best offense. Two years later, despite a ten-win season, they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round.
These failures led Les Snead, the general manager, to take an enormous risk before the 2021 season. The Rams acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in exchange for Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick, and their first-round selections for 2022 and 2023. They also traded for All-Pro linebacker Von Miller, sending their second and third-round picks for 2022 to the Denver Broncos. Their haul was complete when they signed Odell Beckham Jr. after his release from the Cleveland Browns.
Rise And Fall Of The Rams
Those acquisitions vastly improved a roster with Cam Akers, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, and Jalen Ramsey. More importantly, these pieces fit perfectly as the Rams won seven of their first eight games. Los Angeles finished the season at 12-5, earning the fourth seed in the NFC. After dismantling the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, they sneaked past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers to book a ticket to Super Bowl LVI.
The Rams had an intense battle with the Bengals for the title. Their fans held their breath when Beckham got injured and never returned. However, Donald and the Rams' defense sealed a 23-20 victory to capture the franchise's second Super Bowl championship. Their top players also received individual distinctions, with Kupp, Donald, and Ramsey becoming First-Team All-Pros and Pro Bowlers. Kupp also became Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns.
There was much optimism in the Rams' camp after signing All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and wide receiver Allen Robinson. Unfortunately, their record flipped to 5-12 after losing nine of their last 11 games. They failed to secure a victory against their division rivals in the NFC West after going 3-3 in 2021. Worst yet, they don't have a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making it difficult to improve their roster with inexpensive but excellent talent.
Rams' Passing Game Failed To Soar
The Rams hoped Robinson would be a productive complement to Kupp and Van Jefferson, especially after Beckham became a free agent and Robert Woods returned from an ACL injury. They gambled on the 2015 NFL receiving touchdowns co-leader via a three-year, $46.5 million contract. Los Angeles traded Woods to the Tennessee Titans two days after finalizing that deal. Sadly, Robinson did not live up to the numbers he had in 2020 when he was still with the Chicago Bears.
Robinson had 339 yards and three touchdowns in ten games played. Those numbers are a far cry from his 1,250 yards and six touchdowns two seasons ago. In contrast, Woods had more receiving yards (527) for Tennessee despite playing on a system that revolved around the run game. Without other legitimate threats in the receiving corps, Kupp's production also took a hit until his body broke down, limiting his 2022 campaign to nine games. Worst yet, the Rams found it difficult to play at full strength.
Battered Rams
Kupp played only nine games because of foot and ankle injuries. He wasn't the only Rams player who missed significant playing time. Stafford also played nine games, ending up on injured reserve to finish the season. On defense, Donald played 11 games, while Floyd, Jordan Fuller, and A'Shawn Robinson sat out some games. Injuries to David Long and Travin Howard depleted their depth chart further. Their offensive line took a hit, with Brian Allen playing in only seven games, and Joseph Noteboom ended up on IR.
Allen Robinson also ended the 2022 NFL season on injured reserve. Akers, Tyler Higbee, and Ben Skowronek also skipped some games. Even John Wolford, Stafford's top backup, missed some time. That's why the Rams' final depth chart at quarterback featured Bryce Perkins and Baker Mayfield. The injuries kept coming every week, and the liabilities proved insurmountable. As a result, the Rams became the 17th team to miss the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl in the previous season.
Rams Try To Bounce Back
The Super Bowl LVI champions can remain competitive if their key players stay healthy. Without them, their reserves will be in an uphill battle to keep up the fight. However, the road to a potential playoff return is challenging, considering they've lost Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins and released both Wagner and Floyd this offseason. The Rams must also bolster their offensive line to protect an aging Stafford. Their defensive line will also take a hit if they don't bring back Robinson and nose tackle Greg Gaines.
The Rams will have to do some salary-cap gymnastics since they only have $8 million in cap space and are still nine players short of the 53-man active roster. Snead must work his magic again to put the Rams in a prominent position to win a second Super Bowl in three years. That result will elevate the Pro Football Hall of Fame credentials for Stafford, Donald, and Kupp. But expectation doesn't always turn into reality. What's real, though, is that their championship window is dwindling if they don't make wise moves.
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