By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports activities NFL Author
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Rams sorely missed three gamers who proved essential to the crew's profitable Tremendous Bowl run on this very subject a 12 months in the past.
All three had been within the constructing.
Retired left sort out Andrew Whitworth hosted a pre-game ceremony the place the Rams unfurled the Tremendous Bowl banner. Receiver Odell Beckham Jr., nonetheless recovering from offseason ACL knee surgical procedure, hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy throughout that ceremony.
And the opposite participant, edge rusher Von Miller, wreaked havoc on Whitworth's substitute, left sort out Joe Noteboom, in a humbling 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Payments in a Thursday evening contest to open the common season at SoFi Stadium.
The sport was speculated to be a coronation — a celebration of all the pieces the Rams completed final season. As an alternative, the competition degenerated right into a nightmarish passing of the baton to the crew that many NFL observers consider will hoist the Lombardi for the upcoming season within the Payments.
All the things that would go incorrect did go incorrect for the Rams.
Matthew Stafford was sacked seven occasions, probably the most in a single sport throughout his tenure with the crew.
McVay's offense may muster simply 243 complete yards and Stafford turned the ball over thrice.
Defensively, the Rams allowed the Payments convert 90 p.c of the time on third down. That they had no reply for Buffalo's bulldozer of a quarterback in Josh Allen, who completed 26-of-31 for 297 yards with three landing passes.
Allen additionally ran for an additional 56 yards and a rating. His 84 p.c completion proportion was the very best for a Buffalo quarterback in franchise historical past for a Week 1 contest.
The Rams gave up 5 passing performs of 20-plus yards, together with a 53-yard landing by Stefon Diggs the place Jalen Ramsey was the closest defender in protection, and a 26-yard rating to Gabriel Davis on a play-action move the place Ramsey additionally was the closest defender in protection.
Based on Professional Soccer Focus, Ramsey allowed an ideal passer ranking of 158.3. He was focused seven occasions, permitting six receptions for 124 yards and two scores.
Ramsey talked concerning the problem of defending Allen, who's harmful as a runner and a thrower as soon as he leaves the pocket.
"It is even harder if you do play plenty of zones," mentioned Ramsey, who acknowledged the Rams performed solely two snaps of man protection. "As a result of if you're in your zone and he begins scrambling, then you need to discover somebody close to you to connect your self to. So it is extraordinarily powerful."
L.A. managed to power three turnovers however may solely convert these scores into three factors.
Among the many litany of errors made by the Rams, probably the most troubling was the play of the offensive line.
Whitworth, the crew's Professional Bowl left sort out, retired through the offseason and the Rams misplaced proper guard Austin Corbett in free company.
Noteboom, a third-round number of the Rams within the 2018 draft, signed a three-year, $40 million extension as L.A.'s left sort out of the long run. Coleman Shelton changed Corbett at proper guard.
Noteboom struggled to dam Miller. Based on Professional Soccer Focus, Noteboom allowed three sacks and 10 pressures towards the Payments. Miller completed with 4 mixed tackles and two sacks.
Not solely did the Payments get house, however they did so with no need to dial up added stress.
Each proper sort out Rob Havenstein and Stafford acknowledged there may have been a mixture of issues that led to his crew's struggles up entrance.
"Any time that occurs in a sport, I'll have a handful that I believe I can do a greater job of," Stafford mentioned. "I've acquired to verify I am taking what the protection provides me, whereas nonetheless attempting to be aggressive. And on an evening like this the place we're taking part in slightly little bit of catch-up they usually're doing a pleasant job of dashing, I've acquired to do a greater job of getting it out in sure situations, there is no query about that. That is not an offensive-line stat. That is a crew stat on offense."
Added Havenstein when requested about his group's poor efficiency: "Actually, you've got simply acquired to be a person about it. You watch it. You perceive what went incorrect. You handle it in apply. You handle it within the weight room, or wherever it's essential handle your points. We had so much up entrance right now."
McVay took accountability for the loss. It was the primary time throughout his head-coaching tenure that he misplaced a season opener, falling to 5-1 in these contests.
Whereas McVay emphasised turning the web page through the offseason and coaching camp, the Rams definitely seemed to be experiencing a Tremendous Bowl hangover — no less than within the opening week of the NFL common season.
"My favourite a part of sports activities is the chance to reply," McVay mentioned. "That is simply Chapter 1 of the 17 chapters that we've. And I am wanting ahead to popping out and swinging with these guys to the perfect of our capability."
Added Ramsey: "We will not fear about Week 1. It is a lengthy season. Fortunately, no person's going to the Tremendous Bowl, nobody goes to the playoffs, primarily based on the outcomes from Week 1. We'll be all proper."
Eric D. Williams is an NFL author for FOX Sports activities. He has coated the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Comply with him on Twitter @eric_d_williams.
