Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is undoubtedly one of the best in the NFL today. He has completely turned the Rams around with a 55-27 record and four playoff appearances in five seasons. His efforts finally culminated in a Super Bowl 56 victory, the Rams' first in over 20 years.
With that said, McVay's showing in Thursday's season-opener against the Buffalo Bills was far from his finest. Sean McDermott's team trounced McVay's squad en route to a 31-10 victory. While the game was a statement for the Bills, the Rams may need to re-evaluate some parts of their team.
The players on the field didn't live up to expectations, but McVay isn't without blame. Some of his decisions were head-scratching to say the least, and these three in particular stood out.
3. Rams need to stop relying so heavily on Cooper Kupp
LA is lucky to have arguably the best receiver in football in Kupp. The 2021 Offensive Player of the Year had one of the best receiver seasons ever, with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Rams star picked up right where he left off, with 13 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown on Thursday night.
As great as Kupp is, the Rams' other receivers need to step up too. No other Ram had 40 receiving yards and tight end Tyler Higbee was the closest with 39 yards on five catches. Running back Darrell Henderson was the next leading receiver with five catches for 26 yards.
LA's other wide receivers were even more disappointing. Ben Skowronek had just four catches for 25 yards, while Brandon Powell had one catch for 10 yards and Tutu Atwell had no catches. None were more disappointing than free agent pickup Allen Robinson, who had just one catch for 12 yards.
McVay said after the game that he wants to get Robinson more involved in the offense. He'll need to make that adjustment quickly, as Kupp needs some help on offense. Fortunately for LA, the passing game should improve soon when Van Jefferson returns.
2. Stop leaving Jalen Ramsey on an island
Ramsey is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL today, but Thursday night was certainly not his best performance. LA's star corner struggled immensely against Josh Allen and the high-flying Bills offense. On seven targets, Ramsey allowed six receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns for a perfect passer rating.
#Rams CB Jalen Ramsey allowed a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in Week 1, per @PFF's initial grading.
He was targeted seven times, allowing six receptions for 124 yards and 2 TDs.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) September 9, 2022
The lowlight of Ramsey's night was when Stefon Diggs burned him for a 53-yard score in the fourth quarter. On that play, Ramsey was all by himself against Diggs, one of the best receivers in the league. No matter how good Ramsey is, leaving anyone in that situation is a recipe for disaster.
McVay and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris need to minimize the amount of snaps Ramsey lines up one-on-one with star receivers and no help over the top. If they don't it could be a long season for the All-Pro corner.
1. Run the ball more
The Rams may be a pass-heavy team, but their running backs are plenty capable. Henderson and Cam Akers make for a solid 1-2-punch that several teams would love to have. Rookie Kyren Williams, a fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame, also has potential to develop.
However, LA completely abandoned the run game on Thursday night. The Rams had just 18 rushes for 52 yards for the entire game, nowhere near good enough to win. This kind of approach makes the offense very one-dimensional and much easier to stop.
Henderson was the bell cow with 13 carries for 47 yards, while Akers had a mere three carries for zero yards. LA needs much more than that to thrive this season.
To be clear, the Rams don't need to become a run-dominant team like the Eagles or Colts. However, they do need to establish enough of a run game to keep defenses on their toes and not just sit back in coverage. They failed to do that on Thursday, and time will tell if they adjust going forward.
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