Things in LA are not very cheery at the moment. The Dodgers lost in the National League Championship Series as a prohibitive favorite, the Lakers and Clippers are without their two biggest stars in Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard, and now the Los Angeles Rams have dropped two straight primetime football games–both of which would have put the Rams as the top seed in the league. The failure of the team to capitalize on the seeding possibilities is a huge mistake by the organization, but they cannot dwell on it–they simply do not have the time to do so.

Rams head coach Sean McVay must use this week's bye not only to have his players rest up and recuperate, but they also MUST figure out a way to make up for the losses of Robert Woods, who the rams have failed miserably in replacing so far. With that being said…here are our “three things the Rams must do” if they are going to get their 2021 season back on track–a season that once seemed destined for a Super Bowl ending before the events of the last two weeks has seen the general public opinion on the Rams sway back and forth.

3 things the LA Rams must do to get their 2021 season back on track 

3. Rest up and R-E-L-A-X

This is the easy one. All teams have injuries throughout the year that pile up, and which week you have your bye week can be extremely critical. The Rams have an optimal bye week because it is almost in the middle of the season and it comes before a big-time game. Having an extra week to rest their bodies after a brutal loss on Monday Night Football is big for the Rams, and it becomes huge because of the caliber of opponent that they are set to face next. An extra week to prepare for a great team like the Green Bay Packers can make all the difference in the world.

The Rams also need to rest up their minds. It has been a painful past few days for the team as they lost their leader in Robert Woods to an injury that knocks him out for the rest of the 2021 NFL season. Having two weeks to get used to life without “Bobby Trees” will be vital in the success of this team in the future. Once they are emotionally over the loss of Woods off the field, then comes trying to replace him on the field, leading to point two.

2. Get OBJ up to speed 

Ben Skowronek proved in the game against San Francisco that he is nothing more than a special teams player. His routes were not crisp, he dropped passes and he had multiple miscommunications with rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford…not to mention the drops. The Rams MUST have Beckham Jr. into the formations that Skowronek was used in by the time they get to the Green Bay game.

The Rams and OBJ showed on Monday Night that they are far from being on the same page, and Beckham's route tree was more like a route plant…small. The communication and the ability to run more than “go” and “out” routes will obviously come with time and practice, but that is not what the Rams have. They need this all to come together over a two-week period in the middle of the season with Thanksgiving plumped right in the middle. It sounds daunting, but it absolutely has to be done if the Rams are planning on making a run for the number one seed in the conference.

1. Take the training wheels off of Von Miller

This one is huge. The Rams will need Miller playing a vast majority of the snaps when they return as they look to pressure Packers superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In the playoff game against the Rams in 2021, Rodgers was able to sit back and pick apart a Rams defense that was preoccupied with stopping the run. In the end, the Rams were able to stop neither the run nor the pass, as Green Bay worked the Rams to an easy victory. The Packers will look to use that same game plan when the two meet up later this month and it will be up to Miller to stop a lot of what they want to do.

First off, as the Rams' best defender against the run, his play really sets the tone for the rest of the team that the Rams are going to be the “bully” on the field. Second, his pass-rushing ability will be key in containing Aaron Rodgers, who is one of the best quarterbacks of all time, especially at manipulating in and out of the pocket. If Miller can force him away from the direction Rodgers wants to go, that will usually force him right back into the waiting arms of Rams star defender Aaron Donald. Look for the Rams defense to “go as Miller goes,” for the rest of the year. His dynamic ability as a pass-rusher, run-defender, and as a leader has everyone (even in LA with all the IPA's) saying…”It's Miller Time.”