The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, 22-10. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had another middling performance but head coach Sean McVay remained confident in his starting quarterback going forward.

“I love Matthew Stafford. He is competing and doing everything in his power for this team. He needs some help and we gotta be able to help him,” McVay said.

Stafford threw for 308 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception in the loss. He was also sacked five times.

This is not the first time that McVay has stood up for Stafford but it is clear that Stafford has taken a step back this season after a stellar season last year.

This season, Stafford has thrown for 1,323 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Last season, through the first five games, Stafford had thrown for 1,587 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, and three interceptions.

For the Rams, it is not just Stafford who has struggled, the whole team is suffering from a bad case of Super Bowl hangover. Through five games the team is 2-3. The offensive line has given up 21 sacks, the running backs have only rushed for a meager 312 yards on 3.2 yards per carry, and the defense is giving up 321 yards per game.

There are some bright spots such as wide receiver Cooper Kupp still being the dominant force he was last season but while many of the same core pieces still remain, the Rams do not resemble the team that won Super Bowl LVI last season.