GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have piled up much more accidents than wins throughout a Tremendous Bowl title protection that by no means actually had a lot probability of success.
They wasted no time including to that injury checklist Monday night time whereas setting a doubtful mark with their tenth loss.
Rams heart Brian Allen injured a calf on the primary play from scrimmage in a 24-12 loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. The newest setback dropped the Rams’ report to 4-10, matching the best loss whole by any defending Tremendous Bowl champ.
When John Elway retired after main Denver to consecutive Tremendous Bowl titles within the 1997 and 1998 seasons, the Broncos completed 6-10 in 1999.
“It’s a really humbling season for certain,” Rams coach Sean McVay mentioned.
Accidents have decimated the Rams’ depth and prevented them from approaching their success from final season. With out Allen on the road, Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked 5 occasions by a Inexperienced Bay (6-8) protection that had struggled to ascertain a move rush for a lot of the season.
Mayfield was beginning partially due to accidents to quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and John Wolford. Stafford, who led the Rams to the Tremendous Bowl title final season, is anticipated to overlook the remainder of the season with a spinal cord bruise.
“It was simply a kind of video games the place not an entire lot was going our approach,” Mayfield mentioned.
Lots of the Rams’ different massive names are also lacking.
Three-time NFL defensive participant of the 12 months Aaron Donald missed a 3rd straight sport Monday with a excessive ankle sprain. All-Professional extensive receiver Cooper Kupp is anticipated to overlook the remainder of the season with a sprained ankle.
The Rams additionally dominated defensive sort out Marquise Copeland (ankle), linebacker Travin Howard (hip) and defensive again David Lengthy Jr. (groin) out for Monday’s sport.
“We’ve had a successful report yearly I’ve been right here, so this 12 months’s undoubtedly a bizarre feeling for me,” Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey mentioned. “I haven’t had this sense since I performed for Jacksonville. Simply bizarre, I might say. Not what we envisioned; not what we hoped for.”
Los Angeles confirmed its moxie in its final sport, overcoming all its accidents to rally for a 17-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, with Mayfield sparking the comeback lower than 48 hours after the Rams claimed him off waivers from Carolina.
However the injury to Allen left the Rams with a makeshift line that didn’t give Mayfield sufficient time to carry out an analogous magic act Monday night time. The Rams changed Allen by transferring Coleman Shelton from proper guard to heart and having Oday Aboushi fill Shelton’s previous spot.
Mayfield did carry out a lot better than he did the final time he visited Lambeau Discipline. He threw 4 interceptions final season when his Cleveland Browns misplaced a Christmas Day sport 24-22 at Inexperienced Bay. Rasul Douglas, who had two interceptions plus a pick-6 in that sport, picked Mayfield off once more.
“You want enjoying in opposition to individuals who love competing, and I feel that’s what he’s been doing since I’ve been watching him in school,” Douglas mentioned. “He all the time bought that mindset that he can win a sport, he can management a sport. He could make passes. It’s all the time good to play a competitor.”
In his return to Lambeau, Mayfield went 12 of 21 for 111 yards with the one interception plus an 8-yard landing to Tyler Higbee, the primary landing by a Rams tight finish all season.
“Clearly, not adequate, we didn’t win,” Mayfield mentioned. “Quite a lot of stuff on the market. I feel we’re going to take a look at the tape and see how shut we had been on a couple of of these performs that basically would have been game-changing performs.”
Higbee’s landing minimize Inexperienced Bay’s result in 24-12 late within the third quarter. Mayfield drove the Rams throughout midfield early within the fourth as they tried to drag off an inconceivable comeback for a second straight week.
Then the shortage of move safety with out Allen sealed the Rams’ destiny.
Preston Smith’s second sack of the night time put the Rams again on the mistaken aspect of the 50. The Rams punted with slightly below 9 minutes left after their subsequent two performs netted simply 1 yard.
They wouldn’t get the ball again the remainder of the night time.
“This has been an actual battle in a number of cases, a number of adversity that we’ve gone by,” McVay mentioned. “However I feel what we’ve seen from our guys is that they’re going to proceed to battle. They’re going to complete up these final three video games the proper approach, with the proper mindset and mentality and we’ll compete to the perfect of our capacity. That’s all I understand how to do, and I belief that that’s precisely what we’ll do collectively as a gaggle.”
Rams operating again Cam Akers backed up his coach.
“Playoff contenders, whoever we are able to knock out, make it more durable for (groups), that’s what we wish to do,” he mentioned. “Go play our sport. We’ve bought three extra left, we wish to win all three of them.”
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