NFL
By George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2026 season as the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. Now, stand on the brink of a disappointing season after an 18-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. It dropped their record to 2-4. The Rams played uninspired football in a game they needed to win. Now, must look within themselves as they prepare to face a hungry Las Vegas Raiders team coming off a tough, hard-fought 33-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Rams enter this game with key injuries.
WR Davante Adams ruptured his hamstring in the Cardinals game and will miss 6-10 weeks. The Los Angeles Rams will look to Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield to step up in Adams’ place as the team must adopt the next-man-up mantra. On defense, the Rams lost DT Poona Ford for the season with a ruptured triceps. Kobie Turner also landed on IR with a groin injury. With both Ford and Turner out, the Rams will look to give Tyler Davis and Ty Hamilton more playing time on the defensive line. Special teams is an area the team still needs to address.
Kicker Blake Grupe, who signed with the Rams before the Cardinals game, was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Grupe suffered the injury when he made a tackle on his first kickoff to prevent the Cardinals from scoring. The kickoff coverage that has plagued the Rams all season helped lead to Grupe’s injury. The Rams signed free agent kicker Brandon McManus to take over kicking duties. This may be a stopgap, as the team may look to add a kicker before the trade deadline.
Offensively, the Los Angeles Rams looked lethargic against Arizona for most of the game. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 22-of-33 passes for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, he looked out of rhythm for most of the game. Pass protection was an issue as Stafford was sacked 3 times and faced pressure for most of the game. Getting Alaric Jackson back at left tackle should help alleviate some of the pass-protection issues the team faced against Arizona. The Rams will have to contend with Max Crosby, one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers. Look for the Rams to help their offensive tackles on whichever side Crosby lines up.
WR Puka Nacua left practice early Thursday with a calf injury. The team did not say how severe the injury is, but it’s a concern that Nacua won’t be able to play Sunday. Even if Nacua can play, look for Rams head coach Sean McVay to use his 3-TE formations for much of the game. This will force the Raiders to decide whether to stay in their base defense. Coach McVay believes his TE can beat the Raiders’ linebackers in the passing game. If the Raiders stay in a nickel defense, the Rams will look to use their running game. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum will attack the Raiders’ defensive line.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins leads the Raiders’ attack. Cousins likes to use his TE in the passing game, and the Raiders have a strong TE in Brock Bowers. This season, Bowers has 28 receptions for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns while averaging over 13 yards per reception. The Raiders also like to use Michael Mayer in their passing game. Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula will look to devise a scheme to limit the Raiders’ tight ends’ production. If the Rams use multiple defensive backs to cover the Raiders’ tight ends, the Raiders will lean on their running game with Ashton Jeanty. Coach Shula knows he needs to balance his defensive formations to contain the Raiders’ running game and their tight-end production. Shula, however, cannot sleep on the Raiders’ wide receivers.
Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie is still dealing with the groin injury that kept him out against Arizona and is listed as questionable. If McDuffie can’t play, the Rams will turn to Josh Wallace and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. to take his spot. The Raiders will look to test both Wallace and Forbes with their receivers, led by Tre Tucker, Cody White, and Jalen Nailor, who can stretch the field in the passing game. The Rams defensive front, led by Aaron Donald, will look to pressure Cousins, disrupt his passing rhythm, and force him into check-downs. If the Rams pass rush can do that, the rest of the defense must do a better job of making tackles and not allowing the Raiders receivers to gain additional yards.
The start of the 2026 season hasn’t gotten off the ground for the Rams as many had envisioned. Poor special teams play, costly penalties, and lackluster play have plagued the team this season. The players know they must dig deep, play with the heart of a champion, and bring back the fire fans haven’t seen this season. Coach McVay and his staff have worked hard this week to prepare the team for a must-win game if they have any aspirations of reaching the playoffs. Look for the Rams to show that passion and come away with a tough win against a hungry Raiders team.
Rams 27
Raiders 21
