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2019 NFL Power Rankings Summary - Week 5
| Metric | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Metric | Ranking |
| Average ranking (# of rankings) | 6.63 (8) |
| Average change from last week | -3.00 |
| Highest ranking (source) | 4th (multiple sources) |
| Lowest ranking (source) | 14th (USA Today) |
| Biggest positive change (source) | -1 (multiple sources) |
| Biggest negative change (source) | -8 (USA Today) |
FPI chance to make the playoffs: 71.7%
How to increase their playoff chances: Fix the offense. Yes, you read that correctly. Sean McVay is an offensive mastermind who has directed a top offense over the past two seasons. But through a 3-1 start, it has been apparent that something just isn’t right. Jared Goff has passed for six touchdowns and six interceptions. Todd Gurley II has vanished in the running game and has hardly been a threat in the passing game. The Rams have lost their rhythm and they must find it again, quickly. Otherwise, it could be a tough road ahead -- especially as they open division play Thursday night in Seattle.
You can imagine Sean McVay waking up Monday morning (assuming he ever went to bed) and thinking to himself, How the hell did that happen? The Rams were heavy favorites in their own building facing a thought-to-be-middling Bucs team ... and somehow, L.A. ended up on the wrong end of a 55-40 final. There were many culprits. Jared Goff had four turnovers (despite 500 yards passing). The Rams’ pass rush disappeared after two early sacks. The secondary allowed Chris Godwin to pile up 12 catches for 172 yards. The running game remained an afterthought. Said Todd Gurley after five rushes for 16 yards: “I don’t call the play calls, bro.” Lastly, the offensive line continues to play below expectations. The Rams’ hopes for a late rally were extinguished when Shaquil Barrett blew past veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein for a strip-sack, with Ndamukong Suh returning the ball for a touchdown. A grim performance all the way around.
They just don’t look right on offense this season and the defense came apart against Tampa Bay. Now they head to Seattle on a short week, which will be challenging.
Jared Goff had more than 500 yards on Sunday, but it wasn’t an impressive day. Heading into a Thursday night showcase game, there’s going to be a lot of talk about Goff and whether he is worth even close to the $134 million deal he got from the Rams. The early returns aren’t good. And the questions will get louder if he doesn’t play well at Seattle.
Pro Football Talk: 5th (4th)
They’re not as good as we thought. They’re still pretty good.
Things change overnight in NFL. Last week, L.A. was 3-0. This week, wisdom of QB Jared Goff’s record-setting guaranteed money being questioned.
Sean McVay’s troops have just four days to regroup after that stunner against the Bucs. Last year’s two wins over the Seahawks were by a combined seven points.
The Athletic: 5th (3rd)
It was hard to know exactly what to make of the Rams’ ugly loss on Sunday, which started out as a blowout by the Bucs (the Rams trailed 21-0 early) and turned into a shootout that ended 55-40 in Tampa’s favor. We don’t think it means the Rams are a bad team, it just means that like everyone else in the NFC, they’re vulnerable, especially on days when Jared Goff isn’t sharp (three interceptions and one lost fumble.)
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