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Rams-Bucs instant reaction: Is Sean McVay the most to blame?

The Rams fall to 3-5 and need a miracle to “run it back”

Los Angeles Rams v Tampa Bay Buccaneers Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Rams head coach Sean McVay made it clear after Sunday’s loss to the Bucs dropped his team to 3-5: “I have to do better.”

The Rams are the NFL’s biggest disappointment of the season, not only because they’ve lost five of their first eight games, but how they’ve lost those games. Prior to Week 9’s 16-13 loss to Tom Brady, the Rams had lost their previous four defeats by a combined total of 75 points. Their three wins are against teams that currently have losing records, including perhaps two of the worst overall in the Panthers and Cardinals.

One season after coaching the Rams to a Super Bowl championship and being a trendsetter that has led to multiple current head coaches in the NFL, McVay now helms one of the worst offenses in the league. And with many of the players who he and Les Snead chose to be here.

Yes, the offensive line has been a mess, but injuries are an expectation. Most of L.A.’s current starters, like Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, Allen Robinson, and Cam Akers, were all chosen to be the starters. Those are the players that McVay brought to the dance, as well as Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Brycen Hopkins, Darrell Henderson, Rob Havenstein, and Brian Allen.

So why aren’t those players managing to score points?

The Rams scored 13 points on Sunday and they have scored 20 or fewer points in six of their eight contests already. L.A. has the lowest-scoring offense in the NFC, and third-worst overall. The Rams are the worst rushing team in the NFL. The Rams are the worst team in the NFL on first and second down.

Collapses at this level don’t happen without a lot of disappointing players and coaches, but everything usually starts with the head coach. Is Sean McVay to blame?

That’s one of the topics we discussed this week on the Instant Reaction podcast. Subscribe to Turf Show Times on your podcast apps or spotify to listen there every week.

J.B. Scott, Chris Daniel, and Kenneth Arthur spend 40 minutes reacting to Rams 16-13 loss to the Bucs. Is the season over?