"A month ago, the Rams looked like a near-complete team. Special teams aside, they had answers everywhere. Coaching. Quarterback. Playmakers. A defense that could steal a game if necessary. They're still a formidable opponent, but cracks have started to emerge. The Rams barely survived their divisional round game against the Chicago Bears, and Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford spent the aftermath conducting a public inquest into their own performance."
"McVay admitted he had been guilty of bad coaching against the Bears. Stafford acknowledged he needs to play better. Neither was wrong. And yet, in the game's final moments, Stafford still delivered the throws that mattered, and the Rams escaped thanks to their defense creating a decisive turnover. McVay, belatedly, rediscovered the rushing game against the Bears. He ran the ball 19 times in the fourth quarter and overtime after barely doing so for three quarters."
"Stafford is not playing well. Against Chicago, he looked rattled and confused as the Bears sent every manner of blitz his way. He made late and poor decisions, offering the ball up for grabs or refusing to let it go. On Sunday, he had 11 off-target throws, according to ESPN, his most ever in a playoff game. More than that, he looked uncomfortable in the pocket against a blah Bears pass-rush, moving into pressure and struggling when pushed off his spot."
The Rams entered the postseason with strengths in coaching, quarterback play, playmakers, and defense. Recent games exposed cracks, especially in quarterback consistency and pass protection. The divisional win over the Bears featured late adjustments to the rushing attack after a pass-heavy gameplan and a decisive defensive turnover. Stafford produced clutch throws but also displayed off-target passes, hesitation, and increased sack frequency when pressured. McVay admitted to poor gameplanning and shifted toward the run after third-quarter impotence. The offense's mid-game adaptability remains an asset, but reliance on timely corrections masks underlying vulnerabilities heading deeper into the playoffs.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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