Rams, offensive whiz McVay are humbled
Rams manage only 157 yards in home loss to San Francisco
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams dazzled the NFL with inventive, exciting offensive football during their first two seasons under coach Sean McVay.
Six games after it got embarrassed in the Super Bowl, McVay’s high-flying offense has definitely crashed back down to earth.
The San Francisco 49ers emphasized that Sunday in a dominant defensive performance during their 20-7 victory at the Coliseum. Jared Goff passed for a career-low 78 yards, and the Rams (3-3) managed just 157 net yards while the Niners (5-0) leaped well ahead of the two-time defending division champions in the NFC West standings.
Los Angeles scored a touchdown on its opening drive, but was shut out thereafter. For a team that averaged 32.9 points and 421 yards per game last season, everything about it was a shocker.
“Was it a humbling day for us? Absolutely,” McVay said. “But it’s something that we’re going to learn from. We’re not going to let it demoralize us. They did a nice job. We didn’t do enough collectively.”
The league is no longer dazzled by the Rams, who have lost three straight games for the first time in McVay’s tenure. Todd Gurley’s absence with a bruised thigh was a setback, but hardly a decisive factor in this comprehensively poor effort.
Los Angeles produced a measly 3.1 yards per play against the Niners — and McVay’s offense only managed to run 50 plays while controlling the ball for just over 21 minutes, going 0-for-9 on third down and 0-for4 on fourth down.
When Goff hit Gerald Everett for a 12-yard gain with 3:16 to play, it was the Rams’ longest passing play of the day.
“Teams have made adjustments to our offense, and we’ve just got to be better and make some adjustments as well,” said receiver Robert Woods, who was held without a catch.
STREAKS & STATS: After a 0-2 start, the Panthers have won four in a row as they enter their bye week. Carolina had seven sacks and five interceptions in a 37-26 win over Tampa Bay in London, becoming the first team with at least seven sacks and five interceptions in a game since the Miami Dolphins (eight sacks, six interceptions) on Dec. 6, 1998. … The Saints improved to 4-0 without injured starter Drew Brees with a 13-6 win over the Jaguars. … Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has five games with at least four turnovers, while no other player has more than two of those games since Winston entered the league in 2015. … Cincinnati lost to Baltimore 23-17 to remain winless on the season. The Bengals have failed to a produce an offensive touchdown over the first three quarters in a third straight game. … The Seahawks topped the Browns 32-28 in Cleveland and improved to 3-0 on the road for the first time in 39 years.
SPEAKING: “The refs are never an excuse. I will probably get fined for saying this, but it was pretty bad today. … It ticks me off.” — Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield on the officiating in his game after Cleveland lost to Seattle 32-28.