Los Angeles will host the Super Bowl in February, but the city’s two NFL teams are struggling to look the part. Unless the Rams and Chargers turn their seasons around, they could end up watching the championship from the stands.
Both teams opened the season with high expectations, yet a third of the way through the campaign, those hopes are quickly unraveling.
The Rams, considered serious contenders for the Lombardi Trophy, fell to 2-4 on Sunday after an 18-16 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona’s victory came down to the accuracy of kicker Chad Ryland, who converted all six of his field goal attempts to score every point for the Cardinals.
"There’s nothing positive that I can say,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.
It is a steep fall for a team that won the title after the 2021 season, when the Super Bowl was also played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Expectations rose even higher when the Rams added defensive end Myles Garrett and persuaded Aaron Donald to come out of retirement in the offseason. On paper, the moves appeared to give the team a historically dominant defense. In reality, Garrett has not played since the season opener because of a knee injury and is expected to miss another game next weekend.
The offense, led by reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, has struggled to find its rhythm, particularly on third down. McVay’s pass-heavy play calling has also drawn heavy criticism.
Winless Chargers
The Rams still have time to recover. The Chargers face a much steeper climb after a 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium dropped them to 0-6. Before the season, they were viewed as dark-horse Super Bowl contenders.
Quarterback Justin Herbert and the offense have been hampered by injuries to key offensive linemen and receivers. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey left Sunday’s game with a concussion.
"We have to address everything, and especially offensively,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "It starts with me.”
The Rams will try to get back on track next week when they visit the 3-3 Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers have a bye before hosting the Rams on Nov. 1 at SoFi Stadium, the state-of-the-art venue the teams share.
The Chargers will be the designated visitors for that game, meaning they will be seeking their first road win in their own stadium.