From Superteam to Super Disappointment: How the 2-4 Rams Lost Their Way

 The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2026 season as the NFL’s closest thing to a true superteam. After a blockbuster offseason that brought in reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and a return from retirement for future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, plus the continued presence of reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and a strong supporting cast, they were the betting favorites to win Super Bowl LXI.

Instead, after six weeks, they sit at 2-4, tied for last in the NFC West, and come off a stunning 18-16 home loss to the 1-4 Arizona Cardinals, who never scored a touchdown.

Sean McVay summed up the latest defeat bluntly: “We won’t win a game unless we figure out how not to beat ourselves.” Matthew Stafford was equally direct: “We are what our record is.”

What Has Gone Wrong

Star additions have barely played. Garrett has been on injured reserve since Week 2 after knee surgery and hasn't returned. McDuffie was inactive for the Cardinals game with a groin injury. Donald, returning after years away, has looked more like a player working his way back than the dominant force of old and has dealt with back issues. The two marquee defensive additions the team mortgaged its future for have barely been on the field together.

Special teams remain a multi-year disaster. The Rams have ranked last (or near last) in special teams DVOA for years under McVay, and 2026 is no different—they entered Week 6 on a historic pace for the worst special teams unit in DVOA history. Kicker Harrison Mevis was released after a league-worst 5-of-9 start on field goals, including misses and a blocked potential game-winner in the overtime loss to the Bills. Replacement Blake Grupe (signed off the Jets practice squad) was injured covering a kickoff in the first quarter against Arizona, leaving the Rams without a kicker for the rest of the game. Coverage units have also allowed explosive returns. McVay has cycled through coordinators, kickers, and returners without solving the systemic problem.

The offense has been inconsistent and often lifeless. Stafford has not approached his 2025 MVP form. Through six games, he has 1,794 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions (compared to just 8 picks all of last season) and sits well down the QBR rankings. He has looked accurate in stretches but scattershot in others, even from clean pockets. Puka Nacua has missed games, and the unit has had stretches of pedestrian play-calling and execution, particularly against the Cardinals, where they managed limited production for much of the afternoon. Offensive line issues (including a suspension for left tackle Alaric Jackson) have compounded problems.

Self-inflicted wounds and a lack of execution. The losses include a Week 1 blowout to the 49ers in Melbourne (where the Rams arrived roughly a day before kickoff while the 49ers arrived a week early), a close loss in Denver that involved a pick-six, an overtime home loss to the Bills featuring special teams meltdowns, and the Cardinals game. Penalties, missed opportunities on fourth down, turnovers, and late defensive breakdowns have repeatedly cost them. The team has looked uninspired at times against opponents it was expected to dominate.

The Cardinals' loss crystallized the issues. Arizona kicked six field goals, including the game-winner as time expired after a late Rams defensive penalty. The Rams briefly took the lead late but could not close it out. It was a game they were supposed to win to get back to .500 and stay relevant in the division; instead, it dropped them to the bottom of the NFC West behind the 5-0 49ers.

Outlook

It is not too late. The schedule softens in the coming weeks (Raiders, Chargers, Commanders, and another shot at the Cardinals before the bye), and Garrett is expected back soon. Stafford, Nacua, Williams, and Adams still form a dangerous offense when clicking. But the margin for error has vanished, Super Bowl odds have dropped sharply, and the “superteam” label now feels like a punchline.

The talent is still there. Whether the execution, health, and special teams can catch up before the season slips away is the question McVay and the Rams must answer immediately.