Rams fall behind early again in loss to Chicago. Now they're off to another slow start to the season

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Rams have faced significant second-half deficits in all four of their games this season, and they've only rallied back to win once.

Los Angeles (1-3) is far from finished, but even coach Sean McVay realizes that his team's inability to stay out of an early hole is not promising. For a team that appeared to be headed for a challenging season from the moment Aaron Donald retired in March, falling behind only makes everything tougher.

“There were multiple opportunities for us to take control of that game early on,” McVay said Monday. “I thought our defense came out ready to go. I thought we moved the ball. We didn’t finish drives. ... We stayed in it and we had our opportunities to be able to ultimately come away with the result, but we didn’t do it."

The Rams were competitive with the Chicago Bears throughout their 24-18 loss Sunday, not falling behind until midway through the second quarter. Los Angeles could have tied it early in the fourth, but missed on a 2-point conversion attempt — and the Rams were outgained 83-44 while managing only three points the rest of the way.

This wasn't as embarrassing as the Rams' blowout loss at Arizona two weeks earlier, but McVay was curt and businesslike after his defense gave up a decisive 70-yard touchdown drive by Caleb Williams early in the fourth quarter.

“What I'm not going to do is ride the emotional roller coaster that this season will take you on," said McVay, who is 1-3 for the first time in his eight seasons as a head coach. "What an amazing, traumatic turn of events from week to week, and we just saw that. When you look at this game today, there's things that can be improved upon. The reasons we didn't execute were very correctable.”

No team with a 1-3 start made the playoffs in either of the past two NFL seasons, but the Rams have a recent history of beating odds: They started 3-6 last season, but still reached the playoffs by going 7-1 after their bye.

“That team did a great job of being able to stay in the fight (and) play their best ball after the bye,” McVay said. “That led to some continuity. I thought we were able to build as that season went on, and I thought we played quality football even if we weren’t always getting the results. That’s the thing that I want to see.”

What's working

Running back Kyren Williams remains remarkably productive behind a patchwork offensive line, racking up 94 yards rushing and a TD on just 19 carries while catching four passes. The third-year pro has been the Rams' most consistent offensive player, and he has rushed for a score in a franchise-record seven consecutive games.

What needs help

Los Angeles' red zone offense was looking particularly inept after four drives deep into Chicago territory in the first three quarters ended in three field-goal attempts and a fumble. A struggling offensive line is one reason, but McVay's red zone play-calling has been questionable for long stretches of his stellar career. “Did a really poor job of finishing drives,” McVay said.

Stock up

Defensive tackles Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner had strong games at Chicago, and rookie edge rusher Jared Verse had another disruptive game that could have been much bigger if he had finished more of his impressive rushes with tackles. Los Angeles has promising young pieces on its defensive line, but they must grow into complete players.

Stock down

The Rams' linebackers appear to be among the NFL's worst, and they all struggled yet again in Chicago while Williams and the Bears executed a clear game plan to take advantage of their deficiencies, particularly in pass coverage. Los Angeles' decision to trade Ernest Jones for essentially nothing before the season remains baffling.

Injuries

CB Darious Williams will enter the 21-day practice window for his return from injured reserve, McVay said Monday. The Super Bowl-winning cornerback hasn't yet played in his return season after reaggravating a hamstring injury from training camp. DT Larrell Murchison (arm) will also enter the practice window to return from IR. “I don’t want to put any unnecessary timetables on those guys, but I know they’re making good progress,” McVay said.

Key number

0-3 — The Rams' road record this season. They don't have another road game until November.

Next steps

The Green Bay Packers and their potent offense visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday, presenting another daunting test for the Rams in their final game before their bye.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press