INGLEWOOD, Calif. – In one of the Rams' team meetings last week, head coach Sean McVay had two members of last season's team speak to the rest of the group about how the turnaround from last year's 3-6 start was engineered and the mentality that team had.
"I wasn't here, but from what they spoke about, it seemed like that was the mindset going into this week," rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse said. "I think it was just the fact that we have to be better. We can't go 3-6, or we can't let that happen. We got to come back and go build up on a bunch of wins, start dominating like the way we are able to."
Los Angeles will go into its Week 6 bye leaning on those lessons once again after a 24-19 home loss to the Packers dropped their overall record to 1-4.
The circumstances are somewhat similar.
An injury-shaken 2023 roster limped into its Week 10 bye with a 3-6 record and key offensive starters hurt. When those starters got healthy and a semblance of continuity returned, the Rams rallied to finish the season 7-1 and clinch a wild card playoff berth.
Of course, that team was not down multiple starting offensive lineman, or on its third left guard in five weeks, or missing its top three receivers for an extended period. But the offense looked like it was supposed to when Stafford, Rob Havenstein and Kyren Williams returned from injury – not to mention when Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were both on the field at the same time. From Weeks 11-18, L.A. averaged 28.3 points per game compared to 19.8 from Weeks 1-9. Defensively, they held their opponents to 22 or fewer points in six of those final eight regular season games.
"I don't think there's any reason to hang our heads or, you know, pout about it or anything," Williams said. "Because, like Jared and coach said in the meeting this past week, we came back off a bye, and we went on a run. So I expect, not the same exact thing, but I expect the mentality to be kind of the same. I expect people to come to work and ready to work, and go do the things that we have to do to go be successful, because we can't keep feeling like this each and every week."
The proof is in the work and resolve shown over the second half of the 2023 season. For Stafford, authentically being himself was one of the biggest reasons the Rams climbed out of their 3-6 start and rallied to reach the postseason.
That will be no different going into, and coming out of, this season's Week 6 bye.
"I continue to try to be myself," Stafford said. "I've played a bunch of seasons in this league, have started seasons with some great records, started some seasons with, you know, tough ones. You can't be scared to put yourself back out there no matter what the record is. No matter how you played the week before, the play before, it doesn't matter. A lot of people sit there and watch the game, and a few of us have the courage go out there and put yourself out there and do it. And we gotta be strong-willed in that, and understanding that you know, not every play is going to go your way, not every game is going to go your way. You gotta be able to suck it up and put yourself back out there for the next week, the next play, with no fear, and know that the preparation that you're doing week in and week out is enough, and trust that, go out there and try to make the plays."
