Past is prologue. They've been here before.

Well, many of them have.

For Matthew Stafford, Quentin Lake, Kevin Dotson, Kobie Turner, Rob Havenstein, and much of the Los Angeles Rams nucleus, being three games below .500 at the bye is all too familiar.

We know the Rams were dealt a bad hand to open 2024. After a grueling opening stretch, playing five games against teams with a combined record of 17-12, all in silent count environments … some much needed peace and quiet. A brief respite to heal. An open date to reset.

Now, with key pieces returning and Las Vegas coming to the Rams House, here's a chance to parlay the bye into another playoff run.

Way Back When

At the risk of navel gazing, I want to go back to what we wrote in our season preview before heading to Detroit.

The Rams will have to play really well to have two-or-more wins at their Week 6 bye. And so long as they're at least 2-3 at that juncture, they'll be fine. I think they need to be braced for some body blows early on, and use last year's experience to stay patient and bought in, if necessary.  

It really seems like sweeping Weeks 7 and 8 is a ginormous key to setting a course for a championship season. Just like the Rams were able to win two home games in five days last year against the Commanders and Saints to make their playoff push, they'll have two home games in five days this October against the Raiders and Vikings. And most importantly, coming off the open date, they'll have 14 days to prepare for that home back-to-back. If the Rams can earn those two wins, they'd be set up with a mini-bye to reset for a trip to Seattle – the last game before the trade deadline.  

Unfortunately, the Rams didn't get to 2-3, though they certainly should have, instead letting golden opportunities slip away at Chicago and then versus Green Bay. Fortunately, what I didn't foresee back in the early days of September is the rest of the NFC West carrying at least three defeats as well.

To be only one game out in the loss column, with a head-to-head win over the first place 49ers and both opportunities against the second-place Seahawks still to come, 1-4 has lost some of its sting.

Here comes that condensed week at SoFi Stadium, and with it a second chance – and let's be frank, the final chance – to be the team that many were expecting.

Protect At All Costs

The focus in the next 48 hours will be on Cooper Kupp, and that's appropriate.

But as much as I'll celebrate his return when it happens, any resurgence for the Rams has to start with pass protection.

Yes, Stafford is ultimately responsible for his line of scrimmage and quarterbacks carry the weight of sacks and pressures. But he's been sacked 3.2 times per game in 2024 and terminated on 8.4 percent of his dropbacks. Both those rates are on pace to be the second-worst of his career. And if you were around for 2022, you know how it ended the last time he and the Rams went down that road.

From my conversations with Sean McVay and others, it's clear they believe it's a communication issue up front. The injury disruption along their offensive line, the inexperience guard-to-guard, and the hostile environments they've played in thus far have been a toxic formula.

As important as Kupp's return to the huddle will be – and he's the best safety valve in the league, no doubt – getting Joe Noteboom back at guard and having a solid stretch of practice will hopefully help clean up Stafford's pocket. If so, I believe everything else will fall into place for this Rams offense.

Center Of the Storm

Our conversation with rookie center Beaux Limmer informs that opinion.

Revisiting his outrageous strength and athleticism, his battles in the SEC, his successes at the Senior Bowl, and the mentors he leans on inside the organization were all great indicators of his upside in this league.

It would be a quintessential champagne problem for the Rams to have to decide whether or not to send their rookie center back to the bench in a couple weeks, once interior starters Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila are ready to return.

Until then, hope you'll take a few moments to get to know the barista of the offensive line room.

Only Constant is Change

In the most recent outing, a loss against the Packers, we saw dramatic personnel changes, particularly on defense. Ahkello Witherspoon, Josh Wallace, Darious Williams, Jaylen McCollough all debuted in the secondary or played season-high snap counts. Likewise on offense, running back Blake Corum took over the backup role and got his first meaningful touches of his rookie season.

With a bye to self-scout and adjust, what might Week 7 have in store? Here's what the Between the Horns crew of Cam, Stu, and MJD had in mind.

What the Brock Is Cooking

I don't think it was any secret how many teams were after Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in this April's draft. And from a six-game sample size, it's now abundantly clear why he was so coveted.

Bowers leads his position with 37 receptions and 384 receiving yards, the second-most receptions and third-most yards by a tight end in his first six games in the Super Bowl Era, according to the league. The Rams have allowed three receiving touchdowns to opposing tight ends, continuing a dismaying trend.

The disparity in tight end impact the last time we gathered at SoFi Stadium was frustrating, and I'm glad the Rams have such an immediate and pronounced opportunity to make amends. I'm looking for a healthy Davis Allen to really get his sophomore season on track.

McVay, the Raider Way?

If there was one win to get on the top of this schedule, at least LA got the right one, right?

But we're still waiting for McVay to match John Robinson as the Rams all-time wins leader. Doing so at home, against the Raiders, feels like solid ground for history making. Especially because at 38 years old, McVay would be the second coach since the 1970 merger to become his franchise wins leader before turning 40. The late John Madden was the other, with the Raiders, at age 36 in 1972 (hat tip once again to ESPN, which has provided us this note previously).

Best of the Rest

What bothers me more than the Rams' four defeats is that we still have no sense of where their ceiling might be. It's been frustrating to feel how far away they are from their best football. Regardless of outcomes and postseason fortunes, I'm desperate to get a glimpse

–preferably a long look – where we can evaluate what this team is capable of with the right people in their intended roles.

The Rams' largest lead of the season is still six points. The Raiders have lost each of their past two games by at least 16.

Per NFL Research, only Jacoby Brissett (2) has fewer passing touchdowns among qualified quarterbacks in 2024 than Stafford's three. I won't be surprised if he doubles that total this week, and not just because he' historically torched the Raiders.

…Although, he's yet to face them as a Ram. In fact, he's not played any AFC West opponent since moving to Los Angeles. Against that division, instead the Rams have started these quarterbacks with Stafford inactive: Bryce Perkins and Baker Mayfield (hello, Raiders!).

As for the opposing quarterback, a lack of mobility should be a welcome change for the Rams pass rush after dealing with Kyler Murray, Brock Purdy, and Caleb Williams so far. According to Next Gen Stats, Aidan O'Connell has literally never scrambled.

Even with a week off, the Rams new rush tandem of Braden Fiske & Jared Verse, LLP holds the top two spots when it comes to rookie pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

You may have seen a not-so-complementary mention of Kyren Williams' yards per touch stat this week. And while I hate to draw attention to it, I can't resist pointing out that his average might be significantly higher if the end zone didn't keep getting in his way. Derrick Henry (9) is the only player with more scores than Williams (7), and he's played an extra game.

As with Los Angeles, tackling has been a costly issue in Las Vegas. We might be able to decipher Sunday's winner simply by looking at yards after contact and missed tackles.

And lastly, so much has been made this week about the unblemished NFC North and their collective margins of victory and how all four franchises might be playoff bound. And make no mistake, the four teams in that division have been fabulous. Maybe they do take all three Wild Card spots. They've got three wins over the Rams, we must acknowledge. But they also haven't played each other!!! Minnesota's win over Green Bay is the only head-to-head game in that entire division through six weeks. No wonder the point differentials are inflated. By comparison, each and every team in the NFC South has played more division games than the entire NFC North, combined. Trust me when I tell you, there are a lot of losses baked in down the line for the teams the Rams are chasing in the North.

Watching the West

And finally, nothing lends perspective in the NFL like being insulated from losing. When you're on your couch instead of at the stadium, you can watch the competition come back to you.

This week, Seattle (3-3) has to go to Atlanta (4-2) to attempt to snap their three-game skid. Raheem Morris early candidate for NFL Coach of the Year?

San Francisco (3-3) welcomes Kansas City (5-0) to Santa Clara. And the Niners also have the Cowboys before their bye.

Monday night, Arizona (2-4) tries to keep the lights on against the Chargers.

There's no reason to worry about the Wild Card picture here in mid-October. Winning the West is still the goal, and the best path to the postseason.

LA Rams 2024 schedule