5 reasons for optimism after Rams' back-to-back losses

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For the first time this season, the Los Angeles Rams have lost back-to-back games. They had bounced back from losses well before laying an egg against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night in a 27-24 loss on the road.

The Rams nearly dug out of a 21-0 hole, coming all the way back to tie the game at 24 before the Falcons kicked a game-winning field goal, sending the Rams home searching for answers after rolling in the first 15 weeks of the season. Sean McVay is frustrated, Matthew Stafford was unhappy with his play and the defense provided no resistance for Bijan Robinson.

Where do the Rams go from here? They have one last get-right game against the Arizona Cardinals left, a game McVay says his starters will play in. There are plenty of reasons for optimism despite the Rams tripping up in their last two games.

Injured players are coming back

The Rams were missing a lot of talent against the Falcons. Davante Adams, Kevin Dotson, Alaric Jackson, Quentin Lake and Josh Wallace were all out, Blake Corum got hurt during the game and Braden Fiske was limited to only 13 snaps due to an ankle injury he had coming into the game.

Fortunately, all of those players should be back for the postseason, which will be a big lift on offense and defense. The biggest question mark is Dotson, who Sean McVay said could miss some time after he went down in Week 16. But hopefully he’s back sooner than later.

If the Rams had even two of those players on Monday night, they might’ve beaten Atlanta. Or even just Jackson because D.J. Humphries cost them on at least three critical plays.

The offense had 500 yards in three straight games before Monday

The offense was rolling before facing the Falcons on Monday night. They had scored 37-plus points and had at least 500 yards in three straight games. It was the first time in team history they gained at least 500 yards in three straight, showing just how rare that is.

As frustrating as it was to see the offense crumble and score just 24 points against the Falcons, they were playing extremely well before this game. It was simply an off night where turnovers and failed third-down conversions held the offense back.

Matthew Stafford had a rare off-night

Stafford had thrown just three interceptions in his last 12 games and only five all year before the Falcons picked him off three times, including one that was returned for a touchdown. He admitted after the game that he didn’t play well enough and his turnovers were costly, and McVay also said this was an instance where he could “play better.”

The good news is this was a rare off night for Stafford, who had been the MVP frontrunner until Week 17. Now, he’s an underdog to Drake Maye.

Every quarterback has games like this one and it was just Stafford’s turn to have a poor performance. He still made some incredible throws, even ones that weren’t caught, like the three dimes on the final drive that were all within inches of being caught.

Rams can still earn the No. 5 seed and face the NFC South

No team wants to be in a wild-card spot over hosting a playoff game, but that’s the hole the Rams have dug themselves. On the bright side, they can still earn the No. 5 seed and face the NFC South in the first round, a game in which they’d be heavily favored in even on the road.

Beating the Falcons and Cardinals would’ve clinched the No. 5 seed for LA but even after losing to Atlanta, the Rams can still move up to the fifth spot. They just need to beat the Cardinals and have the 49ers lose to the Seahawks on Saturday night.

If the Rams lose or the 49ers win, Los Angeles will be the No. 6 seed and face either the Bears or Eagles in the first round.

No team in the NFC is anywhere close to perfect

Really, this could apply to every team in the NFL, but specifically the NFC. Every team in the conference has flaws and the Rams should still be viewed as a top contender in the NFC as one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks have a shaky quarterback, the 49ers are ravaged by injuries, the Bears rely on miraculous comebacks, the Eagles offense is a mess, the NFC South teams are both weak and the Packers have fallen apart.

The Rams have their own warts, like a struggling secondary and a lack of proven talent behind their top two receivers, but they could still be viewed as one of the most complete teams in the NFL. And all five of their losses came down to the wire.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: LA Rams reasons for optimism after back-to-back losses

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