Unprepared Rams Fall to Potential Mediocrity

The Rams are loaded with talent, have the league MVP at quarterback, and are coming off an NFC Championship appearance. In the offseason, the fifth seed in the playoffs delighted media by trading for Myles Garrett. Given the attention on the talented roster all offseason, it seemed like they were the NFC West Champions coming off a Super Bowl win. Now, it seems obvious why they are neither NFC West Champions nor Super Bowl Champions.

It is not the injuries that are concerning as far as the 2026 season goes for the Rams. It is the mindset. They quit on Thursday night and it was clear. Two and a half minutes left in need of at least respect even though they probably could not get the win, the team burned the clock to get out of Australia as soon as possible. Benching Stafford was a bad sign. Failing to throw the ball to move down the field faster was a quit.

Even by bringing expensive people, there is no substitute for the fact that improving team culture takes work. Nobody can buy their way out of hard work. Anyone who uses a good smile or charm to avoid hard work is a con artist. If the Rams are going to do anything to win this season, they need to get an attitude that is tougher than the season is going to be. They did not already earn it.

The money or expected returns started getting hurt. The Rams started getting soft. Most people do not want to be in the game when the situation is bad. They forget the fact that having a situation at all is a blessing. A hard time is a great opportunity. That is when character is the most on display.

One of the criticisms was the Rams’ choice to arrive in Australia later in the week prior to the game. Outside of whether it helped or hurt the game, it was inappropriate to say the least. Even if it was a smart professional decision for game strategy, that is a disrespectful approach to the people of Australia who come to see the team. It may seem like being a fan or spectator is a nice, comfortable place to be during the game. But the money for those games comes from their own hard work. Their work comes in the form of hospital care, customer service, construction, politics, and everything else. Then, they actively persuade and defend in conversation on behalf of the teams that are competing. In other words, they are voluntarily marketing for these teams. The fact that this marketing is now global ought to be handled with more respect. It would not hurt to give the players an opportunity to connect with a fresh base of fans. Nor would it hurt to give the players an international business experience most will never likely get to have again.

What were the Los Angeles Rams thinking? They were thinking they were similar to the old-time Patriots by cold, unforgiving, and calculated football. They played cold alright. They were unforgivable and they are in debt to the fanbases they disappointed. The Patriots had a stiff team, yes. But they valued their fanbase and had them join in on the willingness to be hated. They wore that victory like a badge of honor. The Rams have one Super Bowl win from a few years ago and they think they’re the Seahawks. The Rams are what the 49ers are trying not to be.

The problem with what the Rams are trying to do is that it is common in most professional businesses. People have success and then they get desperate for more of it. They get so focused that they stop having fun. When the joy of the work stops coming, the quality deteriorates.

In 2006, Jake Delhomme’s two championship appearances collapsed into 8-8 mediocrity. He blamed it on not having fun. In 2007, he entered with a fresh approach and a lot more readiness to work. Kicking off the first few games playing strongly, he was soon injured and missed most of the season for elbow surgery. In 2008, he did have a successful 12-4 run. However, even then signs of his injury ate at him and would only worsen over time.

The Rams do not have time to miss on the joy of the game. They have to learn to love to go to work again. If they do not, it will be a long season that will end quickly for them. For their fans that are so loyal, it will be painful to watch.