Rams' title defense already appears to be up in smoke
It's safe to say there will be a new champion in the NFL at the end of the season.
The Los Angeles Rams (3-6) placed star wide receiver Cooper Kupp (ankle) on IR, meaning he will miss the next four games. Serving as the one bright spot on an ugly Rams offense, Kupp's absence all but shuts the door on what's turned into an anti-climatic title defense in L.A.
Per Football Outsiders, the Rams have a 3.4 percent chance of reaching the postseason.
The Rams were viewed as a "Super Bowl or bust" team a year ago, but no one knew just how close this roster was to busting. Of the 10 most recent defending Super Bowl champions, only Baltimore (2013) and Denver (2016) missed the playoffs the following season.
The drop-off in production has been shocking. The Rams are averaging 16.4 points after scoring 27.1 points a game last year. QB Matthew Stafford began the year with a bad game against the Bills, and injuries have kept him from playing at 100 percent. He missed the team's Week 10 loss at Arizona with a concussion.
Stafford has thrown for 1,928 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions so far this season, and his touchdown percentage (2.8 percent) is tied for the lowest of his career (2012). Kupp has 75 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns. No other receiver has even 400 yards, and the next closest in TDs is Allen Robinson, with two.
Over the next four weeks, the Rams travel to New Orleans and Kansas City and host the Seahawks and Raiders.
We'll know for sure if Los Angeles has a chance to defend its title by the end of this four-game stretch. Without Kupp, the white flag may already be up.
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