How the Rams Have Flashed Championship Form

There is no way you can call Los Angeles a boring football team, as head coach Sean McVay exaggerated on Sunday following the win. It was the third game this season where the Rams were put in dramatic situations to win the game late, prevailing twice and getting blocked on a game-winning field goal for another.

"I think some of the tougher moments are where you really bond together and where you really learn about people," McVay said. "I think you can sense that in the midst of games. You're going down, it seemed like there was some momentum but I never felt anything but a steady, no-flinch mentality from our group."

If you take away a few of the older veterans on the roster, this is still a young team that has continued to grow and develop as the Rams are off to their best start since 2021, the year they hoisted the Lombardi.

As the Rams prepare for Thursday night, they have the players to make the big impacts in key moments, such as Jared Verse in the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford to Tutu Atwell for the longest go-ahead touchdown of the century, and a team that can get takeaways. Even with a bad back or committing to the clone bit, Stafford always seems to come through.

"We did a nice job of getting three long touchdown drives, throwing the football the majority of the time, and doing a nice job playing with tempo," Stafford said. "We've always mixed and matched that as I've been here, different iterations of it a little bit, but it was big for us today. There's no question about that."

The Rams have become a team that will put significant strain on the opposition, so much so that the Colts' starting cornerback Xavien Howard retired on Wednesday after facing Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

“Credit to those guys," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said on Howard's matchup with the two wideouts post-game. "I think those guys got really good receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are really good players, so credit to them, but we'll go back and look at the tape."

Sure, the Rams still have issues on third downs, and it must be addressed. If we have learned anything about McVay, it is that this group will improve in this area sooner rather than later. Once that is resolved, this is a football team no one wants to face.

Succeeding in most tight moments late in games is what will make a team a winning organization often. While it is early in the season, the Rams have been tested in a way that they needed to and are now looking for their statement blowout victory for this season.

"It's still so early in the season, but I think we're being calloused and tested in the right way," McVay said. And most importantly, we're coming together. We have to continue to improve, but what a big opportunity that we have on Thursday night with the Niners.”