Three Takeaways From Rams’ Dominant Week 9 Win

Puka Nacua hadn't been on the field for nearly a month after suffering an injury in another one of the Rams' dominant wins this season, against the Baltimore Ravens. Similarly, against a team they could've beaten without him, Nacua has suffered another injury this season. He injured his ribs this time and didn't check back into the game after going down.

This is the one area that deserves heavy criticism on behalf of the Rams' coaching staff. I understand that once he's healthy, they want to get him on the field as quickly as possible, but you cannot convince me the Rams wouldn't have won this game handily without him.

What sucks even more about this injury is that prior to it occurring, Nacua was well on his way to another 100-yard performance this season. He even caught an impressive 39-yard touchdown catch where he flashed his hands at the last possible second, giving the defender no chance to make any play on the ball.

He's such an important part of their offense, and there's no timetable for his return. I talked about how, when he does come back, the Rams should consider putting him on a snap count, just to be safe. Now, they're potentially looking at him being out for the next couple of weeks. The good thing is they've proved they can move the ball without him, and their strategy before the bye week carried over into week 9.

Tight Ends Gallore!

Against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 7, the Rams used more tight ends than they ever had previously in the season. This resulted in Matthew Stafford throwing for five touchdowns and an efficient offense that wouldn't let up.

Despite this being the return of Nacua to the lineup, the Rams were still utilizing their tight ends to a high degree. Out of the 24 receptions the Rams had against the Saints, tight ends accounted for ten of them.

Sean McVay continues to show off his offensive prowess with this team, switching up sets and personnel to match what the Rams want to do on offense. Through two weeks, it's clear what the Rams want to do with their offense, and that's use their tight end room to the fullest of its potential.

Their first pick of the 2025 NFL draft was a tight end, Terrance Ferguson, which should've been an indicator of this offensive explosion for that position. It's thanks to this switch that Stafford is able to put up these amazing stats and cement himself as a heavy MVP candidate.

MVP Watch in LA?

For the second consecutive week, Stafford has thrown for four touchdowns or more, while also not having a turnover since week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. This isn't just the same old Stafford who lights the scoreboard up; he's genuinely having one of the best seasons of his career.

The most impressive part about this is how Stafford was viewed before heading into this season. His return to the Rams was up in the air for a while, and once he did come back, he was dealing with a back injury that led a lot of analysts to believe the Rams wouldn't be a contender due to his deteriorating health. None can deny how great he's been playing, and he's firmly in the MVP race along the likes of Drake Maye and Josh Allen.

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