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Heavily wounded, winless Rams are in serious trouble
The Los Angeles Rams (0-2) suffered a double whammy on Sunday in their 41-10 Week 2 loss against the Arizona Cardinals. They were not only blown out by a divisional opponent, but also lost star wide receiver Cooper Kupp to an ankle injury.
Sean McVay called the loss to the Cardinals “humbling” and said there’s nothing positive he can take from the game.
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) September 15, 2024
“There's nothing positive about it,” McVay said. “The only positive thing is that this game is over now and we can move forward.”
The Rams have allowed 67 points, their third most through two games of a season in franchise history, according to @ESPNStatsInfo.
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) September 15, 2024
They allowed 70 in 2000 and 79 in 2008.
It's still early in the season, but with the Seattle Seahawks moving to 2-0 on Sunday and the San Francisco 49ers at 1-1, head coach Sean McVay's group is in an unusual position.
Rams are 0-2 for the first time since 2011 after losing at Arizona for the first time since 2014. The 41 points allowed represent their 2nd-worst defensive game in the last 5 years.
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) September 15, 2024
Their 67 points allowed and -37 net points are both second-worst in the NFL, only better than the Carolina Panthers (0-2). The Rams' 30 points scored is also tied for fourth fewest among teams that have played two games entering Monday.
For now, Los Angeles can cross its collective fingers regarding Kupp's status, but at the very least, his injury is yet another worrisome trend regarding the health of a Rams player.
The injury bug started hitting the squad over the summer when Pro Bowl wideout Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury during training camp. He made it back for the team's Week 1 "Sunday Night Football" defeat against the Detroit Lions, but played just 25 snaps before going down with a PCL sprain. Nacua was placed on injured reserve last week.
Linemen Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila were also placed on IR following the Week 1 contest with an ankle sprain and sprained MCL, respectively.
Right tackle Rob Havenstein returned on Sunday after missing Week 1 with an ankle issue and left tackle Alaric Jackson was suspended for the first two contests of the year after violating the league's personal conduct policy. Projected starting cornerback Darious Williams is also currently on IR due to a hamstring strain.
If Kupp can suit up for Week 3, he'll join ninth-year pro DeMarcus Robinson and fifth-year player Tyler Johnson in three-wide sets, with sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington and fourth-year pass-catcher Tutu Atwell serving as depth pieces.
Starting tight end Tyler Higbee is recovering from ACL and MCL tears that he suffered in January and it was reported in mid-August that he was expected to miss the start of the 2024 season.
The Rams will have their first home game of the year on Sunday vs. the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
More must-reads:
- Key NFL playmakers facing extended absences
- Eight potential QB options to replace Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa
- The 'Los Angeles Rams head coaches' quiz
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Green Bay Packers: Slo-Mo Video of Malik Willis’ TD Bomb to Matthew Golden Unleashes Wild Reactions
Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden just keeps on turning heads in the offseason. On Monday, Golden grabbed attention again after making a sensational grab for a touchdown off a pass from quarterback Malik Willis. Matched up against defensive back Keisean Nixon, the former Texas Longhorns star wideout secured a deep throw from Willis and took the ball to the house for a 46-yard touchdown. Nixon couldn’t help but joke about Golden while praising the first-year downfield weapon. “He sometimes acts like he’s a vet but I try to remind him that he’s a rookie,” Nixon said (h/t Mike Spofford of the Packers’ official website). “Other than that, M.G., helluva player. You can tell why he went first round. Strong at the catch point, strong hands, strong upper body. I think he’ll have a really good year.” Green Bay Packers fans react to Golden’s touchdown score in practice The Packers shared a slo-mo video of that connection between Willias and Golden, leaving fans with all sorts of excited reactions to it. “malik is the guy ️ no one wants to admit it,” said a fan on X. Another one said: “Malik for starting QB” From a commenter: “IVE SEEN ENOUGH MALIK WILLIS 4X MVP” “Finally we might have a 1000+ yard receiver,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “@eamaddennfl He ran 4.2 how tf is he a 91 speed on madden boost his speed.” Said another: “Hey 2 throwing it to 22 might be the answer.” Willis and Golden could have more magic in store for the Packers, as there’s a chance they could see action this coming Saturday’s NFL preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks at home.
Aaron Rodgers says Favre-inspired weapon paying off with Steelers, 'really impressive'
Aaron Rodgers has started more games than any player in the NFL — so it’s safe to say he’s learned a thing or two. It’s hard not to when you’re that old… Rodgers has picked up all sorts of hardware during stints with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets — okay, he didn’t do anything with the latter — before signing on for what likely is his final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s something he learned before he ever started playing that helps the most this late into his career, however. Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers learned key skill from Brett Favre Rodgers discussed how he learned the art of the hard count while playing behind Brett Favre during an appearance on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. “Brett Favre had a great cadence, so I copied the things I liked and expanded where I felt like there was room to expand,” Rodgers said. “I’ve been doing it for a long time — there’s a rhythmic nature to it and also a non-rhythmic nature to it that is an important aspect of it.” Rodgers has introduced the art to his new teammates, who seem to be taking to it well. “I would say being with a new team and with new players, the focus and the ability to lock in with cadence is some of the best I’ve seen for a training camp, especially being with a new group like this,” Rodgers said. “We are not having free snap issues on the cadence, especially with long counts, has been really impressive. I got to give credit to my saddlebag partner, Zach [Frazier] upfront.” Aaron Rodgers’ effectiveness with weapon hasn’t been great since 2020 Rodgers was long known for his ability to draw penalties with the hard count, but those numbers have diminished in recent seasons. It’s actually astonishing how far they’ve fallen… Rodgers led the entire league in drawn penalties back in 2014 but finished in last place in 2024. Aaron Rodgers drawn penalties since 2020 Rodgers will hope that things can turn back in the other direction with a more competent team around him. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (70 drawn penalties since 2020) and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (44 drawn penalties since 2021) have certainly benefited from that in recent seasons. The Steelers hope to do the same.
Jon Rahm's $18 million payday highlights flawed system
Jon Rahm captured the season-long LIV Golf individual championship to cash in on an $18M bonus, and he has the league's nonsensical point system to thank. It's hard to argue that Rahm deserves the most lucrative season-long prize on the LIV Golf League in 2025. The Spaniard didn't win a single event in 13 LIV starts this year. He did finish runner-up four times, but was edged out in those tournaments by Adrian Meronk, Talor Gooch, Dean Burmester and Sebastian Munoz. Rahm had golden opportunities to win the last two events in Chicago and Indianapolis, but he fell short in a playoff both times. Despite going winless in 2025, Rahm still earned more points than Joaquin Niemann, who won five times and finished T4 at the final individual event in Indianapolis. No other player on LIV Golf won more than once this season. Somehow, winning nearly 40% of the league's tournaments this season wasn't enough to earn Niemann the individual championship. Instead, Rahm walked away with the top spot and an $18M bonus, while Niemann took home the $8M prize for second place. This highlights a major flaw in LIV's season-long individual competition. Rahm shouldn't have even had a chance to surpass Niemann in the standings with no wins on his resume. Wins need to matter more. For reference, Scottie Scheffler has also won five times this season, giving him 7,456 FedEx Cup points heading into the Tour Championship. Rory McIlroy, the next-closest player to Scheffler, has only 3,687. If the PGA Tour crowned a season-long champion based on points, which is how LIV Golf operates, no one would be able to come close to Scheffler at the season finale. Considering how much he dominated the PGA Tour this season, that would be a just conclusion that rewards the best player. Niemann was the best player on LIV Golf in 2025, but he lost out on $10M due to the league's unfair point system. If all Rahm cares about is money, he sure made the right decision to ditch the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. The 30-year-old didn't win a tournament all year and still banked $31.6M in prize money from LIV Golf alone. Last year, he made $34.8M in the rival league.
MLB sends message by suspending Victor Robles for bat-throwing incident
Major League Baseball announced that Mariners outfielder Víctor Robles has received a 10-game suspension and an undisclosed fine from the league. The suspension will begin as soon as Robles is reinstated from the injured list, though Robles has filed an appeal and the suspension is being held in abeyance until the appeals process is complete. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reported these details prior to the official announcement. Divish notes that the M’s would have to play a man short during the suspension. Robles has been on the injured list for most of the year. Back in early April, he made a sensational catch in San Francisco but crashed into the sideline netting and dislocated his left shoulder, causing a small fracture in the humeral head of said shoulder. A week ago, he was finally able to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma. During that week, he was hit by pitches multiple times, as shown in this video breakdown from Jomboy Media. Although he was hit five times, only three of them were technically counted as hit-by-pitches, with the other two counting as swings. Regardless, the final incident saw Robles hit by Joey Estes of the Las Vegas Aviators. Of the five times Robles was hit, three of them were out of the hand of Estes, though the final two were counted as swinging strikes. Regardless of how it was scored, Robles was clearly upset and threw his bat toward the pitcher’s mound. It doesn’t appear as though it hit Estes or anyone else, but MLB is understandably taking a firm stance against a player using his bat in this dangerous manner and sending Robles a message. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to members of the media, including Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, noting that the club tentatively planned to reinstate Robles from the IL next week but those plans may change with the suspension. Divish suggests that perhaps the best plan is to reinstate Robles on Sept. 1, so that the M’s can at least play with a 27-man roster, though that would push his reinstatement into the middle of September. Reinstating him earlier would mean playing with a 25-man roster for a while, though that would also mean Robles would be able to be reinstated for more games. It’s also unclear how long the appeals process will take. Sometimes, players appealing a suspension will hang in limbo until their team goes to New York, where the MLB head offices are located. The M’s don’t play in New York again this year, so it’s not clear when the appeal would be scheduled for. Robles being in the minors could also complicate factors. The M’s would surely love for the appeal to drag out into the winter and for Robles to serve his suspension next year, since they are currently in a playoff race, though MLB presumably wouldn’t let it play out like that.
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