TAMPA, Fla. — Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said “changes need to be made” after his team scored just 13 points in Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Adjustments need to be made,” McVay said. “We can’t go on like this. And as it looks, I don’t necessarily have the exact answers right now.”
McVay wanted to make it clear that he’s not pointing the finger at others and not shutting himself in, saying, “I’m a big part of it. I have to do better.”
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“We’ll keep in touch during this time,” McVay said. “But we have to be able to look inside and figure out what are some of the fixes, changes, adjustments and different things that we have to do to get different results and different results from our offense.”
The 3-5 Rams, third in the NFC West, have 131 points this season. Los Angeles had scored 245 points at this point last season, according to research from ESPN Stats & Information. The 131 points is tied for the second-least by a defending champion in the Super Bowl era.
McVay said he thinks “everything has to be up for debate.”
“As coaches, it’s our responsibility to identify the problems and try to offer solutions, and then the player’s job of being able to execute and get them done,” McVay said. “I have to be able to do my part first and foremost so that they can do their part. And that’s where you always look. You want to look inside first.”
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, who had eight catches for 127 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, said he agreed with McVay’s assessment.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I have the answers, but I agree,” Kupp said. “The definition of insanity does the same thing over and over again. We need to find a way to change and create points. Just find a way to place dots on the board. The defense did such a great job and we’re letting them down.
| endgames? | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Steelers | 2-6 | no |
| 1999 Broncos | 2-6 | no |
| 1987 Giants | 2-6 | no |
| 2022 Aries | 3-5 | ? |
| 2013 Ravens | 3-5 | no |
| 1982 49ers | 3-5 | no |
| 1981 Hunter | 3-5 | no |
| 1968 Packers | 3-4-1 | no |
“We always say ‘come back and go to work’. And there’s no shortage of effort, but how much effort can you put in at some point? You have to change something. You have to find a way to be efficient and to score.”
Despite scoring just 13 points, the Rams were in position to win the game, by four and with less than two minutes remaining. Los Angeles couldn’t get a first down and had to punt, giving Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady the ball with 44 seconds left. Brady threw a touchdown pass to take the lead with 13 seconds left.
“It’s very frustrating,” Kupp said. “It kind of makes you sick. Knowing the guys on defense are what they’ve done. The preparation, all the work that goes into it. They have an opportunity to win three games, averaging three and a third yards . And we couldn’t do anything.”
The Rams are the eighth defending champion in the Super Bowl to go under .500 in eight games, according to ESPN Stats & Information Research. None of the previous seven teams recovered to make the playoffs.
“We have to play better,” said quarterback Matthew Stafford. “I think from a player’s perspective, you can do that. Just show up every day, try to be better than the day before, and keep stacking those days. And I think that’s the only way to go about it. When you’re sitting there and you start looking around, trying to grasp straws and doing all these things to try and figure something out, I don’t know if that’s the right approach.
“I think the right approach is to look within and see how each individual person can become better. And when you do that, good things will happen.”