The Los Angeles Rams are experiencing their first 0-2 start to a season since before Les Snead became their general manager 12 years ago.
They just suffered their worst defeat under coach Sean McVay, losing 41-10 to the Arizona Cardinals, a team they had consistently beaten during McVay’s eight-year tenure.
The Rams are dealing with major injury issues affecting their top two receivers, their entire offensive line, and two key defensive backs.
Now, they are set to face their biggest rivals and toughest opponents in McVay’s career: the powerful San Francisco 49ers, who will visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Aside from Matthew Stafford, who is fully healthy, it’s hard to see how the first two weeks could have been any worse for McVay and the team he led to six winning seasons in his first seven years.
“This league, nobody cares,” McVay said. “I feel terrible for those (injured) guys, and we certainly care, but the outside world doesn’t, and the games are going to go on.”
The Rams’ season, which started with playoff hopes even without retired star Aaron Donald, has quickly fallen apart. This situation mirrors the 2022 season when McVay’s team went 5-12 due to major injury problems, marking the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history.
Several of the Rams’ key players will miss Sunday’s game. The injury list includes receivers Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle); starting offensive linemen Steve Avila (knee), Jonah Jackson (shoulder), and Joseph Noteboom (ankle); and starting defensive backs Darious Williams (hamstring) and John Johnson (shoulder). Some other important players will also be playing through injuries, including offensive linemen Kevin Dotson and Rob Havenstein.
