A Super Bowl hangover is not reserved for the losers. The defending champion Los Angeles Rams are feeling the pain too, and quarterback Matthew Stafford is not the one to blame.
Stafford is not playing well, but he’s among many culprits in the Los Angeles blame game. The Rams are 2-3 because their offensive line is a mess, the running attack is absent, only one wide receiver is a threat and coach Sean McVay lacks the pieces to put the puzzle back together.
It should not come as a big surprise that the Cowboys beat the Rams 22-10 on Sunday. It has to be a little surprising when a 5-point road dog rolls by double digits, but it was the type of result I could see coming. While the Dallas defense has developed into a dominant force, the Rams have been stumbling in the dark and unraveling on the offensive side.
Los Angeles’ downfall starts up front, where three offensive line starters were missing against the Cowboys. McVay has started five different offensive line combinations in five games. In the past two games, Stafford was sacked a total of 12 times while the Rams totaled 95 rushing yards, one touchdown and 19 points.
If not for Cooper Kupp, the Rams would resemble one of the worst teams in the NFL. Kupp kept his team in the game with seven receptions for 125 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown that started with his spectacular one-handed catch.
To be fair, Los Angeles faced arguably the league’s top two defenses — Dallas and San Francisco — the past two weeks and its other loss came to Buffalo in the opener. Still, it would not be surprising if McVay fails to find the answers and the Rams miss the playoffs.
Stafford is a Super Bowl champion — a title that can never be taken away – but he isn’t a superstar who can carry a flawed offense. The truth is the Rams were not a dominant team last season when they got hot at the right time, got a little lucky and won three postseason games by exactly three points each on their title run.
Last season’s Super Bowl teams — the Rams and Bengals — are each 2-3 and just winning their respective divisions will be a huge challenge. Los Angeles is nowhere near as good as they were last season, a lesson too many bettors learned the hard way Sunday.
“The Cowboys winning outright was really good for us in the afternoon,” Red Rock sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said after a winning day on his side of the counter.
Dallas is 4-0 with Cooper Rush filling in for Dak Prescott as the starting quarterback, but the defense should get more of the credit. The Cowboys have allowed a total of five touchdowns in five games.
Prescott, who had right thumb surgery on Sept. 12, hopes to return this week at Philadelphia. The 5-0 Eagles, who opened as 5-point favorites, have an elite offensive line that can slow Micah Parsons and the Cowboys’ relentless pass rush.
“I think once the Cowboys get Dak back, you can make a case they are the best team in the NFC East,” Esposito said. “The Eagles haven't beaten anyone yet — just my opinion.”
Five weeks into the season, this much is clear: Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have risen to the top spot in the NFC power rankings as quickly as Stafford and the Rams have fallen from the mountaintop.
It should be obvious to everyone now that the Rams are in real trouble, one of 10 lessons to take away from Week 5.
The Jaguars are always a risky proposition
More storm clouds were forming in the Circa Survivor contest, which already had 80% of the field wiped out through four weeks. Only 1,222 of 6,133 entries survived to Week 5, when the Jaguars were the most popular pick by 449 entrants.
When your all-in bet is riding on Jacksonville, beware of the dog. I warned a friend not to play the Jaguars, who were 7-point home favorites against the Texans. I warned him because the Jaguars had lost eight straight to the Texans and those types of trends in division games should not be ignored.
Houston ran its winning streak against Jacksonville to nine games with an ugly 13-6 decision that was capped by Dameon Pierce’s 1-yard touchdown dive with 3:11 remaining. Pierce turned into Earl Campbell reincarnated as he ran through the Jaguars defense late in the fourth quarter.
The Circa Survivor field is down to 718 entries, with 26 riding on the Chiefs as 7-point home favorites against the Raiders on Monday night. As for positive trends in division games, Kansas City crushed Las Vegas 41-14 and 48-9 in last year’s meetings.
Don’t expect bad teams to do good things for you
I made the mistake of using the Commanders + 1.5 as a pick in the Circa Millions and Westgate SuperContest. The play was based on reading the betting market, with the public heavy on the Titans and the sharps siding with Washington. I did not really like the play, yet hoped for a good result.
I got what I deserved with this ugly dog. On the brink of victory, Carson Wentz threw an interception at the 1-yard line with six seconds left and Tennessee survived, 21-17.