LA Rams' surprising loss to Panthers contained no reasons for concern, Sean McVay insists

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although the Los Angeles Rams' tenure atop the NFC standings ended quickly with their most surprising loss of the season by far, coach Sean McVay says he saw nothing to change his optimistic outlook for the rest of the season.

The main areas in which the Rams (9-3) struggled in their rain-soaked, 31-28 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday hadn't been big areas of concern for McVay's team before this game, and he doesn't think the problems will linger.

He'll find out whether he's correct starting next weekend, when the Rams begin a stretch of three games in three cities over 12 days with their playoff hopes on the line.

“I think the best thing is our players and coaches are more connected,” McVay said Monday, echoing his optimistic outlook in Charlotte. “There's an ownership, there's an accountability and there's a security to acknowledge where we can improve and move forward, and that starts with us as coaches.”

Two areas of struggle stood out as the key factors in the Panthers' upset win: The Los Angeles defense's inability to stop Carolina's steady rushing attack, and Matthew Stafford's three turnovers.

Only Derrick Henry and the Ravens put up more yards rushing against the Rams’ defense this season than the Panthers' 164 yards on the ground. Carolina ran the ball 37 times before three kneel-downs, and that steady effectiveness contributed to the Panthers' ability to convert seven third downs.

The Rams are in the middle of the NFL pack in run defense, but a team that has won nine games and hadn’t trailed since Week 6 is likely to face more passes from trailing opponents.

Poona Ford, the Rams’ run-stopping defensive tackle, played only 19 snaps at Carolina because of a calf injury, forcing youngsters Tyler Davis and Ty Hamilton to play more than normal.

“Just some leaky yards, and it was a collective effort," McVay said, noting the paucity of explosive runs by Carolina. "It was just not the level of execution that we're accustomed to. ... They made some plays on those critical downs.”

McVay probably doesn't have to do anything to fix the mistakes by Stafford, who hadn't thrown an interception in his previous eight games during a strong season.

The first end zone interception came on a tipped ball, while the second — a pick-6 — was simply a bad decision made quickly by a quarterback who has been stellar in tight spots all season long. Stafford's strip-sack fumble on the Rams' final series was the result of losing track of the pressure in a collapsing pocket.

Without those errors, the Rams would have been in position to win, McVay believes — and his team's first three months were too solid for him to panic down the playoff stretch.

“You get a chance to be able to learn about people when you go through some challenging setbacks or moments,” McVay said. “I think this group is well-equipped to be able to handle it. You have to do it. It’s not about any words. Seen is better than said.”

Davante Adams remains a touchdown machine, catching two more scoring throws to boost his total to an NFL-best 14 — tied for the second most in a season in his 12-year career. Stafford and Adams have developed an easy chemistry in short-yardage situations that has made Adams frequently unstoppable.

The Rams gave up two touchdown passes by Bryce Young on fourth downs. While Emmanuel Forbes was in coverage on both, the cornerback isn't solely responsible for the defense's inability to stop big plays — including a third TD pass by Young on which Chuba Hubbard could have been tackled multiple times. McVay ascribes it all to poor execution.

Running back Blake Corum had his most impactful game as a pro with a career-high 81 yards on just seven carries, including a 34-yard scamper and a 2-yard TD run.

The secondary wasn't great. Forbes and Cobie Durant were the defense's stars a week ago, but both yielded multiple big catches in Carolina while Young wisely focused on getting the ball out quickly. Ahkello Witherspoon returned from injury, but played only 15 snaps.

RB Kyren Williams' injured ankle looks “pretty good,” McVay said. ... Adams had hamstring soreness after the game, but McVay doesn't think it's serious. ... Tutu Atwell's return from a hamstring injury was scrapped at the last minute because of overall roster makeup, McVay said. He isn't sure when his $10 million receiver will be activated.

1 — The Rams' number of penalties in Carolina. But that solo flag was huge: a delay of game call on third-and-5 with the Rams in the red zone on their final offensive series. One snap later, Stafford fumbled the game away. The quarterback said the penalty was entirely his fault, but he was still surprised by the flag, thinking he got the play off in time.

The Cardinals are the only NFC West team not in playoff contention, yet the Rams took a humiliating 41-10 loss in Glendale early last season before McVay got his team fixed. That memory should make sure Los Angeles doesn't take this visit lightly before back-to-back showdowns with Detroit and Seattle.

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