The Los Angeles Rams beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday to improve to 4-4, but it didn’t come easy. There was a moment during the Rams’ bad start when they had to ask themselves if that was just something they were going through or if that was who they had become.

Throughout much of the first seven games of the season, the Rams have lacked consistency. After taking the Buffalo Bills to overtime and playing their best game of the season, the Rams lost to the Arizona Cardinals the next week. The Rams played a great game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but through five drives on Sunday, the offense didn’t have a first down. 

Then, Matthew Stafford found Tutu Atwell down the left sideline for a 40-yard gain and Kyren Williams capped off the drive with a touchdown before the end of the first half. To start the second half, Blake Corum got in on the action as well, scoring from 23 yards out. With the passing game struggling, Puka Nacua stepped up in the way that he always seems to. 

After struggling to move the ball for much of the first half, the Rams finally started to move their season forward. It wasn’t perfect, but the win did provide something they needed. They responded in a positive way and earned back-to-back wins for the first time this season to get back to .500. 

The Rams are playing complementary football. As the offense struggled to move the ball, the defense provided opportunities and kept the Chargers out of the end zone. Offensively, the Rams are starting to find themselves, and that was the case in the second half as they got back to 13 personnel, despite being without Colby Parkinson. 

Coming into the season, the Rams had Super Bowl expectations. A lot has changed since mid-August and the Rams certainly aren’t where they wanted or were supposed to be. Beating an 0-6 Chargers team doesn’t change that. However, they are still in the conversation. 

This week, Myles Garrett is expected to return to practice. Tight end Terrance Ferguson will soon return to the field as well. If the Rams can get healthy in December and January, they aren’t a team many will want to face. With the trade deadline approaching, the Rams could still make a move to help get them over the top. If Sunday showed anything, it’s that the Rams still need a wide receiver they can count on outside of Puka Nacua.

The Rams still have a lot to prove. Their win against the Chargers was anything but impressive. However, winning back-to-back games has given the Rams a reason to keep going. After losing to the Cardinals two weeks ago, they were a team that had officially hit rock bottom. Since then, they’ve begun the ascent back up to where they belong.

Many have tried to label the Rams as a failed Super Team and the latest example of why that doesn't work. It’s possible that’s true. However, as the Rams continue working toward the team they hoped to be before the season, they have refused to let their early struggles define who they become. If the Rams can pull this off, it won’t be about the destination, but the journey that it took to get there. 

3 Things I Can’t Stop Thinking About

1. The Need for a Reliable WR3 at the Trade Deadline Is Obvious

During the first half, the reality of the Rams’ wide receiver situation behind Puka Nacua with Davante Adams out became obvious. Maybe Tutu Atwell is just a vertical clear-out guy, Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington are just role players, and CJ Daniels actually wasn’t ready. Nacua caught 11-of-12 targets on Sunday while all other Rams wide receivers combined for two catches on six targets. For much of the first half, Matthew Stafford seemed unsettled and didn’t trust his throws when he wasn’t targeting Nacua. 

This season, Mumpfield is averaging -0.32 EPA per target with a 38.1 percent targeted success rate. Whittington is averaging -0.43 EPA per target with a 25 percent success rate. Atwell has a role, but is limited. The Rams need a reliable option. Mumpfield, Whittington, and Atwell are all role players. It’s not sustainable to rely on them consistently, and for as much as the Rams operate out of 13 personnel, they still need wide receiver depth.

2. Rams Need to Be Comfortable Riding the Hot Hand at Running Back

There is no doubt that the Rams’ running game is at its best when both Blake Corum and Kyren Williams are getting involved. It’s understandable that the Rams want to use both players in a rotation. However, there are games such as yesterday in which the Rams need to be ok with just riding the hot hand. Corum was averaging 6.6 yards per carry with a 54.5 percent success rate. Williams averaged 3.5 yards per carry with a 43.8 percent success rate. The 1-2 format has proven to be successful, but it was evident against the Chargers that Corum was the more effective player. 

3. Special Teams Still a Work in Progress

It’s another week, which means we’re once again talking about the Rams’ special teams unit. Overall, it looked better. When the dirty kickoff worked, it was effective. The Rams just need to find some consistency and hopefully another week of practice provides that. Ethan Evans had a solid day punting with a net average of 49.2 yards. Alex Bachman remains reliable, but doesn’t offer much outside of that. There is still room for improvement, but the Rams appear to be taking positive steps forward. 

Game Ball: RB Blake Corum

Sean McVay handed game balls to Quentin Lake and Trent McDuffie, and they were certainly deserving. However, for a second consecutive week, Blake Corum gets my game ball. When the offense needed energy and a spark, he provided that. Corum began the second half with four straight carries for 32 yards and then capped it off with a 23-yard touchdown run. The Rams’ ability to go from down 9-3 to winning 17-9 by scoring immediately before and after the half helped them take control of the game. 

Stat of the Day: 43.6

My stat of the day is 43.6. That's the percentage-point difference in how often the Rams operated out of 13 personnel in the first half compared to the second half. Without Colby Parkinson, the Rams tried to operate out of 11 personnel, but it wasn’t working. They simply aren’t built for it, especially without Adams. The Rams forced 13 personnel in the second half and that’s when the run game and play action passing game off of that finally got going. The Rams operated out of 13 personnel at a 20 percent rate in the first half compared to a 63.6 percent rate in the second half. That adjustment turned out to be key in the Rams winning. 

Looking Ahead

The Rams earned back-to-back wins for the first time this season and will need to prove they can keep it going. They will head to Washington to play a Commanders team that has played the NFC West hard this season. The Commanders beat the Seattle Seahawks and then lost to the San Francisco 49ers by six. 

If the Rams are going to beat the Commanders, they need to be much better than they were against the Chargers. That game will have a 10 a.m. PT start as well. The Rams need to continue building momentum through their bye week and the Commanders should provide an opportunity to do that.