One week after the Los Angeles Rams appeared to find their identity, it looked like they had lost it early against the Los Angeles Chargers. In the second half, the Rams stole it back on their way to a 24-9 win.

On the back of the run game and 13 personnel, the Rams finally found some consistency on offense. However, an injury to Colby Parkinson coming into the game on Sunday changed the entire dynamic and it took time for the Rams to adjust.

In the first half, the Rams operated out of 11 personnel on 75 percent of their offensive plays. When the Rams were without Parkinson against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4, they at least had Nacua and Davante Adams. As the Rams were forced into 11 personnel on Sunday, they were looking at a rotation of Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, and Jordan Whittington in the passing game. 

Rams' Offensive Struggles Highlight Need for Wide Receiver Help

For the first 28 minutes of the game, the Rams didn’t have a first down. While the offense took advantage of a Quentin Lake interception on Justin Herbert, the Rams’ offense looked broken. Matthew Stafford started the game with an interception and was 6-for-10 for 20 yards until the team’s final drive of the opening half. Stafford didn’t seem comfortable throwing to any wide receiver not named Nacua. 

If the Rams needed evidence that they needed to trade for a wide receiver, Sunday certainly provided that. While Nacua caught 11-of-12 targets, Mumpfield, Atwell and Jordan Whittington combined for 2-for-7. Nacua finished with 80 of Stafford’s 157 yards on the day. 

Sunday marked the first time in the Sean McVay era that the Rams went their first five offensive drives without a first down. The Rams had 14 yards on their first five drives of the game.

Finally, with less than two minutes to go in the half, the offense got going. Stafford found Tutu Atwell for a gain of 40 yards deep down the left sideline for the team’s first first down of the half, and then hit Nacua open over the middle to set the offense up at the two-yard line. On the next play, Kyren Williams walked into the end zone to give the Rams a 10-9 lead. 

Second-Half Adjustments Spark Rams' Offensive Turnaround

After getting away from the run game in the first half and running the ball just five times, the Rams came out with a mission on their opening drive of the third quarter. Blake Corum carried the ball four straight times for 32 yards to spark the run game. Corum then capped the drive off with a 23-yard touchdown run, putting the Rams ahead 17-9. 

The Rams made it a point to get back to the same rushing identity that they established last week. In the first half, the Rams ran the ball five times for just 10 yards. Corum and Williams combined for 22 carries for 119 yards in the second half. Both players rushed for a touchdown for a third time this season. 

Rams Defense Delivers Another Dominant Performance

While the offense struggled at times throughout the afternoon, the Rams’ defense remained rock solid. Lake had an interception in the first half and the defense didn’t allow a single touchdown for the second time in three weeks. 

Back in the lineup, Trent McDuffie intercepted Herbert in the third quarter to give the offense good field position. The Rams took advantage and took a 24-9 lead as Stafford found Nacua on a back-side screen, and Nacua did the rest.

As the Chargers made a final push in the fourth quarter, Josh Wallace tackled tight end Orande Gadsden one-yard short on 4th-and-8 to force a turnover on downs. The Rams then ran Williams 11 times on the next drive to close out the game. 

Rams Build Momentum With Second Consecutive Win

It certainly wasn’t perfect, but the Rams responded in the second half and the offense did enough when it needed to. For the first time this season, the Rams got back-to-back wins. Coming into the game, the main goal was to find a way to start stacking wins and the Rams did just that. They are now back at .500 before they travel to Washington next week to take on the Commanders. 

Through eight games, the Rams have yet to play a complete game and find their stride. However, earning a second straight win is a step in the right direction. Now, the Rams need to build on their current momentum and show that the last two weeks are the beginning of something more.