Rams & Ravens battle in first of two pivotal road games | Game Preview

J.B. Long

As of this writing, the Rams have been sitting on a bitter loss for 16 of the last 20 days.

Only a very short week separated the lingering frustration of Philadelphia from the newfound nausea of letting the Niners off the hook.

In each instance, Los Angeles was defeated on the last play of the game.

Adding to the dark mood this week is another upsetting memory, as the Rams make a return trip to Baltimore. Just two years ago, despite playing one of their best games of 2023, the Ravens walked them off in overtime as a backup punt returner took it the distance.

Here in present day, the Rams need a reset. They need a cathartic win over a franchise that was favored to chase a championship but instead has limped to a 1-4 start.

It’s too early to call Sunday a must-win. But for both Baltimore and Los Angeles, it sure feels like a cannot lose.

Hurt So Good

Now, allow me to cast the Rams 3-2 beginning in a slightly different light.

We know that if either one of two kicks in both losses goes through the pipes, LA is 5-0 and the last undefeated in the NFL.

But this is football, and in the short-window, hyper-competitive space in which the Rams compete, outplaying an opponent doesn’t always correlate with a win.

“It’s not the NBA where you go out there, the worst team in the league versus the best team where I guarantee you, 90% of the time the better team is going to win,” veteran receiver Davante Adams said.

If you’re a visual learner like I am, look at these objective illustrations of how well your team has played so far.