Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams have been in the media in a negative way more recently than fans have grown accustomed to in the Sean McVay era. Last week, wide receiver Puka Nacua got into trouble after appearing on a controversial podcast and attempting to bring the hosts into the facility on a short week. On that podcast, Nacua criticized NFL officiating while also making headlines in other ways. The Rams then proceeded to blow a 16-point fourth quarter lead to the Seattle Seahawks. It’s the second big lead the Rams have blown this season. Following the game, Nacua tweeted about the officiating and how his comments may have been right.
That’s not necessarily to criticize Nacua as he is free to do what he wishes with his free time. While fans like to think that athletes are constantly studying film and the playbook, they do have lives off of the field. However, what Nacua opted to partake in certainly didn’t help on a short week and, at the very least, the optics weren’t great.
These are the types of things that many would have expected on a Jeff Fisher-led Rams team. Whether it was Jared Cook getting into trouble and causing a scene on the sideline or Kenny Britt making headlines off the field, those Rams teams had those issues and they embraced it in a sense. McVay’s Rams have been the opposite and it’s been a reason for their sustained success.
When McVay came in, he immediately changed the culture. The Rams brought in Andrew Whitworth as the ‘Papa Bear’ of the locker room. They also signed Robert Woods and drafted Cooper Kupp. These players were all eventually leaders of their specific position groups.
This isn’t to say that the Rams don’t have leadership, but it is fair to wonder whether or not this team has leadership gaps where it’s needed. Rams general manager Les Snead tends to focus on players who can fill those roles and has talked about them in the past. Again, he’s mentioned having leadership roles such as the ‘Papa Bear’, ‘Warrior’, ‘Rule-Bender’, and ‘Strategist’. However, some of those roles currently feel empty.
Rob Havenstein may not have been playing well, but it’s hard to argue his leadership value. That was the ‘Papa Bear’ of the offensive line. Nate Landman has been a great addition, but Quentin Lake is a leader on the defense that the Rams have missed. Moving on from Cooper Kupp was necessary, but Davante Adams hasn’t been the same type of leader at that position.
When the Rams went to the Super Bowl in 2021, they had the steady, veteran presence on the offensive line in Whitworth. Who is that on the offense currently? Jalen Ramsey was the leader in the secondary. That’s something that the Rams currently lack. During the final drive of the Super Bowl, Aaron Donald paced the sideline telling the defense to ‘bow up’. Who is that guy on the defense right now telling guys to lock...
