The Los Angeles Rams have won five games in a row and are surging toward the NFL playoffs, which is obviously fantastic.
At this point, the Rams' 1-4 start feels like ancient history.
But is there actually reason to be concerned about Los Angeles with the postseason just around the corner?
Yes, the Rams are now an impressive 10-6 on the year and are widely being viewed as dark horse Super Bowl contenders, but you can't help but feel a bit worried about the state of their offense.
Los Angeles' 13-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals marked the third straight game that Matthew Stafford and Co. failed to score 20 points. As a matter of fact, the Rams have totaled just three touchdowns over the past three weeks.
It's not exactly like Los Angeles has been playing defensive dynamos, either.
The San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and the Cardinals—the Rams' last three opponents—are allowing 22.2, 22.9 and 23.3 points per game, respectively, this season.
And yet, Los Angeles wasn't able to reach the end zone once against the 49ers before a couple of more lackluster offensive performances.
So, what is going on here?
Well. Stafford's play in particular has fallen off a cliff the last three games, as he hasn't hit the 200-yard mark since the Rams' thrilling win over the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 8.
He has completed under 60 percent of his passes in two of the past three contests, and finished with sub-80 passer ratings twice.
Is the 36-year-old Stafford—who turns 37 in early February—starting to wind down as the regular season draws to a close?
To be frank, the Rams' offense hasn't been great all year. It has had moments for sure, but overall, Los Angeles is averaging 326.9 yards and 21.4 points per game. Those numbers are very ordinary, and they aren't just skewed from the first five games of the season, either.
There is no doubt that Los Angeles has explosive offensive talent. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp comprise one of the league's most impressive wide receiver duos, and running back Kyren Williams has racked up 1,299 rushing yards and an NFL-leading 14 rushing touchdowns.
But clearly, Sean McVay's group is running into some issues.
The Rams' defense has stepped up in a big way in recent weeks, but the unit has been so inconsistent throughout the 2024 campaign. That makes the defense a tough sell in the playoffs.
For as well as Los Angeles has been playing the last couple of months, it seems hard to imagine this team making any sort of real playoff run unless the offense begins to find its rhythm.
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams' Puzzling Struggles Could Sabotage Super Bowl Run.