The Los Angeles Rams faced a tall task in Week 12 when they traveled to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
As has been the case in most games this season, the Rams were severely shorthanded in this one as the duo of Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp both sat out with injuries, as did Allen Robinson and a number of offensive lineman.
Going against the high-powered Chiefs offense with a third-string quarterback in Bryce Perkins led to the Rams being 15.5-point underdogs, the largest spread deficit in the Sean McVay era. And the game played out just as many expected as the Rams suffered a 26-10 defeat, their fifth straight loss, to drop to 3-8 on the season.
All things considered, it was actually a solid performance for the Rams as they played hard and stayed within striking distance. In the end though, their offense wasn’t able to do enough through the air as Perkins threw for just 100 yards and a touchdown while recording two interceptions.
Mahomes, on the other hand, had another solid day with 320 passing yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception though in the red zone as Nick Scott picked him off in the third quarter.
The Rams’ lone touchdown of the day went to Van Jefferson, who scored for the second straight week. He is showing signs of getting back to his pre-injury self, finishing with three receptions for 29 yards.
While the Rams struggled to do anything through the air, they did find some success on the ground which has not been their strong suit this season. L.A. rushed for a total of 116 yards and 28 carries with Perkins leading the way with 44 yards. Cam Akers (37 yards) and Kyren Williams (35 yards) split work at running back after the team made the surprise decision to waive Darrell Henderson this past week.
All in all, it was good to see the Rams play hard while some young players like Williams flashed their talent. The Rams’ playoff hopes are dead after five straight losses though, so moral victories are all this team can take away from another otherwise very disappointing season.
Up next for Rams…
After their loss to the Chiefs, the Rams will now head home and host the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13.
It remains to be seen if Stafford, who is in concussion protocol and dealing with a neck issue, will be able to return in time for L.A. If not then it will be Perkins once again under center for a tough divisional game.
