Rams 2025 season: What went right and wrong in Super Bowl pursuit
Rams kick returner Xavier Smith misses a punt as Seattle’s Dareke Young recovers the ball in the third quarter Sunday in the NFC championship game.
(Jane Gershovitch/Getty Images)
Mistake-prone special teams: Blocked kicks led to several early season losses, and the Rams in November signed Harrison Mevis to replace Joshua Karty and veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide to replace Alex Ward.
A punt return for a touchdown by Seattle’s Rashid Shaheed on December 18 ultimately led McVay to fire special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn.
Punter Ethan Evans was pretty solid and Mevis performed well. But punt returner Xavier Smith’s attempt to catch a ball as he fell during the NFC championship game resulted in a fumble that led to a crucial Seahawks touchdown.
Too much for Tutu: Don’t blame receiver Tutu Atwell.
The Rams selected the small but quick receiver in the second round of the 2021 draft, but McVay, who is considered perhaps the best offensive mind in football, never fully maximized Atwell’s skillset. Atwell became a free agent after the 2024 season, and the Rams gave him a one-year, $10 million contract, apparently with the promise that they finally figured it out.
Alas, Atwell caught six passes (around $1.7 million per catch), including an 88-yard game-winning touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. He was not active for the divisional round playoff game against the Chicago Bears or the NFC Championship.
No secondary investment: The Rams were so convinced that the pass rush would be dominant that they stuck with it and made no changes to the secondary. No draft picks. No free agents.
They reached an agreement at the trade deadline for cornerback Roger McCreary, but otherwise rolled with the same group starting in 2024.
In the NFC Championship, Cobie Durant and Darious Williams started at cornerback.
Nacua’s mistake on social media: Nacua, perhaps more than any other Rams player, embraces the opportunities of social media and has become one of the most popular personalities in the NFL.
But while appearing live days before a critical Week 16 game in Seattle, Nacua made comments critical of the officials and, unbeknownst to Nacua, made an anti-Semitic gesture. Nacua apologized and the NFL and Rams released statements. After scoring two touchdowns and racking up 225 receiving yards in the overtime loss, Nacua issued another comment critical of the officials. He was fined $25,000.
Lost advantage of the ground: Entering a Week 13 game in Carolina, the Rams were 9-2, had won six straight, and held the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs, giving them home-field advantage for the playoffs.
The Rams lost to the Panthers, the first of three losses in their last six games. They finished with the No. 5 seed.
That meant the Rams would likely have to win three road games to qualify for the Super Bowl. They came back for playoff wins at Carolina and Chicago, but couldn’t do it in Seattle.
