Rams get ridiculous overreaction from ESPN analyst after Week 1 loss

Rams get ridiculous overreaction from ESPN analyst after Week 1 loss originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Rams played in Australia in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. Considering the hype about this superteam, the result was incredibly disappointing.

A brutal 27-7 loss in which Myles Garrett was clearly hampered by an injury, Aaron Donald didn’t play, Matthew Stafford struggled, and Sean McVay was out-coached. Now with Garrett hitting injured reserve, it’s been quite the terrible start to the season.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano, following that rough Week 1 for the Rams, already believes that they could finish third in the NFC West and miss the playoffs entirely. It’s a major overreaction, despite Graziano believing otherwise, as it’s just one game.

ESPN analyst believes Rams could miss playoffs after Week 1 loss

“The Rams could finish third in their division and miss the playoffs,” Graziano writes. “Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION.”

The 27-7 loss was a rough one. Los Angeles did lose Garrett for at least the next four games due to a knee injury. But to already believe they could finish third in the NFC West and miss the playoffs is an overreaction after one week.

Graziano noted that “The Rams will probably be fine. But Week 1 was a reminder that it’s just way too early to crown them or anyone else.”

But Week 1 is also way too early to go from calling the Rams the Super Bowl favorites to believing they could miss out of the playoffs entirely.

Was the first game of the 2026 season a rough one for the Rams? Yes. Could they continue to struggle with Garrett sidelined and some regression from other key players on the team? Absolutely.

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But it’s been just one game. It’s not just any game either. They played overseas in Australia against the 49ers, who had been in Australia for a week before the Rams showed up just under 48 hours before game day.

The 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are elite teams, and there was always a chance the Rams could finish third in this likely highly competitive NFC West.

Already writing them off as a team that could miss the playoffs is a step too far. This Rams team is way better than what they showed in Week 1, and this reaction from Graziano after just one game is a major overreaction.

Give it another few weeks, see how the Rams fare without Garrett and back in the United States before making any final judgments about this team. Besides, Donald has yet to suit up.

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