Why the Rams are suddenly staggering before the playoffs

ATLANTA — The Rams wanted to make the playoffs in the worst possible way.

Mission accomplished. They are heading into the playoffs in the worst way imaginable.

Monday night’s 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons was an abomination — you could feel that vibe in the postgame locker room — but the Rams need to study it, even if it requires some eye-opening gear.

“I think if we play like we did in the first half … we’ll be home and watching everything unfold in two weeks,” defensive tackle Kobie Turner said. “We need to get our stuff together.”

It was one of only three times in Sean McVay’s nine seasons that his team was held scoreless in the first half, which is bad enough. But that the Falcons, who are going nowhere, built a three-touchdown lead by halftime is absurd. It wasn’t that long ago that Atlanta lost seven of eight.

The Rams looked nothing like the team almost everyone had at the top of their rankings for most of the season. Matthew Stafford had three interceptions. Backup left tackle DJ Humphries took two penalties that wiped out two huge receptions. And Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson was still running now, but decided to stop once he reached the end zone (after a 93-yard touchdown, mind you.)

The Rams who started 9-2 (and should have won those games against Philadelphia and San Francisco) are just a memory. Since then, they have lost three out of five.

Now all the other NFC contenders are getting hot — Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago — and the Rams are quivering in an emotional ice bath.

Suddenly, their once insignificant finale against Arizona on Sunday is vitally important. They need to get their rhythm back rather than hoping to do it in the first round of the playoffs. They can’t change their swing in the middle of this golf tournament. They have to solve problems on the training ground.

Getting receiver Davante Adams back is key, and he looked good in warmups, running as if his hamstring issues were behind him. But he’s desperately needed in the red zone, and it will take some weight off Puka Nacua.

Just as importantly, the team needs left tackle Alaric Jackson and right guard Kevin Dotson back from injuries. The Rams are getting a taste of what the Chargers have been through all season, with their offensive line undergoing a shakeup every week.

And the defense should greatly benefit from the return of Quentin Lake, a quarterback on that side of the ball.

Regardless, good teams overcome the loss of key players and find ways to win with replacements. Every team would like to be complete.

Rams receiver Puka Nacua completes a long pass to Atlanta Falcons cornerback CJ Henderson in the first half Monday.

(Brynn Anderson/Associated Press)

And even though the Rams should have been able to score the tying field goal down the stretch — there was an uncalled pass interference against Tutu Atwell, who made a good attempt to catch a deep ball with his hand that wasn’t grabbed — they shouldn’t have been in this predicament in the first place.

As they watched their lead evaporate, the Falcons must have had flashbacks to their catastrophic 25-point collapse to New England in the Super Bowl. After all, the Rams outscored them in the second half, 21-6.

But all that was little consolation for the visitors, who were unable to seal the deal.

The Rams have lost two straight games and were looking for a boost after blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in Seattle. Instead, they received a slap in the face.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford speaks to reporters following a 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

(Brynn Anderson/Associated Press)

It’s extremely rare for a team to go into the playoffs on a down note while still reaching the top of the mountain. The last franchise to do that was Baltimore in 2012, a club that lost four of its last five games — even though it was missing a slew of injured stars — then successively beat teams led by Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and a prime Colin Kaepernick.

So it can be done. A clumsy team can find its way. And it seemed for a moment Monday night that the Rams had turned a corner.

Jared Verse blocked a Falcons field goal attempt, scooped up the bouncing ball and returned it for a 76-yard touchdown. As he passed the Atlanta sideline, he glanced over and playfully raised his hand to form a G-rated gesture.

Unless a drastic change happens, that’s a message the rest of the playoff teams could give to the Rams.

Peace.