Getty Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones of the Rams close in on the tackle on November 13, 2022 in Inglewood.
Everyone is frustrated inside the “Rams House.”
The Los Angeles Rams now sit at 3-6 overall, plus became losers of their last three games, following the 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, November 13. Head coach Sean McVay has casted blame on himself. The defending champs may now be without Cooper Kupp following a devastating ankle injury. Finally, national media members have begun to write off the team that last placed their fingerprints and palms on the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
But one young member of the Rams sent out a stirring prediction of how the rest of the 2022 season will shake out for the Rams.
Second-Year Rams Linebacker Speaks Out
Speaking with reporters following the 10-point loss, Ernest Jones is one who isn’t ready to turn in his pads and watch the rest of the NFL season.
The 2021 third-rounder, who was given a four-year, $4.7 million deal when he arrived to the Rams and immediately won the Super Bowl his rookie season, is not wavering from his confidence in this year’s version of the Rams.
“I mean, it’s definitely different and difficult for everyone. But I mean truth be told, the guys in this locker room…we gonna figure it out,” Jones said.
Then came this next prediction from the inside linebacker out of South Carolina.
“And when we do, nobody will say anything,” he added.
Jones has played and started in all nine games — becoming one of the few returners from last year’s Super Bowl run who have avoided going on injured reserve. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder has hit double-digit tackles twice this season: The Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons (season-high 12 tackles) and the recent loss to the Cards (10 tackles, which led all Rams defenders).
This year’s Ram defense has allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards in the league at 865 and is tied for the fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns surrendered at six. They are also tied for allowing the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns at 11. However, the Rams haven’t forced a takeaway during the three-game slide. Jones is also yet to snatch an interception this season (picked off two passes his rookie year).
“For the most part just execution,” Jones said as the big key for the defense moving forward. “Just executing and doing our part, doing it right and just being there when mistakes are made. So for us, it’s just execution.”
Starting ILB Has Seen This Before
This isn’t the first time Jones has witnessed a three-game slide.
Even before entering the “Rams House,” Jones has seen streaks snap before. In 2020, his South Carolina Gamecocks began the year on a five-game slide. But the 0-5 Gamecocks went on to stun No. 15 ranked Auburn 30-22 to end the skid. Then followed that win with a 41-7 romp of Vanderbilt. His 2019 South Carolina team also began the season on a multiple-game losing streak (lost first three games) before not only ending that slump against Vanderbilt 24-7, but three weeks later knocked off No. 3 ranked Georgia in double overtime 20-17.
The NFL is still a much different beast compared to playing in the rugged and stacked Southeastern Conference (SEC). But last year, the Rams fell on the losing end during a three-week stretch from November 7 to November 28. From there, the Rams would go on to lose just once the rest of the way: The season finale overtime defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, who they exacted revenge on in the NFC title game.
Jones has taken one good luck at who’s inside the Rams facility and knows this team is still stockpiled with veterans — the kind of guys he believes are tailor-made to get this team out of the current adversity.
“We always do, we always will (figure it out),” Jones said. “We got each other’s back, so we gonna figure it out…Hell yeah. We (aren’t) over ’till they tell us it’s over. I know the men in the locker room will work their a** off every day from here on out like we’ve been doing. But we’re going to do it in a better fashion.”