Rams hit a cold spell amid hot NFC teams

The Rams wanted to make the playoffs in the worst way.

- BY SAM FARMER

RAMS QUARTERBACK Matthew Stafford eludes the tackle of the Falcons' Khalid Kareem.

Mission accomplished. They're headed to 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 contraptions to pry open their eyes.

"I think if we play the way that we did in the first half... we're going to be at home watching everything go down in two weeks," defensive tackle Kobie Turner said. "We've got to get our stuff together."

This 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 going-no-where Falcons built a three-touchdown halftime lead is absurd. Not so long ago, Atlanta lost seven of eight.

The Rams looked nothing like the team that just about everyone had at the top of their power rankings for most of the season.

Matthew Stafford had three interceptions. Fill-in left tackle D.J. Humphries had a pair of penalties that wiped out two huge receptions.