LOS ANGELES -- The first half was littered by boos, but then Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum mostly fell silent. A sparse crowd desperate for any signs of hope or progress from its fading team was instead treated to continual disaster, and it was almost as if the fans' anger evolved into indifference.
These are the Rams, 13 games into their once-celebrated return to the country's second-largest media market.
This, one would hope, is bottom.
The Rams were blown out for a third straight Sunday, this time by a 42-14 score against an Atlanta Falcons team that was without its top two receivers. The Rams have fallen to 4-9, following three wins in their first four games with eight losses over a span of nine. They have not won a game at home -- their new home -- since Sept. 18 and have guaranteed themselves a losing season for the 10th straight time. Their embattled coach, Jeff Fisher, now has 165 career losses, tying Dan Reeves for an NFL record.
"Offense," Fisher said on what aspects of his practices are not carrying over into games. "It’s offense. We’re not moving the ball consistently, not converting on third downs and not scoring points. That’s the problem.”
The Rams have been outscored 89-24 over their past 10 quarters.
Over their past four, they committed five turnovers. Two of them led directly to touchdowns, both caused by No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. Another came as soon as the game began. Mike Thomas, filling in for an injured Benny Cunningham, dropped the opening kickoff and failed to retrieve it. The Falcons took over on the Rams' 3-yard line, and Matt Ryan immediately completed a back-shoulder throw to Justin Hardy.
It didn't get much better from there.
The Rams drove down the field on their first true possession, but then Kenny Britt came over on a third-down slant route and watched Goff's pass bounce off his chest and into the hands of Ricardo Allen while about 10 yards from the end zone. Later in the first half, the Rams -- last in the NFL in yards, first downs and points per game -- had three-and-outs on possessions that began at their own 43-, 46- and 49-yard line. And with just over nine minutes remaining before halftime, Goff tried to hit Britt in the middle of the field and did not see linebacker Deion Jones, who made the pick and sprinted 33 yards untouched for a touchdown, giving the Falcons a 21-0 lead heading into halftime.
"Just a bad ball," Goff said. "Threw it right to the defender."
The Rams finished those first two quarters with six penalties, three drops and three turnovers -- and then it got uglier.
To start the second half, Taylor Gabriel -- Atlanta's primary receiver with Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu out -- sneaked down the middle of the field wide open and hauled in a 64-yard touchdown pass on the Falcons' first drive. Then there was a fumble by Malcolm Brown, getting carries because of Cunningham's neck injury. And a strip-sack of Goff by Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley, who picked up the football and went untouched for a 21-yard touchdown run.
Goff finished 24-of-41 for 235 yards, two interceptions, at least two other passes that should have been picked off and one very late touchdown run.
He is 0-4 to start his career, and his team is in a parlous state.
"This team has lost games more than it’s been beaten," said left guard Rodger Saffold, one of the Rams' longest-tenured players. "Until we learn how to do that, we’re going to keep having that 50-50 shot, no matter if you’re winning or losing at the end of the game. Eventually, something has to change."