BALTIMORE -- During the Los Angeles Rams' Week 6 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, wide receiver Puka Nacua was mic'd up during the game and was shown rallying the offense on the sideline.
"We get the ball past the f---ing 30, we're scoring touchdowns," Nacua said. "No more of this field goal s---. We're running two, we're putting the offensive ball into our hands, and we're f---ing making plays. Alright? I know we feel this s---. What the f--- are we doing? Strain that extra second, bro.
"We're better than this. We're better than this. We get the ball inside, we want to spike that s---. We want to dance. Earn the right to dance."
Nacua's passionate plea illustrates an area the Rams offense has struggled with this season. Although the Rams' 26 trips to the red zone are the third-most in the NFL this season, they've only scored a touchdown on 13 of those chances. The 50% touchdown rate ranks 24th heading into Week 7.
The Rams have also turned the ball over in the red zone twice, which is tied with five other teams for second most in the NFL, according to ESPN Research.
The team's red zone performance "hasn't been to our standard for sure," wide receiver Davante Adams said.
According to ESPN Research, the Rams' red zone score percentage (red zone touchdowns plus field goals divided by red zone drives) is 73.1%, which is second worst in the league. Only the New York Giants are lower at 72.7%.
"It's been some self-inflicted [mistakes] there, timing issues, a few different things," Adams said. "That's an area that I pride myself on being productive in, and I have to make sure I'm doing a better job than what I've done so far."
On Sunday against the Ravens, the Rams were 2-for-5 (40%) in the red zone, scoring from the Baltimore 3- and 8-yard line during the third quarter. And while Adams took responsibility for the misconnections in the red zone, so did his quarterback. The "early execution" in the red area "was just two throws really missed by me," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "That's the biggest thing I think when it boils down to it."
Adams said "there's adjustments that are made there as well, but it's not a panic thing because we know we have what it takes."
"It's just a matter of figuring it out," Adams said.
Adams said the added difficulty in the red zone "just comes down to space."
"Obviously, anytime it gets tighter it makes it a little tougher to score," Adams said. "You think being closer that it'd be easier to have explosive plays, but the looks get trickier sometimes and it becomes a little harder to execute because everybody is hunkering down the same way that we went down there and stopped them on the one-yard line.
"It becomes a tough game and you have to make sure you're doing everything right."
It might be a tougher challenge than usual against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in London, as the Rams could be without Nacua. The third-year receiver sprained his ankle in Week 6 against the Ravens and did not practice Wednesday. According to coach Sean McVay, Nacua's status is still "uncertain" for the Rams' Week 7 game.
The "luxury," McVay said, is having Adams in the receivers room, along with the hope the speedy Tutu Atwell will return from his hamstring injury against Jacksonville.
"He's one of the best receivers of our era, and we're lucky to have him," Stafford said of Adams.
But while Stafford and Adams have had some success this season -- Adams has 26 catches for 396 yards and three touchdowns -- the veteran wide receiver said the connection is still a work in progress.
"It's not how I drew it up as far as efficiency goes," Adams said. "I think we both would've liked to be a little bit more efficient, but I know for myself over the last few [games], just based off how we started, [there's been] a little bit of pressing.
"I think just playing, going out and playing and figuring it out, me being Davante Adams, him being Matthew Stafford, everybody else being themselves and not feeling a sense of having to fix it and do anything crazy to fix it but just going out and making plays."
But while both Stafford and Adams have had a lot of success in their careers "it's just not easy," to quickly develop chemistry with a new quarterback, Adams said.
"I played with [Steelers quarterback] Aaron [Rodgers] for the majority of my career," Adams said. "We played nine years together basically. It definitely didn't start off the first couple years, let alone first couple of games the way that we got going. Not that we have another 10 years to go, but it takes time. It's not easy.
"Puka and Matthew have been playing together for years now and they have a little better understanding of where one another is going to be, what to expect, and just making it work. It's been a few where there's really no excuse for me or him. We just have to put it together."