Rams Face Penalty Problems as McVay Revises Team Discipline

The Los Angeles Rams are confronting mounting discipline problems during the 2026 NFL season, with repeated penalties disrupting offensive drives and costing valuable field position. Head coach Sean McVay has called for greater concentration from players and coaches after a difficult two-game stretch, while also acknowledging that evolving kickoff rules are changing how teams manage late-half situations.

According to NFLPenalties.com data cited by Yahoo Sports on October 6, the Rams committed 31 penalties for 284 yards through four games, compared with 20 penalties for 136 yards by their opponents. Their net penalty-yardage differential stood at minus-148, the worst in the league at that point, narrowly behind the Baltimore Ravens at minus-145.

The figures represent a sharp reversal from 2025, when Los Angeles finished first in net penalty yards at 340 and recorded the NFL's second-fewest total flags, with 106. The Rams' current total of 31 penalties was only modestly above the league average of 29.6, but the yardage and timing of those infractions created a greater problem.

McVay acknowledged that the team must reduce avoidable mistakes and improve its execution under pressure. Speaking on his team video podcast, he described how penalties have repeatedly placed the offense in difficult down-and-distance situations.

"We've got to do a better job of eliminating some of the self-inflicted wounds, making better decisions in real time, playing with more consistent fundamentals. The penalties have really forced us into a lot of where we're behind the sticks. It seems like we've been in those situations a lot more than I can remember." McVay said.

According to Sports Illustrated on October 8, the Rams accumulated 21 accepted penalties for 191 yards across their games against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 and the Philadelphia Eagles the following week. That was their highest two-game total during McVay's tenure. Los Angeles was penalized 13 times for 91 yards against Denver and eight times for 100 yards against Philadelphia.

Several infractions also undermined scoring opportunities. Sports Illustrated reported that offensive pass interference and a holding call contributed to field-goal attempts against Denver, while a holding penalty on Davis Allen had a similar effect against Philadelphia. Offensive holding accounted for seven Rams penalties totaling 70 yards through four weeks, according to NFLPenalties.com figures cited by Yahoo Sports.

McVay specifically identified pre-snap and procedural mistakes as problems the team could address through better preparation and awareness.

"The things that really chapped me that I think are a reflection of an undisciplined team are the pre-snap, the procedural things. Those are the things that we can control with focus and concentration. They'll happen from time to time, but we have to minimize those situationally whether that's jumping offsides offensively, things like that, even making decisions where there's no discrepancy on." McVay said.

The coaching staff also contributed to the penalty total against Philadelphia. According to NBC Sports on October 6, quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after standing too close to the field and colliding with an official running along the sideline. The Rams finished that game with eight penalties for 100 yards despite completing a fourth-quarter comeback victory.

McVay said the incident reflected a broader need for awareness throughout the organization, rather than a problem limited to players. Ragone accepted responsibility for the mistake, and McVay included himself among the coaches who needed to maintain better sideline discipline.

"Focus, concentration and situational awareness, we have to do a better job on that," McVay said. "When it rains, it pours. Shoot, we're getting penalties on our staff now too.

Thank God we won that one. Rags would have never lived that one down. He felt bad about that one.

So he took great accountability. We'll get everybody the hell out of the way. And I need to get the hell out of the way as well."

McVay said.

Beyond penalties, McVay is also adjusting his game-management decisions to account for the NFL's dynamic kickoff rules and the increased range of modern placekickers. In comments published by The Rams Wire on October 11, he explained that longer field goals have increased the importance of special teams, particularly near the end of each half.

The NFL record for the longest successful field goal is 68 yards. With kickers increasingly converting from long distances, teams can threaten to score before crossing midfield, making field position and kickoff decisions more consequential.

McVay pointed to the additional yardage at stake and the tactical opportunities created by kickoff changes as reasons for modifying his approach.

"Significantly, because there are so many yards at stake," McVay said. "That's led to just so many more action plays in the kicking game in general. It's a big deal.

You look at the amount of yards that are had. I think about just the other day and even last year when you think about some of the dirty ball kicks that [Joshua Karty] was having and how that was an advantage for us.

"It's had a significant impact, especially because of the range that – it's not exclusive to that, but it's also the range that you're seeing kickers being able to convert from now especially when you're talking about at the end of the half and there are not as many consequences as long as you feel like it's at least going out of play and you're not giving the opposing team a return opp. So, [it's impacted decision-making] big time." McVay said.

Although penalty totals have risen across the NFL in 2026, the Rams' recent performance has left them with specific execution issues to address. Their minus-11 net penalty count ranked fourth-worst in the league in the data reviewed by Sports Illustrated, underscoring that broader officiating trends do not fully explain their difficulties.