Where did it all go wrong for the Rams? Just a few months ago, plenty of NFL fans had them penciled into the Super Bowl. But since Week 1, it’s been one reality check after another. A team with Matthew Stafford, Trent McDuffie, Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett is just 4-4. And according to Stafford’s wife, there was one part of it all that just frustrates her.

Kelly Stafford took aim at the Rams’ hectic schedule. When the NFL released its 2026 schedule back in May, the lack of a conventional bye week stood out. That’s what Kelly spoke about on Instagram.

“I had to take a second off my workout because I keep getting updates and alerts like, ‘Oh, after the bye week they’ll be back, after the bye week he’ll be healthy.’ Not for the Rams, though, because they didn’t get a bye week,” Kelly said in her Instagram story. “And if you’re new to the NFL, a bye week is when they have the week off, so they play Sunday, then they don’t play the next Sunday, then they play the Sunday after that.”

Technically, the Rams do have a bye. Los Angeles is off in Week 11, but its next game comes on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, Nov. 25, against the Green Bay Packers.

It all ties back to the NFL’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game. The league needed two teams coming off a bye, since no team could realistically play on Sunday, Nov. 22, and then again on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The Rams and the Packers drew the short straw.

The Rams play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 on Nov. 15 before their bye. But with the Packers game on Nov. 25, they’ll get fewer than 10 days between the two games, bye week and all.

In simple terms, there are only nine full days between those games, rather than the 13 days that come with a conventional Sunday-to-Sunday bye. But is the league breaking any of its own scheduling rules?

Not quite. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement requires at least three days off between games, and for a bye week, it states that players must get four consecutive days off. The Rams’ schedule meets both requirements.

But is giving up a 13-day break worth it? That rest period matters for players. Just ask former NFL quarterback Brady Quinn. “This gives you a good chance to recover both mentally and physically while at the same time having enough film to better identify areas of improvement.”

And given the Rams’ current problems, it could be vital. The roster has already dealt with injuries to Garrett, Nacua and Davante Adams. And after the Rams’ 24-9 Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Sean McVay said Stafford was dealing with soreness in his throwing arm.

These aren’t backups. Garrett, Nacua and Stafford are the players the Rams were banking on for a Super Bowl run.

There’s also an underrated side to the bye. As Quinn explained, “Bye weeks give you a chance to look in the mirror and figure out where you are deficient and what you need to cater towards. That could include anything from your game preparation, your training, your scheme or what fundamentally or technically you need to change or improve.”

The Rams could use the break, especially given their other scheduling challenges. They have seven prime-time games this season, and with two more games before their Week 11 break, a demanding stretch still lies ahead.

Their 4-4 record keeps them in the playoff race, but travel has added another layer of difficulty. The Rams are set to cover 34,847 miles this season, the second-most in the league.

As Kelly put it later in the video, “So it’s a lot of time. It’s good. It’s good for teams, right? They can get people back who are injured. I’m confused on how we forgot to give us a bye week. I mean, if you guys want to go look at the schedule and show me where there is a bye week, where there are 14 days in between games, I’d be ecstatic, but it doesn’t exist. Thanks, NFL.”

This isn’t the first time Kelly has vented about the Rams’ schedule. She did the same back in August.

“Me just now realizing the Rams play in Australia, play on Christmas, play on Thanksgiving Eve, have 7 prime time games, and DON’T HAVE A REAL BYE WEEK,” she wrote on Instagram. “Parenting this season will be such a joy.”

So far this season, Stafford hasn’t missed a snap due to injury. According to reports, however, he left the locker room after Sunday’s win with a bag of ice on his right elbow. The Rams face the Washington Commanders next in Week 9.