LOS ANGELES — Sean McVay had a lot to talk about when he discussed the Rams’ offense with reporters on Wednesday. An offensive line in flux. Tried new rotations at tight end after Colby Parkinson saw his lowest rushing grade of the season.

And a red-zone offense that didn’t score a touchdown on three drives inside the Miami Dolphins’ 20-yard line in Monday night’s 23-15 loss.

“That was probably the defining factor in the outcome of the game,” McVay said, “one of the major determining factors is that we can’t finish in the red zone.”

And it was an area that has been a defining factor for the Rams’ offense all season and continues to need adjustment even after receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp return from injury.

Just a year ago, the Rams ranked eighth in the NFL with a 60.3 percent red zone touchdown rate. A year later, these figures dropped to 30 and 46.9%. And in the three games since Nacua and Kupp returned, that conversion rate has dipped slightly to 44.4 percent (4-for-9 with an 0-for-3 performance against the Minnesota Vikings).

Injuries certainly played a key role in this year-over-year regression. With Kupp and Nacua missing most, if not all of Weeks 2-7, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 8-of-23 passes (34.8%) for 54 yards and two touchdowns while took two sacks. Meanwhile, the Rams leaned more heavily on running back Kyren Williams at that point. The third-year back averaged 3.1 yards per carry during that five-game stretch while getting 5.4 carries per game inside the red zone.

After the return of Kupp and Nacua, Stafford’s production in the top 20 started to pick up. In the first two games, both Rams wins, Stafford went 6-for-9 for 27 yards and four touchdowns. But against Miami, he completed just 2 of 7 passes while gaining 9 yards in three red-zone appearances.

“We didn’t have a lot of snaps down there,” Stafford said. “I think it’s just execution and being able to run the football effectively there is a plus.”

Meanwhile, Williams’ efficiency in the red zone has declined with Kupp and Nacua back. Even with defenses that have to account for those Pro Bowl receivers, Williams is averaging just 2.2 yards per rush, including a 3-yard carry against Miami.

Stafford said it’s hard to tell if the presence of Nacua and Kupp affects how the Rams are defended in the red zone. On a touchdown pass to Williams in Week 8 against the Vikings, Nacua and Kupp were both double-teamed on the play. But against the Dolphins, the Rams saw more zone than expected in those tight spots.

“It’s coordinator-to-coordinator, week-to-week,” Stafford said.

“It’s a small sample size,” McVay added. “There’s so much that goes into it, whether it’s, OK, what’s your success in terms of being able to run it or throw it? What is the coverage? Did I win that individual match? Did things go off schedule and we distributed the land? And so at the end of the day, lately, it hasn’t been good enough collectively as a whole.”