Putting the Rams passing game under the microscope

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) tackles St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) in the backfield during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Through three weeks the Rams have run a total of 93 passing plays on offense. That’s the 5^th fewest total in the league. Those few opportunities have led to zero first quarter points, and only 13 second quarter points. Slow starts can kill teams in the early going, and St. Louis isn’t immune to that.

After going into the half tied with Seattle in Week 1, games against Washington and Pittsburgh have resulted in half time deficits that were too much to overcome. The only bright spot here is the 34 second half points St. Louis has generated this season. The higher total shows adjustments are being made and have been successful for the most part.

According to NFLsavant.com, those 93 passing plays breakdown to 75 “short” attempts and 18 “deep” attempts. Short attempts constitute plays less than 10-yards, deep would be over 10-yards. Of those plays the Rams have been most successful throwing short to the right side of the field boasting a 70 percent completion percentage. That’s good news for St. Louis because according to the same site, Arizona has allowed 77 percent of passing plays to that side of the field go for a completion.

The Rams are also seeing some nice success deep down the middle of the field. They are 5^th best in the league throwing to this area of the field with a 60 percent completion rate and completing passes at 21 yards per clip. More good news, the Cardinals allow 75 percent of throws deep to the middle to be completed.

However, the Rams are completing only 37 percent of their passes on deep balls to either sideline limiting their ability to stop the clock and control play. They are also a league worst 55 percent completion rate on short passes to the left side of the field. The Rams have gained a combined total of 108 yards passing short left. In comparison, they have gained 223 yards throwing short to the opposite side of the field.

Next: The success on third down will come with changes