The St. Louis Rams offensive line still needs a lot of improvement

Any highlights of the 2014 St. Louis Rams offense would include the quarterback being sacked over and over again. In 2014 St. Louis gave up 47 sacks which was a season high for them. Without a line to protect the quarterback the Rams offense cannot improve. However the Rams offensive line did a complete 180 in the 2015 season.

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In 2015 St. Louis allowed an NFL low 18 sacks on offense. It’s great that the Rams have finally improved in some category in offense, yet why were they still dead last in total offense? Everybody may look at that stat, and think the Rams finally have an offensive line and are improving. Might want to consider some other factors in why St. Louis only allowed 18 sacks this season.

The Rams had the 3rd fewest attempts, fewest completions, fewest yards and passing touchdowns on offense this season. Without a passing game, they formed into a running team this season with rookie Todd Gurley. The opposing team would stack the box, and if it was a run, they would attack and all bull rush. However if it was a pass, they would simply drop back and realize they have the upper hand.

Even with the small amount of times Nick Foles or Case Keenum dropped back, together they got hit 95 times. It may have not been a sack, but they got hit often and quick. Another key point to tell about is the experience of the Rams offensive line. St. Louis has the least experienced line in the league, with 106 combined career starts. The most experienced line in the NFL is the New York Jets with 464 career starts. With that in mind, the Jets turned to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to pass the ball.

Oct 4, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; The St. Louis Rams offense lines up against the St. Louis Rams defense during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

Well if the Rams offense did not pass, how did the offensive line hold on the run plays? The benefits of having an explosive running back like Todd Gurley is a line only needs to make the smallest hole possible for Gurley to break out down the field. Yet if those holes are not created, Gurley is stopped for a loss of yards.

The Rams rushed the ball 429 times this season, but not every single rush was perfection. St. Louis had the most success running to the left, as they only had 17 rushes for losses. They ranked 15th in the NFL for the best offensive line in rushing towards the left. Rushing up the middle, they ranked 20th as they had a total of 10 rushing attempts for losses.

Nov 22, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs with the ball during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens won 16-13. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Now for the bad news, the St. Louis Rams were ranked dead last with 31 rushing attempts accounted for losses. 31 one of the Rams rushes to the right, resulted in loss of yards, which is a clear red flag. A reason for that could be two rookies on the right side of the offensive line.

St. Louis has the least experienced offensive line in the NFL, and they clearly need a leader and role model for help. In the draft they can get any offensive lineman they want, but they are still a rookie. In conclusion, with news coming out that the Rams allowed the lowest sacks this season, don’t be fooled by that stat.

If the Rams are going to get a quarterback in the draft or free agency and become a dual threat offense, they need to address the offensive line first.

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