5 strategies LA Rams to run their way back into the NFL Playoffs.

The LA Rams running game faltered in 2019. Here are 5 strategies to restore the Rams running game to excellence in 2020.

The LA Rams had ruled the NFL with a high powered offense in both 2017 and 2018. But that was not the case in 2019.  Entering the season, the LA Rams had designed a rushing attack with three running backs.  Feature running back Todd Gurley, whom everyone assured was fully healthy, would carry the Lion’s share.  Gurley is 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, fast enough to get to and through the holes quickly, big and strong enough to break tackles and deliver punishment to world be tacklers.  Gurley struggled to remain healthy at the end of the 2018 season, and into the playoffs.  So to prevent his disappearance late in the 2019 season, the team would load-manage his workload.  Rushing fewer times early in the season to keep him fresh and dangerous late in the season.

Next up would be change of pace running back Darrell Henderson.  A 2019 rookie speedster selected at 70 (round 3) from Memphis, Henderson was chosen to give the Rams a change of pace rusher who could threaten defenses both in the running and the passing game.

Finally, the Rams planned to lean on running back Malcolm Brown. Brown is a 5-foot-11 222 pound undrafted free agent signed from the University of Texas in 2015.  Brown nearly signed with the Detroit Lions a year ago, but the Rams matched his offer sheet and retained Brown for the 2019 and the 2020 seasons.

The results for their 2019 plan?  Rushing attempts fell 13 percent.  Rushing TDs fell 13 percent. Rushing yards fell 32.8 percent.  The plan didn’t work. So let’s diagnose what went wrong.

The first signs of weakness in the running game transpired by the bye week.  No rusher ran for over 100 yards the entire season, and Brown missed two games with an ankle injury. Henderson carried 11 times in those two games, but didn’t add much for the Rams. Of course, the offensive line was a patchwork by week four, so running was a challenge.  The struggle to run the ball  certainly was not due to stalwart rushing defenses.  The Rams faced the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals twice – all of whom were among the bottom rushing defenses in the NFL in 2019.  So how can the Rams fix the running game?

Strategy I  – Pass first offense

The first strategy to improve the running game is simply to emphasize passes on first and second downs.  The LA Rams have become too predictable on offense, daring defenses to stop the running game.  In 2019, thanks to that predictability and inexperienced offensive line, defenses did that very thing.

The addition of new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell will help a great deal on that front. With 45 fewer rushing attempts, the Washington Redskins rushed for 84 more rushing yards.  Keep in mind that the Redskins running backs were oft injured in 2019, so the lion’s share was handled by 34 year old veteran running back Adrian Peterson.

The Redskins offense found success running the ball by running after softening up the defense with a quick high percentage passing game. Against the Philadelphia Eagles stalwart run defense in week 15, the ‘Skins settled rookie quarterback in with a quick strike passing game which had the team up 14-10 by halftime. The Eagles rush defense was far more stingy than that of the San Francisco 49ers or the Seattle Seahawks. Simply replicating that same quick pass strategy to put the defense on their heels could be a huge improvement in 2020.

Strategy II – Running back by committee

The second strategy to help the Rams running game improve in 2020 is to distance the offense from employing Gurley as the cow bell rusher.  Even with a reduced load, Gurley once more faded away as the 2019  season drew to a close.

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Of course, it didn’t help that Henderson never really showed much production, while Brown fell to injury midway through a season where he was beginning to show some upside. The harsh part is that Brown was showing signs of having a breakout season before the injury.

Contrast that to the San Francisco 49ers.  The 49ers assembled a trio of running backs to handle the load.  Running back Raheem Mostert is the speedy back, quick to the hole and off he goes.  Matt Breida is a good change of pace running back. A solid rusher, he is plenty of back to move the chains. And RB Tevin Coleman was the addition from the Atlanta Falcons who pulled it all together.  A four year veteran from the Atlanta Falcons, he added production in both the running and passing games.

To emulate what the 49ers have done, the Rams need to determine if Henderson can be their version of Mostert. Of course, Todd Gurley becomes the 2020 version of Breida. That leaves the team in need of a rusher who is also quite dangerous as a receiver as well.

Strategy III – Add Free agent running back

The third strategy to help the Rams running game improve in 2020 is to add a veteran running back to help burden the load.  As with the running back by committee, the Rams have a veteran premier back, and two running backs who are solid in a change-of-pace role.  The Rams demonstrated just how potent a true veteran running back can perform on this offense when the team signed on C.J. Anderson.

One such free agent who makes a lot of sense is Washington Redskins running back Chris Thompson.  Averaging under $4 million per season, his recent production has waned considerably due to injuries. He rushed 37 times for just 138 yards in 2019, but added 42 receptions for 378 yards.

Thompson played for O’Connell in Washington, and as such will be linked to the Rams through free agency this year. The logic of adding Thompson goes beyond familiarity with O’Connell, however.   The Rams definitely need a receiving threat out of the backfield, and Thompson delivers that completely.

Strategy IV – Add more blockers

The LA Rams looked overpowered in the trenches in 2019.  Well, perhaps not just overpowered. Overpowered and outgunned.  It wasn’t until the season was well underway before the team began to change up formations and offensive packages.  Too little too late is an oft used cliche’, but one that truly fits the Rams offensive adjustments in 2019.

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So onto 2020, optimistically aiming at bigger and better things for the running game. So how do the Rams do that with so many questions hanging over their offensive line?  Well, the team could look to fire up some plays with two tight end sets, the “12” package.  Tight end Johnny Mundt is superb at blocking, and paired with Tyler Higbee or Gerald Everett, would give Goff that much more time to find the open receiver.  Of course, the Rams could explore three tight end sets and force defenses to commit to either a big package of run defenders, which allows the team to run pass plays. Or if defenses go with pass defense, use the size and athleticism to run the ball.

Of course, the Rams should also bring in a fullback for the 2020 season.  A fullback becomes the lead blocker on run plays, a blocker for passing plays, or simply a check-down receiver as a safety outlet if the pressure gets too hot on the quarterback.

The LA Rams have options for new “blocker added” offensive formation in 2020.  Until the offensive line settles in, the team should explore ways to upgrade quarterback protection.

Strategy V – Make Goff more mobile

The LA Rams have invested quite a bit into quarterback Jared Goff. Invested in him, but not very much into the offensive line whose most important role is to protect the quarterback. That creates problems for the offense.  Despite the pay differential for the Rams roster at the moment, everything positive for the offense starts with that offensive line.

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No matter how much the team pays for the quarterback, receivers, or running backs, without solid blocking, the team will simply go three-and-out again and again.  The Rams are at a turning point, and must use lessons learned from 2019 to improve their performance in 2020.  One lesson learned in to make Goff more mobile.

The San Francisco 49ers won the NFC West division handily with a 13-3 record. But three losses all had two important common elements.  Their opponents quarterback ran for positive yards. And the 49ers lost the battle of turnovers.  The three opponents were the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson, and the Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan.  The most curious factor was that of Falcons QB Ryan, who rushed five times for 29 yards.

While the Rams quarterback Jared Goff is by no means a dual threat QB like Lamar Jackson, nor even as run-worthy as Russell Wilson, he could replicate the production of Matt Ryan with planned bootlegs.  The Rams got close to that in the rematch game at San Francisco in 2019.  Head coach Sean McVay moved the pocket which confused the 49ers pass rush.

Strategy recap

There is no correct singular answer to place the LA Rams running game in line with its recent trends. After all, from the moment the team finds a successful strategy, defensive coordinators in the NFL will begin developing their own counter-strategies.  And that becomes a new cycle of the Rams offense adapting to what the defenses will give them.

Of course, the most obvious strategy is to upgrade the offensive line. Still, the team has plenty of young players competing for playing time already.  Young players need time and good coaching to develop.  They may all grow up this off-season and come out firing on all cylinders from the first snap through each game of the 2020 NFL season.

That will likely not be the case. An offensive line is a cohesive unit, and the team’s roster is in complete flux at the moment. Even if the team settled in on a “starting five”, the entire training camp and preseason would be a massive attempt to sync everyone up.  That type of synchronization takes years to perfect.  For the Rams, they truly do not have that amount of time to wait.

So employing some of these strategies will carry the team through this season while the offensive linemen grow into their roles.  Even if the team signs free agents, Coach McVay will need to change up their standard offense to help the team grow in confidence throughout the season.

Championships are won with a running game and strong defense.  The Rams need a little help, but can dramatically improve that rushing offense by adopting these strategies.