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LA Rams’ renovations put to the test

The Rams failed in the 2019 contest against the Cowboys in one basic area. They could not stop the run. Whenever the Cowboys needed to move the chains, they were able to do so with either Ezekiel Elliott or Tony Pollard.

That put pressure on the Rams defense to crowd the box, which allowed the Cowboys to exploit mismatches in the passing game. By halftime, the score was already out of hand 28-7, and the Rams running game, as ineffective as it was in the game, was eliminated as a concern in the second half.

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How does that play out differently in the 2020 home opener? For starters, the Rams front three defensive linemen accounted for just 11 tackles, with All-Pro Aaron Donald neutralized with just three tackles. Now, with A’Shawn Robinson at nose tackle, the Cowboys will be hard-pressed to double and triple-team him for an entire game.  In 2020.  In fact, look for new DC Brandon Staley to use that “block Donald” strategy against the Cowboys with early stunts. Keep in mind, the Cowboys center Travis Frederick retired. That ensures the Cowboys will need to give their new center plenty of help against Robinson.  Running the ball won’t be nearly as productive for Dallas in the season opener.

As far as the offense, the Rams opened the game with a series of long pass plays which fell incomplete. Todd Gurley simply could not run the ball. In fact, the true offensive weapon in the early stages of the game was the tight end, Tyler Higbee, on intermediate routes.

Keep in mind, this was the Dallas Cowboys desperate attempt to save the job of head coach Jason Garrett. And for all his faults, Garrett had an uncanny knack for motivating a listless Cowboys team to play a solid game, seemingly out of nowhere.

The LA Rams may be subtle about it with their public statements, but that home opener is all about sending a message to the NFL. That message is the LA Rams are back.