LA Rams Sunday Night Football debuts against Dallas Cowboys

With the Seattle Seahawks winning today, the LA Rams will either join two other NFC West teams for a share of the division lead or share the division basement with the loser of the San Francisco 49ers versus Arizona Cardinals game. That’s the worst possible pre-game scenario for the LA Rams

But it gets better. The LA Rams take on the Dallas Cowboys in SoFi Stadium tonight. The Rams surely had plenty of time to prepare for this one. And while the Cowboys may have changed coaches, schemes, and personnel, they are stuck in a rut. To win, the Cowboys will try to run Ezekiel Elliott down the Rams throat. That will take the pressure off Prescott, allowing him time to get cozy.

The Cowboys defense will sell out to stop the pass. They have no reason to respect the Rams, so they won’t. That means that the Dallas Cowboys will try to maximize a pass rush to protect a vulnerable secondary.

When the Cowboys have the ball

The Rams defense needs to stop Ezekiel Elliott early. Head coach Mike McCarthy is begging for a reason to take over the offensive play-calling, and he will do exactly that if the bell cow Elliott struggles to gain yards on the ground. We’ve talked about why that is very important for the Rams to do so, and then how to do it.

But the Rams defense will ultimately need to sack Prescott. They can do it tonight. With their new edge rushers, and a new Cowboys offensive line, look for the Rams to throw a lot of new looks at the Cowboys in this one. As long as the Rams keep the Cowboys guessing, they can run the offense into a mass of confusion. With a new coaching staff, that will definitely cause the favored Cowboys some discomfort. And the Rams have a smothering secondary, a stout defensive line. The Rams defense can help out the offense tremendously but starting the game off with a few three-and-outs.

When the Rams have the ball

The LA Rams offense has plenty of weapons. But with so many options, how can the Rams find the right combination today? Well, the Rams know that tight ends have been somewhat effective in week one so far, so why not join in on the fun? If the Rams start off with two tight ends, pass on the opening play, and then run the ball, they will take the early initiative. The Cowboys will sell out on the pass, so a balanced run and pass mix should be very effective.

The only problem? The Rams should pass quick high percentage routes on first down, and then run the ball to move the chains. With so many praising the Cowboys and even with many overlooking the Rams, this one can be had by putting up a ton of yards and points early. As soon as the Rams get a two TD lead, the Cowboys will flip to their passing game, which places much of their offense right into the teeth of the defense.

The Rams will move the ball. When the Rams are in the red zone, look for the offense to go two tight ends but still target Robert Woods whenever possible. When they run the ball, look for Malcolm Brown to carry in the red zone.