Can LA Rams LG David Edwards secure a starting role?

The LA Rams opted to start Noteboom over Edwards at LG. Can David Edwards secure a starting role at left guard as Noteboom heals?

The LA Rams opened the season with Joseph Noteboom starting at the left guard position. While that was mildly surprising, the young guard did help the Rams to two early wins. He was injured in the Rams second game, a hard-fought win against the Philadelphia Eagles. As happened in 2019, David Edwards was promoted to take over at the position.

While the optics on Edwards play at the position remains solid, the performance of the Rams overall has diminished. In Edwards’s first start, the Rams lost to the Buffalo Bills. In his second start of the year, the Rams struggled to run with the ball and needed a strong defensive performance to win 17-9 over the visiting New York Giants.

See Rams run

Now Edwards will travel with the Rams to face another NFC East opponent. This time the Rams will face the Washington Football team.  In four games, Washington has shown the ability to play solid defense. After four games, they are the eighth-ranked defense in yards allowed, and the fourth-ranked defense in terms of passing yards.

So the Rams will need to look at running the ball in this one, and that is a wise choice. Washington allows opposing teams to rush for nearly 130 yards-per-game, which is only good for 23rd best in the NFL. The Rams will need to run in this one.  Meanwhile, Washington will likely be ready for a running attack. After all, they saw exactly what the Giants did and will likely try to run a similar defensive scheme.

Rams need running lanes

The Rams ran 23 times against the Giants, and only gained 58 yards on the ground.  Only RB Malcolm Brown was having any success, as he rushed nine times for 38 yards. While everyone wanted more of Darrell Henderson, he rushed eight times for only 21 yards. The Rams rushed fewer times because the offense had fewer plays. Without first downs, without time of possession, the Rams needed a 55-yard touchdown reception from Cooper Kupp to seal the win.

For this game, the LA Rams need to open running lanes. To do that, David Edwards will need to play a helluva game.  Yes, the Rams ran roughshod over the Buffalo Bills. But down so many points, Buffalo defended the pass at the exclusion of the run, and the Rams called their bluff and ran it instead.  Now the Rams must line up and beat Washington at the line of scrimmage, forcing them to crowd the box, and then give them a taste of their own Senior Bowl standout, Van Jefferson.

Now is the time for the LA Rams to show improvement and win a game outright. In the process, David Edwards can secure a starting role for the team with a solid game.  This is one the Rams need to tune-up before facing the rival San Francisco 49ers.