LA Rams offense swarms defenses, and is deceptively good

The LA Rams offense remains one of the best in the NFL by swarming opposing defenses.

The LA Rams are one of the best offenses in the NFL. But when it comes down to it, fans of other teams really do not have a very high opinion of the players. Often described as “good but not great” or “they don’t scare anyone”,  players on the LA Rams offense wouldn’t want it any other way.  They have no interest in scaring anyone. They simply wish to win. And this year, they’ve done exactly that.

Much like the 1970’s children’s game TIP IT, this Rams offense does a remarkable job of racking up yardage and points and does so in such a fantastic way that few seem to notice.  After five games, the LA Rams are among the Top-Five offenses in the NFL.  How? They are the 13th-ranked passing offense and the seventh-ranked rushing offense.

As for scoring, the Rams are the 12th best offense at putting points on the board.

Now, name the top players?

Rams fans know the drill. Each week, followers of the Rams gather on social media to ask who will be featured in the Rams offense on any given week. The exciting part of this discussion is that it is likely not the star from the previous week.  The LA Rams truly have embraced the use of a committee approach to the offensive skill players.

With nearly 700 rushing yards and 1372 passing yards, you would expect the Rams top stars to have amassed a significant portion of that production. And yet, running back Darrell Henderson’s 260 yards leads the team’s rushing, but is only 37 percent of the rushing total.  Wide receiver Cooper Kupp’s total of 363 yards is solid, but it’s only 26 percent of the Rams receiver totals.

Button, button who’s got the button?

The LA Rams offense strategy is a nightmare for Fantasy Football players. In week two6, tight end Tyler Higbee scores three touchdowns and caught five passes for 54 yards. He has not scored again. In the season opener, running back Malcolm Brown put up 79 yards on 18 carries on the ground and scored two touchdowns.  He also hauled in three of four passes thrown his way for another 31 yards in the air.  He has not scored since, and he has averaged just nine carries for 33 yards in the next four games.

Still, what is stymying for Fantasy Football is a nightmare for defensive coordinators. With the Rams rotating who is the featured player on any given week, how do defenses plan to neutralize all the Rams offensive stars? Facing this Rams offense is l very much like trying to fight off a swarm of hornets with a baseball bat. Yes, you can take out some of them, but the rest will get through and make you pay.

The Rams’ offense next swarms to San Francisco to take out, er on, the 49ers. And as this is the Rams’ first NFC West division game, the team will likely have something extra in the playbook. Will it be enough? Well, the 49ers allowed the Miami Dolphins to score at will. So the Rams should be able to find some success as well.