LA Rams ride WR Robert Woods YAC attack to victory

LA Rams ride WR Robert Woods YAC attack to victory

The LA Rams are surprisingly effective at the little things in a football game. Little elements that contribute to success. One such component is yards-after-catch or YAC.  Yards after the catch equate to the component of receiving yards amassed with the ball in the receiver’s hands.  The higher the YAC, the more effective a receiver is in the passing game.

Right now, the LA Rams boast the NFL’s top receiver in that category. He is Robert Woods, and he’s one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL today. Underrated, but doubly dangerous.

The LA Rams passing game is very potent. Right now, both Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are outperforming any receiver on the San Francisco 49ers roster.

Who will the Rams target next?

Perhaps the key to the LA Rams’ success has been the unpredictability of their offense.  In five games, the Rams have had three different players lead the team in receiving yards. And while Tyler Higbee never led the team in receiving yards per se, he did score three touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles. That confusion over who will lead the team in any given week certainly has kept defenses on their heels so far.

While Woods has been incredibly successful in getting yards after the catch, he has not been as fortunate in getting the ball into the endzone. Now in his fourth season with the Rams, Woods has only scored 15 receiving touchdowns for the Rams.  During his time with the Rams, he has scored multiple touchdowns on just three occasions, the last time occurred on September 23, 2018. Since joining the LA Rams, Woods has yet to cross the goal line on a pass play against the 49ers.

Watch Woods work

That shutout did partially end in 2019 when Woods scored a rushing touchdown against the 49ers in their first meeting. But so far, Woods hasn’t scored a touchdown pass from Goff when they face San Francisco. I don’t think that drought goes any further.  After all, Woods has been targetted at least five times a game so far, averaging over 13 yards per catch.

The 49ers know that they need to cover multiple receivers in this game, so they should wisely go with a nickel defense for most of the game.  While that will help their secondary, the Rams can counter any number of ways. One of the simplest countermeasures is to line up Robert Woods in the slot. Few slot cornerbacks have a chance in covering Woods.  And once Woods has the ball in his hands, yards pile up quickly.

Forget the record in this one. The LA Rams want this win. Based on the way they’ve played so far, they’ll get one.