Despite 4-1, the LA Rams remain a work-in-process

Despite 4-1, the LA Rams remain a work-in-process this far into the 2020 NFL Season

The LA Rams are coming off of a 9-7 season, and have already shown a bit more grit this season that last year.  After all, this is a team that few expected to find much success, despite the obvious fact that a very good team struggled under the weight of so many injuries last year. This is also a team that has not had a losing season under head coach Sean McVay. After the 2019 season with a 31st-ranked offensive line and the 26th-ranked running game, the LA Rams didn’t panic. In fact, the team didn’t flinch.

In one of the boldest NFL coaching strategies ever, the LA Rams doubled down on the coaching staff. A coaching staff that was rebuilt to align with the goals and style of HC Sean McVay.  This was a fundamental shift in strategy. A team built to defeat each week’s opponent, rather than just one-size-fits-all offense and defense. So far? So good.

Getting better all the time

Each week this team improves that much more. While the offense is virtually intact from 2019, the Rams are reworking the playbook to custom the offense to counter their opponent’s strengths. And the defense is a bit amorphous. The team operates out of a base 3-4 but can stack the defensive line with four or five down linemen.  The secondary can inflate from four defensive backs to five or six on any given play.

But they are just bells and whistles on the chalkboard. The Rams are still in the “development” phase on both the offense and defense.  This is a work-in-process team, and that’s okay.  It’s better for the Rams to finish this season strong.

It’s fair to close the books on the first five games of the NFL season for the Rams. At 4-1, the team has a tremendous jump on their expected record right now. But the meat of the season starts in week six and carries beyond the bye-week through November 2020.  If the Rams can reach December 2020 with three or fewer losses, the Rams have a solid chance to compete for the NFC West Championship.

It all starts in week six.