LA Rams wilt in Florida heat and risk falling to NFC West basement

LA Rams offense pass up running plays to throw into the teeth of well-prepared Miami defense

LA Rams halftime summaries have been either good or bad. But nothing has been as dark as the Rams first half against the Miami Dolphins.  You see, the LA Rams offense moved the ball 224 yards, while the Miami Dolphins only moved the ball 56 yards. The Rams enjoyed a two-to-one advantage in the time of possession over the Dolphins as well.  But the Dolphins offense scored 14 points, and the Rams had only scored ten points.  Oh, the Miami Dolphins defense scored seven points. And the Dolphins punt return team scored seven points.

By the time the smoke cleared, the LA Rams were far behind in a football game where their defense played outstanding.   The Rams entered the locker room at halftime down 24 to 10.  That is thanks to the Rams four turnovers by quarterback Jared Goff, two interceptions, and two fumbles.

Rams can run but choose not to

LA Rams ran the ball incredibly well in the first half. In fact, the team averaged better than five yards per carry. But the Rams opted to pass instead. That refusal to press the advantage on the ground is horribly myopic. It’s an indication that the Dolphins spent a great deal of time practicing defending the Rams passing attack, and are willing to sell out to defend the pass.  But as has been the case against the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams once more refused to take what the defense will give them.

And so, the Rams are down by 18 points at the half, with an offense that appears no more capable of scoring 18 as it is capable of scoring 100 points.  Once more the Rams defense has played well enough to win the game, but an offense that continues to press the pass against a team that is dominating the Rams passing offense is not showing many capabilities to score in this one.

Rams are wilting fast

The Arizona Cardinals remain idle at 5-2. Should the Rams lose this one, which they are certainly trying hard to do, then the Rams standing in the division will depend on the outcome of the Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers game. Should the 49ers win, the Rams would be numerically tied for second place, but would actually be last due to the loss to the 49ers in the previous week.

Keep in mind that another loss will also put the Rams at just one win over their last three games. The defense has played well. But the offense continues to pass pass pass. McVay will talk about balancing the offense. But he refuses to walk the walk, and two defenses have been able to exploit his smugness to run the ball. The talk in Los Angeles is about the Rams winning the Super Bowl. But the talk in the NFL right now questions whether the Rams are even an NFL Playoff team with the expanded 14 team playoffs.