No team fears this LA Rams offense, which is why it succeeds

The LA Rams offense finds success by allowing defenses to underestimate them.

If you ask a fan of the LA Rams‘ opponent to name the team’s scariest offensive weapon, the responses will vary. Finding a fanbase outside of the NFC West who can name three skill players on the offense is itself rare. Trying to have them sort through to the most dangerous player on offense becomes a true burden.  After all, the team has scored 14 touchdowns on the ground, and 13 touchdowns through the air.

But it’s not fair to ask fans of other teams. When we focus on the Rams fanbase, each fan is likely to come up with as many as ten different names. From quarterback Jared Goff to tight end Tyler Higbee, to wide receiver Robert Woods, to running back Darrell Henderson, the opinions vary widely. But when held up to the light, a different story emerges. The Rams boast three running backs with better than a 4.0-yards-per-carry average. The team boasts nine receivers with better than a 10.0 yards-per-reception average.

Underestimate this team at your own risk

The Rams are by no means an offensive juggernaut of previous seasons. While this offense is not exactly vanilla, it’s not the throw-all-caution-to-the-wind variety of previous versions either. The team’s offense is a deceptive blend of talent and misdirection. In nine games, no player has rushed or received more than five touchdowns. In fact, in a combined rushing/receiving total, only Robert Woods has best that total, recording six total scores for the team.

In nine games, quarterback Jared Goff has thrown for just 2,447 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.  That’s not significantly better nor worse than his previous efforts. So is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, with no single-player dominance, how do you stop this Rams offense?