What if LA Rams Jared Goff can no longer put up great numbers?

Cyclical or returning to bad habits?

While some can be explained by facing more difficult defenses, it’s not the sole answer. Some of it can be explained by the play calling and personnel packages, but that’s not the sole answer either.  Perhaps the latest downturn is the fact that Goff knows that long time blindside offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth is no longer on the field. While Noteboom has been doing a good job holding down the left tackle spot, the Rams have not done much to help reassure Goff.

The Rams are still running huge doses of 11 personnel.  In fact, per SharpFootballStats.com, the Rams are running the 11 personnel package 72 percent of the time, and a 12 package just 22 percent of the time. The Rams continue to steer clear of two running backs on the offense, and by the looks of things, are still rather tepid on using multiple tight end formations. The Rams appeared to have a new perspective in 2019 with the success of tight end Tyler Higbee in this offense as a receiver. But rather than ride that momentum into 2020, the Rams have settled back to casual use of both Higbee and Gerald Everett.

More than one way to stretch the field

The challenges of the Rams offense are the ease that this coaching staff shows in forgetting lessons from 2019. That is proving to be frustrating because it seems as though the Rams are trying to reinvent the wheel that they invented just 11 short months ago. Let’s recap: The Rams were struggling on offense in both the running game and in defenses shortening the field. Goff was struggling against eight in the box without enough time to throw.

So the Rams employed the 12-personnel package and used tight end, Tyler Higbee, to stretch the field consistently. Prior to December 2019, Higbee’s longest catch was 20 yards. In December, he stretched the field for 20, 22, 26, and 33 yards.  And his average yards-per-catch skyrocketed from 8.1 YPC before December, to 9.4 YPC on a significantly higher volume of passes.