Will any LA Rams WRs gain a thousand yards with Stafford?

The LA Rams offense has been a bastion of dependability in recent years. But that fortified wall showed some cracks in 2020.

The team’s offense typically boasted at least one player who broke the 1,000-yard plateau. In 2017, that player was running back Todd Gurley, whose rushing and receiving combined for well over 2,000 yards of offense. In 2018, it was Gurley’s rushing plus wide receivers Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks’ receiving that boasted over a thousand yards. In 2019, the thousand-yard baton was handed off to wide receivers Woods and Cooper Kupp.

In 2020? Nobody. Not one single player broke that thousand-yard barrier.

This was the year that the LA Rams offensive players gleefully predicted a trio of thousand-yard performers: Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Tyler Higbee.  One year ago, it certainly seemed possible. The Rams had both Woods and Kupp coming off thousand-yard performances, and TE Tyler Higbee put up over 500 yards in just five games in the month of December 2019. So what went wrong?

Simply stated? Too many options. What do I mean? If you have ever been or observed a parent in line with a child at Baskin Robbins, you know exactly what I mean. It’s clear that the child wants ice cream. The parent of the child wants to purchase ice cream. The clerk wants to sell the ice cream. But the child faces too many options and takes a long time to make a decision. Oftentimes, the parent will overrule the child’s indecision and make a purchase decision for their child.

LA Rams moving along

The Rams offense moved the ball 5,784 yards in 2017. In 2018, the team moved the ball 6,736 yards. In 2019, the offense moved the ball just 5,998 yards. Finally, in 2020, the Rams moved the ball 6,032 yards. While that was the second-best offensive production since head coach Sean McVay took over, it didn’t translate into points. The Rams had an identity crisis in 2020. The team ran the ball very effectively but continued to turn to the passing game at key moments in the game.

That should change in 2021. After all, it really doesn’t add up for the Rams to trade such a valuable package to acquire a new quarterback, if the goal is to hand off the football for a majority of the offensive plays. The Detroit Lions had the 10th ranked passing offense in the NFL in 2020.  You can bet that the Rams expect to do better than that in 2021. How good?  Look for the Rams’ new quarterback Matthew Stafford to push for a 4,600 passing yard season.

How will that divvy up?  Well, both Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp should return to 1100 yards receiving. Van Jefferson should fall in/about 700 yards. TE Tyler Higbee will claim 500 yards. And the remaining 1200 passing yards will fall to running backs and other receivers on the offense. How feasible is that? Stafford has one of the best arms in the NFL, and he can target receivers with a wide variety of throws.

Will the LA Rams 2021 offense return players to the 1000-yard plateau? Well, if they intend to get to the playoffs, they must. So it’s a safe bet that they will.