What have LA Rams done to offense to suit Matthew Stafford?

Unpacking the offense for 2021

That’s a lot to unpack for a veteran quarterback. Thankfully, Stafford has been exposed to a wide range of head coaches and offensive coordinators through his time at Detroit.  While that gives Stafford a great history of staying light on his feet, it doesn’t help us out in terms of what to expect from him in the LA Rams offense.

We know three things so far that are basic offensive principles that Stafford’s career has been about so far. In his history, Stafford has shown a proclivity to throw the deep ball. He has been able to sling it from one end of a football field to the other end of the football field. That is something that Sean McVay loves to do as well. Let’s add that to the offense.

Los Angeles Rams

Stafford has no problem throwing to his tight end. In fact, he has a propensity of featuring one of his tight ends so well that a tight end emerges as one of his top three receivers by year’s end. Well, the Rams have 6-foot-6 tight end Tyler Higbee who most certainly has proven that when he is targetted, he can catch the football. So this is another type of play that seems to align with the Rams’ offensive philosophy. So let’s add that to the offensive arsenal as well.

Stafford has not had the benefit of a running game in his career. In fact, he has been a very effective quarterback despite the fact that he has not had a balanced offense. While that may not be a gotta-have for Stafford, it most certainly is one of the staples for a Sean McVay-designed offense.  Even the worst play-action execution forces a split-second hesitation in defenders, which the offense uses to create separation.

On that note, let’s resist any abandoning of the running game just yet. After all, the Rams offense keys off the run first. That sets up play-action pass plays. After that, the playbook opens up. Let me explain: