LA Rams: 3 tweaks to improve ‘sloppy’ rushing attack vs. Raiders

Better blocking angles

The LA Chargers were using a very familiar defensive scheme to the LA Rams. That’s because the Rams ran that defense last year, and likely continue to embrace its fundamentals this year. It’s a very familiar defensive front, giving each player the edge on run defense by lining up on the inside or outside of the blocker.

Los Angeles Rams

Its very design works well because it forces a defensive player into virtually every running lane on the football field. So what, it’s just preseason right? Well, the Rams will face a similarly constructed base defense three times this year as the team faces the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Bears. Thanks to the defections of Rams position coaches, or the fact that they had the founder of the defense Vic Fangio as their defensive coordinator will give them all the intel they need to field a similar defense.

The LA Rams may not give up 80 yards in one running play, be we know that the team allows big gains, particularly in the games against the Charges. Those gains occur by quick offensive linemen who explode out of their stances and engage the defenders at the line of scrimmage with good angles. LA Rams running back Xavier Jones put up an impressive eight-yard run due to some good blocks at the point of attack. Notably, Tremayne Anchrum was effective in the running game.

While it’s clear that the Rams focused upon pass protection, there is certainly value to be had by running the ball effectively. The offense will not pass on every first down, so a second and five is a far better down and distance than facing second and ten. Getting out of the stance and into the right spot for optimal leverage is crucial, even for these backup linemen, if the Rams will have solid data to base their decisions upon.