How well will the LA Rams offensive line hold up on SNF?
By Bret Stuter
At the end of the 2019 NFL season, the LA Rams offensive line’s morale and reputation had sunk to its lowest point in many years. The group finished as the 31st-ranked unit out of 32 NFL teams, and the team did not use the 2020 offseason to bolster that unit at all. Perhaps it came down to the belief that the team had no place to go but up? Perhaps it was the realization that the team had nearly double-digit returning players with NFL starting experience? In any case, the organization gambled that the same group of players would rebound significantly. If you didn’t get the memo, the offensive line ended the season as the third-ranked unit in the NFL for 2020.
This year, the offensive line is projected to come into the 2021 NFL season as the eighth-best offensive line. But to be honest, this offensive line seems to come with more questions than that of a year ago. Well, some answers will happen in just about 24 hours time or less.
The LA Rams‘ offensive line will run aground of one of the more consistent defenses when they face that of the Chicago Bears. In 2020, the Bears were among the Top-15 run defenses, were among the Top-12 in pass defenses, and were among the Top-14 defenses in points allowed. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
The Bears were an opportunistic defense. While they allowed some big plays, conceded 28 touchdown passes throughout the season, they were able to intercept ten passes as well. They got to the quarterback 35 times in 2020, but it was a team effort as ten different players had a hand in that total. Of course, outside linebacker Khalil Mack led the Bears’ defense with nine quarterback sacks.