Week 2 keys to LA Rams victory over the Indianapolis Colts

III – Rams offense must establish the run

After what the LA Rams did to the Chicago Bears’ defense, there is no way that the Indianapolis Colts defense dares to play eight defenders in the box. Well, scratch that, they can play eight defenders in the box, but then get ready for a 500-yard passing day for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Rams will likely face a defense determined to stop the pass, and should therefore be prepared to run the ball.  While there is the obvious goal of moving the chains and putting up points, there is more afoot here. The Rams burdened the defense with much more playing time in the first game than the offense. As such, the defense had set a pace that will be difficult to sustain over the course of a 17-game season.

The Rams proved an ability to rush with the football in the second half of the game in Week 1. For this week, the Rams must merely expand on that late success. To do that, the Rams should play more 12-personnel formations. That option gives the team the extra blocker, tight end Johnny Mundt, to allow for the offense to attack the perimeter of the defense with running back Darrell Henderson.  Even so, it still allows the Rams to send three receivers into the secondary, and in doing so, test the deep ball as well.

In Week 1, NFL defenses saw for the first time just how effectively this LA Rams team can pass the ball at all levels. This is the perfect situation for the Rams to showcase that they have a formidable running game as well.  Expanding the role of running back Sony Michel in this one to more than a handful of carries, perhaps throwing in a couple of jet sweeps, and getting 100 yards off the legs of Darrell Henderson this early in the season will pay huge dividends for the Rams offense later in the season.