LA Rams Darrell Henderson stretching legs courtesy of Texans in Week 8

The LA Rams may not be the same offense that does not work unless the team could get the running game on track, but it certainly looks pretty when the team can do so. The Rams have every reason to hope for a good day on the ground because the team entered Week 8 as the 23rd-ranked rushing offense. How so? The Rams are averaging just 95.4 yards per game on the ground.

That may improve because the LA Rams have already chewed up 154 yards on the ground with nearly a full quarter to go in Week 8. Much of that is thanks to the determined running of Darrell Henderson, who has carried the football 14 times for the Rams for a total of 90 yards and a touchdown.

It’s not that Henderson has played poorly so far this season. He’s had 96 carries for 417 yards and four touchdowns so far after just seven games. That’s not bad, particularly in a 17 game season. Just adding today’s number (not official), Henderson is at 110 carries and 507 yards with five touchdowns. That is on par for a 1000 rushing yards season.

The LA Rams have not found it necessary to lean heavily on the running game so far this season. As we had reported earlier in the Week 8 contest, Matthew Stafford is lighting it up for the offense by throwing 21 touchdown passes in just 7.5 games. The Rams have attempted 243 passes and 181 rushes in the first seven games, which is approximately a 60/40 split.

While you can’t argue with the team’s success, you can certainly be concerned about the team’s future. The Rams face some of the best teams in the NFL after their Week 11 BYE Week.

Rams Next Game and Schedule

The next game will be in Week 9 on Sunday, November 7th hosting the very impressive Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football. Here’s a look at the LA Rams remaining schedule:

Week 9: vs. Tennessee (5-2)
Week 10: @ San Francisco (2-4)
Week 11: BYE WEEK
Week 12: @ Green Bay (7-1)
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville (1-5)
Week 14: @ Arizona (7-1)
Week 15: vs. Seattle (2-5)
Week 16: @ Minnesota (3-3)
Week 17: @ Baltimore (5-2)
Week 18: San Francisco (2-4)

As of Week 8, the Rams remaining opponents boast a record of 34-27. The Rams will need to be more than a one-dimensional offense. So it helps that the team is finding success at grinding it out on the ground.  Not only does that help the offense appear more unpredictable, but it helps the LA Rams control the Time of Possession (TOP) which helps to keep the defense fresh.

The LA Rams will finish Week 8 at 7-1.  But more importantly, the Rams are discovering the ability to run with the football. That will be particularly important for the team as the weather grows colder.