Just like ’20 Miami game, LA Rams abandoned 12-personnel too soon

Two tight ends, perhaps?

The Rams have used their 12-personnel package with deadly efficiency. When facing the New England Patriots in Week 14 of the 2020 NFL season, the Rams used two tight ends for over 50 percent of the offensive snaps. And the Rams won that game handily by running the ball against a very physical New England Patriots defense.

In December 2019, the Rams used the 12-personnel package to revitalize their offense. Not only did Tyler Higbee prove to be an effective receiver, but the Rams running game enjoyed a tremendous boost.

Okay, so the Tennessee Titans won the game against the Rams convincingly. Let’s be honest though. The LA Rams entered the game with a script and did not color outside of the lines. That is not going to win the tough games, because eventually and ultimately, the best defensive coordinators will analyze trends and tendencies and stumble into the right defensive strategy. Doubt that the Rams stuck to a losing game plan?

When that happens, the Rams panic. It’s not a slow methodical analysis of what the defense is doing whatsoever. The response has been similar for the past three years. If the defense can put pressure on the Rams quarterback by outplaying the offensive line, then the Rams fall back to a pass-heavy playbook.

But the worst part is, that the Rams ignored the need for more blockers, and sent more receivers onto the field. In a game where the entire offensive line struggled, there was no help coming.