3 quick fixes to help the LA Rams win in Week 13

After three games of doing things head coach Sean McVay’s way, it’s time to start giving the team some helpful hints on how to fix the woes of this team. Sure, fans have got the attention of the LA Rams head coach, but anyone can whine and complain. Infants in a nursery scream for attention when they are hungry, tired, or need to be changed. Is that what we have all fallen to?

If we want the LA Rams‘ entire organization to improve, to do better, then we must up our game as well. I know that the “Fire Raheem Morris” ritual is the LA Rams version of cancel culture and that there are more and more minds making the decision that he must go, but really?  For now, let’s park all of the defensive woes to the side and focus on the offense.

It’s time to talk about the emperor with no clothes. This is a pattern that has failed since 2018, an offense that has options to take, plays to run, that is not infused when the team needs it the most. Sure, the LA Rams had that December 2019 when the two tight end offense was given a chance. The result was tight end Tyler Higbee putting up 522 yards of receiving yards in just one month’s time.

It happened again when the LA Rams faced a strong New England Patriots defense in 2020. The result? The Rams went with two tight ends for nearly 80 percent of the offensive plays and ran the football down the Patriots’ throat. The final tally for that game? The Rams quarterback passed 16 of 25 times for 137 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The Rams rushed 36 times for 186 yards and a touchdown. The team held the football for 31:46, winning the Time of Possession. And the team won that game 24-3.

The game of football is interwoven. We can talk about defense, offense, and special teams in some mythical version where they are not interdependent upon one another. But, as fans, we tend to look where we are pointed and form conclusions far too quickly.

Let’s use the statistics at SharpFootballStats.com to illustrate what we mean.  Let’s break down the Rams offensive configurations since McVay has taken over the LA Rams offense, shall we?

Year         11 pkg  12 pkg   0 RB    Other
2018         89 %         8 %        2 %       1 %
2019         73 %       21 %        0 %       6 %
2020         65 %       29 %        0 %       6 %
2021         88 %       10 %        1 %       1 %

Notice the similarities between 2018 and 2021? Do you think this is some random coincidence? Or is this simply a reiteration of that 2018 offensive script, which has been studied and analyzed ad nauseam?  Sean McVay is 35 years old, just two years older than quarterback Matthew Stafford. So the wealth of knowledge and sage wisdom that kicks in to help head coaches is in McVay’s windshield, not his rearview mirror.

The first fix is the offense. Why? Well, for starters, the defense cannot win games by inheriting twice as much playing time, horrific field position, and even fighting against points given to the opponent by the offense. It’s obvious that the defense cannot win the game with the way this offense is playing. So it’s time to do something about it.

Can we make some suggestions? Of course, we can. So let’s get crack a-lackin’ and fix this mess, shall we?