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

III – Go with two tight ends

I struggle to understand how the LA Rams can place three tight ends on the roster, but only have faith in one of them? It’s one of the most bizarre and unexplained actions of the Rams offense, and truly opens up the line of questioning of whether the team has any plan in place for this roster.

When the season started, the Rams boasted a host of quality tight ends that included Tyler Higbee, Johnny Mundt, Jacob Harris, Brycen Hopkins, and Kendall Blanton. The team knew immediately that the roster would feature both Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt as starters, and for the early games, the Rams found success with the intermingling of two tight-end personnel groupings. Per Lineups.com, we can determine that the LA Rams toggled between 10 to 25 percent of the offensive plays with a 12-personnel package.

The Rams offense is one-dimensional once more

After the injury to Johnny Mundt, the team has abandoned two tight ends on the football field at the same time. Do you think that has escaped the attention of defensive coordinators? It began in Week 7, the same week that the LA Rams faced the Detroit Lions at home. Do you recall how difficult that game proved to be? The Rams won that game by the score of 28-19, a score that was far closer than many expected it to be.

The next week was a bad Houston Texans team. And then, after the Rams achieved a record of 7-1, the dam broke. The Rams offense is so completely one-dimensional that I do not believe that defenses spend much time practicing how to stop the rushing attack.

Since Mundt’s injury, here is how the offense has split the workload

Wk    Runs   Passes
7            19         41
8            31         34 *
9            21         48
10         10         42
11         BYE
12         20         39
Totals  101     204

* Rams reserves took the field in the fourth quarter, three passes, six rushes

If you are preparing to defend the LA Rams offense, what aspect do you focus upon? It’s obvious to even a layperson that the Rams have no trust in their running game, and therefore it’s a complete waste of time to prepare for it. Want further proof? The LA Rams are the 24th worst rushing offense in the NFL. The 23rd worst team? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Now, let’s talk defense.