Will LA Rams stick with Sony Michel and Coleman Shelton?

Banged up Brian Allen

The same cannot be said of LA Rams starting center Brian Allen. While he has redeemed his reputation by playing harder this year at the offensive center position than his 2019 season, he has not shaken the durability concerns whatsoever. In 2019, he lasted just nine games and was not very good that entire season.

While this year, he has played in 12 of 14 games, he severely injured his elbow against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9 and should have been replaced for the duration of that game. Injured but playing, the LA Rams struggled mightily on offense for three games, the same three games that coincided with Allen’s injury.

In fact, the Rams have not won since that injury and with Allen snapping the football. It was Coleman Shelton who stepped up for the Jacksonville Jaguars game. Was it merely a coincidence that the Rams won that game handily? Was it that same random coincidence that Shelton, not Allen, snapped the football for the Rams’ upset win over the Cardinals?

Don’t tinker with the Rams success

Running back Sony Michel has rushed 24 times and 20 times in the last two games for the LA Rams. Coleman Shelton, a notated good run blocker, has snapped the football to QB Matthew Stafford in the past two games.

During the Rams losing streak, the Rams averaged 17 rushes per game, 2.3 turnovers per game, 3.0 sacks per game, and a Time of Possession (TOP) of 24:46.  During the winning streak, the Rams are averaging 23 rushes per game, 0.0 turnovers per game, 2.0 sacks per game, and a TOP of 31:25. Was the difference all due to Michel or Shelton?

Well, before you answer that question, consider this. The LA Rams faced the Arizona Cardinals on Week 4. In that loss, the Rams appeared to be awfully similar to the team during the losing streak than the team during the winning streak. The LA Rams have too many other swaps for their starting lineup right now.

The LA Rams are in a groove right now. I am okay with players who get injured holding a rotational role with the team. But the starting role has got to favor players who are durable enough to show up for each practice and each game. I suspect that the Rams will restore both Brian Allen and Darrell Henderson as the starters, but I wish they wouldn’t. The Rams are winning behind the play of Coleman Shelton and Sony Michel. And we’ve seen just how difficult it can be to win in the NFL this year.