LA Rams will not face Vikings RB Dalvin Cook in Week 16

The LA Rams defense seems to be able to stop the running game, or stop the passing game, but when confronted with the task of stopping both? Well, that’s been the Achilles heel so far this season. In Week 16, the Rams face a Minnesota Vikings offense that can run the ball, and pass the ball, very effectively.

The passing attack is led by two excellent wide receivers in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Combined? The pair has put up over 2000 yards and 19 touchdowns. To say that the LA Rams secondary has their work cut out for them is a huge understatement.

But the Vikings can switch to the ground game as well. Running back Dalvin Cook already has 1,067 yards and six touchdowns. Having played just 11 games, he is averaging nearly 100 yards per game for the Vikings. The only problem? He won’t be playing in Week 16:

Before anyone high fives this developing news, the Vikings are an impressive 2-1 without Dalvin Cook. In fact, when backup running back Alexander Mattison has started for the Vikings, he has piled up 73 carries for 315 yards and one touchdown in three games. That is good enough for an average of 4.32 yards per rush.

Both Cook and Mattison are used effectively in the passing game as well.

Rams offense must score often in this one

The Vikings offense is nearly identical to the Rams offense in every way, but they have a more effective rushing attack.  The Rams defense will be hard-pressed in this one, particularly coming off a very short week on the road.

The Vikings fall behind when comparing defenses. The LA Rams defense ranks16th in pass defense, and sixth in run defense. In terms of scoring? The Rams come in at 12th ranked scoring defense. That includes the gift points allowed by three pick-sixes thrown by QB Matthew Stafford as well as 30 points surrendered by the team’s defense when the starters were pulled from the football field.

At a points-adjusted 252 (less 51 points not surrendered by starting defense), the LA Rams are the fourth-ranked scoring defense.

The Minnesota Vikings are not nearly as tough to score against. They are the 23rd-ranked scoring defense, the 29th ranked pass defense, and the 27th-ranked run defense.

If the LA Rams hope to win on such a short week, the offense must continue to emphasize that balanced ball-control power running game that serves to rest the defense and keep the Vikings high-octane offense off the football field.

We’ve seen the outcome of the game when the Rams change from a pass-centric offense to a run-balanced attack. The LA Rams could emerge from Week 16 locked into a playoff berth and competing for the NFC West Division Title, or perhaps more. It starts with a win in Week 16, a win that could give this team tremendous momentum to finish out the season.