Optical Illusion: How bad was the LA Rams offense?

Inverted philosophy

To run or not to run, that appeared to be the question.  With that dilemma, the Rams’ offense would be judged to be either good or not good by analysts and fans. After what the Rams accomplished, clearly, it was the right choice.

Still, the Rams’ offense was neither bad nor good. It was a rather effective operation, as long as things ran smoothly. However, the kaleidoscope of contributing players and the need to remake the offensive format to fit the skillsets of players who are and who are not currently available seemed to leave those fans who do not track those nuances with a perception that the offense is either better or worse than they really are.

Kupp was up

The Rams offense certainly propelled wide receiver Cooper Kupp to be among the NFL legendary receivers of all time. That’s incredible stuff, perhaps something that we may not witness again in our lifetime. The guy was an incredible catch-and-run offensive machine.

But even Cooper Kupp’s effectiveness was linked to the willingness of the Rams to attempt running the football.  Like many football tendencies, other coaches observe trends and then try to duplicate those results. It’s bled over to the college ranks already

And so, the McVay ‘scheme’ is catching fire throughout the NFL and now even the college ranks. With the hiring of Wes Phillips by the Minnesota Vikings, the Rams style of offensive play is now embedded in the coaching staff of the Green Bay Packers, the Cincinnati Bengals, and now the Minnesota Vikings.  But what can the Rams do to stay ahead of the curve?