LA Rams roster holds small ball options for Matthew Stafford this year

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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LA Rams Roster Raymond Calais
(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /

Small ball option I: Crossing routes

The LA Rams ultimately will face a wide variety of defenses. They will need to defeat great pass defenses, and great run defenses, and over the course of the 2022 NFL season, they may even face a defense that can do both phases of defense rather well. One of the historic offense strategies that I love about the LA Rams offense was the use of crossing routes:

I love the use of crossing routes for two reasons. First, it places stress upon the middle of the football field, an area that we know all too well can be quite vulnerable to a focused and persistent attack by a capable offense.

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Secondly, it pits big-bodied linebackers against defensive backs, as the trailing defender is oftentimes more focused on the pursuit of a receiver than on handing him off to a teammate.

That reliance upon crossing routes was evident in 2018.  In fact, the Rams’ offense was extremely productive in 2018, often through the use of crossing routes. The Patriots’ defense deployed a split-safety strategy that was extremely effective at shutting down those Rams’ big offensive plays. But that simply sets the Rams up for the next option.