7 overreactions to avoid from LA Rams opening loss

Overreaction III: Matthew Stafford will be beaten up by the BYE week

The LA Rams allowed seven sacks in Week 1. We just made that crystal clear in the last slide. So why are we covering it again? No, I’m not a sucker for punishment here. The matter was not just compounded by injured, unprepared, and inexperienced offensive linemen facing a defensive front that knew the entire book of business on the Rams’ offensive front.

The play-calling didn’t do a lick to help them out.

Can you honestly say that you haven’t heard this one before? There are some games where, for whatever reason, the offensive game plan is clearly not going to work. That moment of revelation happened on or about halftime of the game.

41 passes and 18 rushes is clearly not a winning formula

At that point, the Rams were tied up by a score of 10-10, and the Rams going exclusively with an 11-personnel package was already showing signs of fatigue with two opening possessions that resulted in punts, plus a tremendous amount of pressure on veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

There are tools that can help change the pace of the game. The Rams have options on 12-personnel packages, inserting an additional offensive lineman who declares but who acts like a blocking tight end. And then there is the tight end on the practice squad named Roger Carter, a young man who I am convinced will eventually not only make the roster but will slide right into former Rams TE Johnny Mundt’s vacated role.

I rewatched the game and counted two times (out of four offensive snaps) where tight end Brycen Hopkins failed to make a block.  The LA Rams need a blocking tight end. Now, let’s see how the team goes about filling that purchase order.