LA Rams blocking issues involve more than the offensive line

No Blocking Ben?

One of the LA Rams wide receivers who have been touted for his physicality and ability to block is Ben Skowronek. Skowronek needs to improve his catching, right now coming in at a somewhat alarming 57.7 percent. But as long as he can make huge blocks, it’s okay, right?

Well, that didn’t happen in Week 1, as Skowronek missed multiple opportunities to block, including this one as noted by Blaine Grisak of Turf Show Times:

Well, there goes that theory.

Rams WRs must block

The LA Rams have made it a point to ask far more of their wide receivers than many teams ask of their group. That’s an important distinction to make, particularly this early in the season because the effectiveness of the running attack depends heavily on the blocking of more than offensive linemen.

The LA Rams have abandoned the ‘blocking back’ fullback that many teams still employ in their offense. It’s not that the Rams do not need additional blocking, but the Rams coaches have simply repurposed that additional blocking at the point of attack to players like wide receiver Cooper Kupp and Ben Skowronek.  The problem is that Skowronek really failed to deliver in Week 1. Well, he wasn’t the only one, as we’ll learn in the next slide.