LA Rams fall apart in second half of games this season

The LA Rams were pretty quick to fix problems in 2020. No matter what the score was at halftime, the Rams’ defense would stiffen, and the Rams’ offense would find some way to get back into it. Now, the opposite is happening. The LA Rams are truly falling apart in the second half of games.

Making matters worse, LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has failed to throw a touchdown pass in two games. And no, the pick-six that he threw in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers doesn’t count.

That’s problematic. Why? Well, it points to a fundamental problem that is beyond Rams injuries, beyond the Rams roster, and beyond the game plan. It’s a symptom of something far more sinister. The LA Rams coaching staff is simply unable to grasp what their opponents are doing, and respond effectively.  How bad is it? Well, this bad to be honest:

The Rams have been outscored 61-20 in the second half of their first four games. That is the equivalent of more than two touchdowns, per game. That’s on the coaching staff.

The Rams’ offense is regressing

This is an offense that has not scored a passing touchdown in the past two games. It’s an offense that is running the heart of the offensive line on the backs of backups of those backups. But this is the NFL, and there is no free pass. The Rams are wounded but have to regroup and find a way to punch the football into the end zone. What will it take?

Well, the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said this five days before the 49ers faced the Rams:

Come game day, guess who the Rams passing games targeted? Out of 48 passes, the Rams threw the football to WR Cooper Kupp 19 times. The Rams threw to Tyler Higbee another 14 times. That’s 33 passes to two players.

You can argue that they were open. You can cite that they caught the passes. But isn’t this a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Kupp and Higbee combined for 24 of 33 for 195 yards and no touchdowns. I may be wrong, but I’m certain defensive coordinators would be delighted with those stats every week.

The LA Rams’ defense has given up 12 points and 17 points in the past two games. The bells of ‘Fire Raheem Morris’ are ringing once more. This is not a Raheem Morris issue. The LA Rams’ offensive line is battered. The LA Rams offense is stuck in a rut of its own making. In the end, the LA Rams offense needs to put points on the scoreboard, and touchdowns in the Red Zone.

Right now, that is not happening, and that is a big concern.