4 players to blame for the Rams loss to the Dolphins in Week 10

(2) - OT Joe Noteboom

I don't envy the role of swing tackle Joe Noteboom. In any given week, he can suddenly find himself preparing to start in place of an injured Rams offensive lineman. In Week 10, that injured offensive lineman was right tackle Rob Havenstein. Sometimes,k Joe Noteboom steps into the role of temporary starter and does reasonably well.

This was not one of those occasions.

He looked lost and beaten on many plays. In pass protection he seemed a bit slow off his stance, slow in his ability to pivot, and slow in his ability to ride the pass rusher around the horn while protecting his quarterback. He was not the only offensive lineman who struggled. But with a veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford, any pressure can cause injury and force this team to scramble. Noteboom did not show up as well as expected.

(1) - Jonah Jackson

Oh boy. Whoever decided to take out a very solid center in rookie Beaux Limmer, and replace him with Jonah Jackson at center, has to rethink whatever motivated that decision in the first place. Not only was Jackson less than effective at blocking, but the fundamental process of snapping the football seemed to be a gamble on every offensive play.

On one exchange, he snapped the football over Matthew Stafford's head, resulting in a 13-yard loss on the play.

Sure, the Rams front office signed Jonah Jackson to a lucrative three-year contract worth $51 million, but from what every Rams fan witnessed in Week 10, there is no way to convince anyone that he outplayed Limmer in practice this week. If he did, then the Rams coaching staff needs to revise their practice methodology.

To be honest, it was always bound to be a crap shoot this week, as the team swapped out three of the five starters on the offensive line. But fans had to believe that there was some vetting behind the decision, and not a payroll clerk naming the starter due to the higher payroll check.

In Week 9, the LA Rams offensive line did not allow a single quarterback sack. In Week 10, the newly reformed offensive line allowed four quarterback sacks. Not even the running game benefitted from the return of two starters.

Perhaps the Rams need to reinstall Beaux Limmer at center. And Jonah Jackson, much like Joe Noteboom in 2022, should be demoted to a swing interior offensive lineman who steps in for an injured teammate.

As always, thanks for reading.

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