6 Rams who need to show up big time in Week 11 vs the New England Patriots

At 4-5, the LA Rams have no more margin of error. Whether it's bad officiating, bad game planning, injuries, or bad preparation, the team has exhausted its supply of second chances. The Rams, much like the saga of 2023, must nearly run the table for the 2024 NFL season. But unlike 2023, the team has a bit more work to do than just show up.

The Rams have gotten to this point from a wide range of gaffes. The most glaring is their reluctance to deploy 12-personnel. That fact alone has been particularly alarming. The team has won two games with their top offensive output by going with two tight ends. And more mystifying, the team seems least likely to go with the extra block when they go with backups at their offensive tackles.

When the team needs the most help blocking, they go with the least likely configuration to generate those results. For the life of me, I simply do not understand that strategy.

But laying this at the feet of not going with two tight ends is akin to saying torrential rains fall when I wash my car. We have already discussed the problems with bad decisions in Week 10. This time around, we need to discuss how to get back on track.

Of course, the two topics are very much interrelated. The mistakes from Week 10 cannot be repeated. I know that the Miami Dolphins are better than their 3-6 record. But the Rams seemed to do more to lose the game than the Dolphins did to win it. From penalties to turnovers to the inability of the offense to score, the team seemed to be off-center throughout the game.

In Week 11, the team travels to the New England Patriots (3-7) to fight another tough battle. This is a winnable game as well. So, who needs to step up to ensure that the Rams claim victory?

(6) - Rams secondary

I am stunned by the Rams secondary this season. They are playing behind a fierce pass rush, so they don't have to cover all day. And they have been opportunistic, hauling in nine interceptions which lands them in ninth-place in the NFL for that statistic. But the secondary has allowed 16 passing touchdowns, 24th-best in the NFL.

That dismal showing is confirmed by the defensive backs allowing 219.6 passing yards per game, no better than 22nd-best in the league. In short, despite the occasional heroics. this group has yet to congeal. Entering Week 11? Time's up.

I can't say that I'm disappointed with the safeties of this group. They are performing at least to expectations. But I have to admit that the cornerbacks have been underwhelming so far this year. The group has struggled to shut down the rallies of opposing offenses. That has made it difficult for the Rams sputtering offense to take leads in games. And we know that when the Rams fall behind, there goes the running game and here comes the passes.

(5) - Tight end group

When the season opened, so much praise and bravado emerged from the LA Rams training camp that I was certain that the team would have grand production from the group. That never happened. As the team prepares to enter Week 11, here are the receiving totals from the team's three tight ends:

• Colby Parkinson | 23 of 36 | 63.8 % catch rate | 214 receiving yards | 0 TDs
• Hunter Long | 5 of 5 | 100 % catch rate | 43 receiving yards | 0 TDs
• Davis Allen | 6 of 11 | 54.5 % catch rate | 39 receiving yards | 0 TDs
• All Tight Ends | 34 of 52 | 65.4 % catch rate | 296 receiving yards

In terms of receiving yards, there are 17 tight ends with better production in 2024 than the entire LA Rams tight end room. And I hate to point this out, but three roster slots for this group if the team is leaning heavily into a 12-personnel package offense. It's not. After nine games, the Rams have run two tight ends on offense just 17 percent of the time. And that includes short yardage scenarios as well.

The group must do better.

The problem is, the team has invested three roster spots in the group and it's not the only offensive position that has a heavy body count compared to what the group does on game day. The offense needs to use two tight ends, if for no other reason than to make use of all the excess talent on the roster.

(4) - Rams offensive line

The Rams offensive line is not just struggling due to injuries. The unit has been beset by a lack of continuity, as coaches continue to tinker with how to optimize the group. Unfortunately, much of the reconfiguration has led to setbacks. The Rams offensive line struggled in all aspects in Week 10. That was very disappointing, as the team had won three consecutive games with rookies Justin Dedich and Beaux Limmer as starters.

When the team faced sitting RT Rob Havenstein due to injury, it created a situation in which three of five starters from Week 9 would be replaced. And that didn't pan out very well. But the damage is done. If the team is to find success again, the team has to take the offensive line more seriously. If the team stays the course, the least thing that the Rams can do is give the backup right tackle, whether Warren McClendon or Joe Noteboom, a tight end who can help with blocking.

I don't see why that is such a problem. Clearly, the team opted to sign another tight end in free agency Colby Parkinson. That is despite the team already having two promising tight ends on the roster, Davis Allen and Hunter Long. And the team even expects to welcome back injured tight end Tyler Higbee at some point later this season. Still, the Rams have seldom had much success with tight ends in the past. With frequent injuries, it only makes sense to try helping out backup offensive tackles with help from a tight end.

But the playcalling cannot be predictable either. Why not try two tight ends, and test the defense by sending speedy WR Tutu Atwell deep? There are many ways to effectively alter the offense to help the offensive line. it's time to give that another try.

(3) - CB Darious Williams

While I cannot say that the Rams have fallen apart due to any one player, I can say that if certain players find a way to reclaim their top form, the Week 11 outcome will almost certainly be positive. One such player whose performance and almost assure a victory is veteran defensive back Darious Williams.

The LA Rams signed veteran cornerback Darious Williams because the team needed a strong defensive back to count on to defend the best receiver on the opposing team. But so far, the results have not proven that out. Williams is allowing 75 percent of passes targeting his receiver to find their mark, a career worst. He has allowed two touchdowns in five games and four starts. When quarterbacks throw his way, they emerge with a QB rating of 146.7, nearly double his career average.

Nobody is asking for a four-interception performance. But a bit stiffer pass defense would not only be welcome right about now, it could prove to be a game-winner.

(2) - WR Cooper Kupp

Wide receiver Cooper Kupp has not exactly been himself in 2024 either. He has played in just five games, and started in four of those contests. Still, the guy is the veteran leader of the Rams receiver room. So what must Kupp do to lead the team to victory in Week 11? Isn't it enough that he leads everyone on the team in receiving yards?

Actually, no.

The thing is, despite missing nearly half of the games, Kupp continues to lead the team in targets. And despite getting 16 more passes thrown his way, and catching 15 more passes than teammate Tutu Atwell, he leads Atwell by only 10 receiving yards. Kupp is gaining just 9.3 yards per reception (a career low) and just 6.8 yards per target (another career low). His 3.6 yards gained after the catch is, you guessed it, a career low.

The thing is, Kupp is less of a threat to score and morphing into a possession type of receiver. That may be the wisest role for him, but the team has to simultaneously find a guy to stretch the field and put up yards after the catch.

Kupp's numbers are dipping. This offense needs him to find a way to return to his former self, if only for a month or so. The team cannot win games without scoring touchdowns. And Cooper Kupp is vital to putting points on the scoreboard.

(1) - QB Matthew Stafford

The LA Rams offense is struggling to put points on the scoreboard. And it comes as no surprise to learn that veteran QB Matthew Stafford is struggling to throw touchdowns this season. While I'm not here to proclaim that the sky is falling, I would like to point out that Stafford's struggles cannot all be blamed elsewhere.

In nine games this season, Stafford has failed to throw a single touchdown in four games. In fact, on the season, he has thrown just nine touchdowns to seven interceptions. While not a typical TD/Int ratio for Stafford, he put up similar numbers in 2022. Just push that thought to the side for a minute.

Since arriving to the Rams in 2021, Stafford has failed to connect in the endzone:

• 2021- no times
• 2022 - two times (out of nine games)
• 2023 - one time
• 2024 - four times (out of nine games)

Notice a pattern?

You cannot take umbrage with the fact that Stafford is not finding the endzone. Nor can you scoff at the fact that the Rams cannot count on Stafford to line up under center and continue to be sharp for the next five seasons. But for now, the Rams simply have to break out of the same old - same old and find ways to score.

In 2024, the only three offensive players to get to the endzone are RB Kyren Williams, WR Demarcus Robinson, and WR Cooper Kupp. Is that due to the play calling? Of, when given the option, does Stafford simply continue to throw to a select handful of players?

Stafford must rediscover his 'Comeback Kid' personna. And to do that, he has to spread the wealth a bit more.

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