3 New Year Resolutions from LA Rams latest win to fix in 2024

Resolution III: Rams offense continues to stall close to the end zone

Yes, the LA Rams have averaged 30 points per game in their six games after a Week 10 BYE. And it's that prolific offense that has propelled the Rams out of a 3-6 crater that the team had dug for itself, into an 8-7 record that could allow the team to earn a miraculous playoff berth this season.

But the Rams continue to leave points on the football field that never make it to the scoreboard.

In Week 16, the Rams were no better than three out of six in terms of scoring touchdowns in the red zone. That is no better than a 50 percent success rate, which is not very impressive in the NFL. Over the past three games, the Rams offense has stalled in the red zone no less than seven of 14 occasions. Since the BYE, the Rams have played six games, and have scored in the red zone 16 of 27 times.

That works out to just 59.3 percent of the time. When the Rams do score better than their average this season in the red zone, starting quarterback Matthew Stafford has been the reason. So can we consider the Rams less than stellar showings in the red zone to be a result of the LA Rams predictability whenever the team gets within the 20 yard line?

In Week 16, the LA Rams scored three of six touchdowns within the 20-yard line. So what happened when the Rams failed to punch it in? On the first occasion, the Rams had the football on a first down and goal to go from the nine-yard line. A run for four yards, then three yards, set up third-down and two to go for a touchdown. But after two runs, the Rams opted to pass, which was incomplete.

That same scenario played out almost in identical fashion to open the second half in Week 16, as the Rams were at a first down and ten yards to go from the New Orleans Saints 11-yard line. Runs of six yards, then two yards, set the Rams up for third down and two to go from the Saints three-yard line. Another third down pass fell incomplete.

The Rams never failed to mix in a pass or two despite what appears and feels to be a running attack that can score. As long as the Rams fall into those repeated and predictable patterns, I fear that they will get mixed results.