Can the LA Rams win in Week 5 without HC Sean McVay embracing the run?

It's frustrating to see the LA Rams offense fall into the all too familiar patterns of facing an NFL defense that is completely vulnerable to the run, and yet trying to overthink the game plan by spending far too many opportunities passing the football. In theory, if the Rams are winning, then the questions subside. But the LA Rams have lost two consecutive games that seemed to be winnable by Rams fans.

And like it or not, the problem has been a Rams offense that had an incredibly effective game plan in Week 1 to completely shut down a potent Seattle Seahawks offense. But that game plan was altered in Week 2, and then completely abandoned in Week 3. How so?

Have the Rams established some form of load management upon second-year running back Kyren Williams? In three games so far, the Rams have limited his touches per game to 15 or fewer runs. It appears from the evidence in three games.

But the Rams broke that pattern by rushing 36 times in Week 4, including 25 runs for 103 yards out of running back Kyren Williams. That combined with 47 yards out of backup running back Ronnie Rivers helped to thwart the Indianapolis Colts' defense and afford enough time for Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford to launch a salvo of passes that eventually won the game for the Rams in overtime.

It's a curious oxymoron that proves itself time and time again for this LA Rams offense. When the Rams offense commits to running the football, the Rams seem to have a much better time of creating and securing a pocket for Stafford, and the Rams passing attack seems to be that much more efficient when interpreting the final statistics found in the game's box score.

So, if the Rams offense gels with a commitment to the ground game, why not run 25 times in each and every game?

Why the LA Rams running game has led to victories so far

1. It's the Chicken vs the Egg Paradox: Rams can't run or won't run?
2. What's in store for Week 5?