Yes, the Rams won in a convincing fashion against the Jaguars, but let’s not forget that the Jaguars only have two wins on the season. Let’s take a dive into the issues…

Embed from Getty Images

The LA Rams need to figure it out and start playing like the team we thought they would be. They were already a loaded team coming into the season and then managed to trade for Von Miller and sign Odell Beckham Jr mid-season. Los Angeles did not win a game in the month of November (bye week included). They now have a bit of breathing room following the win and a San Francisco loss, but there are still five games to be played. They are only 1-4 against teams above .500 this year.

QB Matthew Stafford is not playing his best ball. Rumors have swirled that he is playing with multiple injuries, but they have never been listed on the injury reports. The passes have not been accurate and it has led to ugly turnovers. A few were not his fault (looking right at you, Higbee), but Stafford still needs to step up and play like the MVP candidate we all thought he would be. 

Another problem is the Rams seem to be crazy about passing and not at all interested in running the ball like earlier in the year. Running back Darrell Henderson has a quad strain that has probably limited him the last few weeks and can now cause him to miss a game. I am not sure what Sean McVay is thinking, but this approach isn’t benefiting the team. My hope is that he is trying to save Henderson for the playoff run, but we will see about that soon enough. With the way Sony Michel played, he will be featured in my Start ‘Em article this week if Henderson is still hobbled.

The Rams became famous for using 11 personnel more than any team in the league. Per Sharpfootballstats.com, they have run 11 personnel 88% of the time so far and that is 12% more than the next closest team this season. I watched the last few games and a lot of corners are jumping routes or just having tight coverage. I am not watching this on an official game film, but being a fan of the team I pay extra attention to these games. You can only run so many combinations from one single personnel grouping.

Embed from Getty Images

The offense is not the only problem. The Rams Defense is playing sloppy football as well. They have held their ground and done better in recent weeks, and I mostly blame the coaching. For example, 3rd down and two, Davante Adams is lined up in the slot with Jalen Ramsey on him. Next, some random tight end motions out wide and Donte Deayon somehow managed to bump Ramsey outside. Right from the start, it was trouble. Adams did his thing and was six yards in front of Deayon in a matter of seconds. Third and two resulted in a 17-yard gain and a first down. 

That move is just a waste of a $20 million corner. What made this defense great last year was they used their investment to play man against the offense’s best receiver while the rest of the defense played a completely different scheme. That is New England Patriot-level stuff that works and is a real advantage every down. It paid huge dividends last season when then-defensive coordinator Brandon Staley did it. Raheem Morris is a great coach, but these issues need to be fixed if the Rams want to have a shot at the Super Bowl.

Embed from Getty Images

Lastly, game management needs to change. It has been mostly conservative, with not a whole lot of going for it on 4th downs. Recently, there have been some awful decisions that really made me scratch my head. The 49er game had the most atrocious fake field goal attempt that left them with no points right before halftime. The game was well within reach and San Francisco was getting the ball in the second half anyway.

The most recent incidents were in the Green Bay game. Early first quarter and the Packers are only up 7–0. McVay makes the “aggressive” or “analytical” decision to go for it on 4th and 1 on his own 29-yard line. The timing is just terrible for a decision like that and I do not get it. Before we know it, LA is in a 10-0 hole and they have yet to find a rhythm on offense.

Another example is when they just got the ball back and were in scoring range late in the 4th quarter. The clock is running and it’s 3rd and 1 on the GB 21-yard line. The Rams needed a field goal and a touchdown. They opted to run the ball for no gain and managed to let 30 seconds run off the clock. McVay chose a hell of a time deciding when to finally hand the ball off. 

These big game moments need to change if the Rams want to reach the Super Bowl this year. The good teams will not let them come back from their bad game management decisions or sloppy on-field play. It needs to get better and luckily they got to play a get-right game against the Jaguars. McVay displayed patience to the run game that he had not shown in weeks. Here is to hoping this offensive rhythm will continue against the Cardinals next week so they can prove to us they can win a big game.