It wasn’t so way back that the 2024 Los Angeles Rams have been a group that frightened no opponent. After their Week 5 loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers, Sean McVay’s group was caught in a quagmire at 1-4. Matthew Stafford was enjoying in a means that did under no circumstances resemble Matthew Stafford – primarily as a result of Stafford’s two prime receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, have been out with accidents. Stafford had been pressured on 65 of his dropbacks (34.0% general), and he was coping with again soreness.
Simply as disturbing was a protection that was stuffed with younger stars oozing potential, but it surely wasn’t displaying up. A line of defense with Jared Verse, Byron Younger, Kobie Turner, and Braden Fiske ranked twenty seventh in sacks and twenty second in complete pressures. Partly due to that lack of quarterback disruption, Los Angeles’ opponent passer ranking of 117.7 was the NFL’s worst. And solely the Dallas Cowboys (0.12) allowed a better opponent Speeding EPA per try than the Rams’ 0.10.
Principally, none of what the Rams needed to do was working exterior of a run recreation that held every part collectively as a lot because it may. The group had a Week 6 bye, and all McVay may hope was that key gamers would begin to return and get better from accidents, and the group may flip issues round… in some way.
“It’s a fantastic, wonderful stability,” McVay mentioned the day after the Packers recreation. “In the end, the purpose is to encourage and encourage constructive change with these guys, and the constant issues that we’re in search of. We’re at all times making an attempt to determine how to have the ability to join, the way to make it possible for we’re creating that readability, after which additionally perceive inside every of those matchups that happen on a week-to-week foundation… what are we doing inside our schemes, and what are we asking of our guys to attempt to assist them go shine?”
No matter magic occurred in that week off, it definitely confirmed up.
After that Week 5 loss, the Rams ranked twenty fifth in Complete DVOA; they’ve risen to seventeenth since. They ranked seventeenth in Offensive DVOA; now, they’re as much as seventh. And that Thirty first-ranked Defensive DVOA rating seems to be loads higher now at twenty second.
Clearly, the passing recreation is best with Kupp and Nacua again on the sector, however simply how significantly better? In Weeks 1-5, the Rams had a Passing EPA of -0.03. With each of their prime skills within the recreation, that has raised to +0.09. Stafford’s landing fee has elevated from 3.6% to 4.8%, and his interception fee has dropped from 1.8% to 1.5%. And the identical man who accomplished 118 of 175 handed for 1,238 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer ranking of 86.3 within the first 5 weeks of the season has accomplished 175 of 264 passes for two,065 yards, 16 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a passer ranking of 103.8 since.
It additionally helps that Stafford’s strain numbers have dropped noticeably – because the bye, he’s been harassed simply 81 occasions (29.2%), which has allowed the 36-year-old to look much more just like the ninja we’ve come to count on.
On protection, issues have additionally improved. That league-worst opponent passer ranking has diminished itself to 90.6 since Week 7 (post-bye), Eleventh-best within the league. The Rams’ 19.0 sacks rank tenth since then, and their 109 complete pressures rank fifth. The run protection has additionally improved – -0.03 EPA per try since Week 7, which is way extra center of the pack than earlier than.
Now, the 7-6 Rams, who’re 6-2 since their bye, put together to tackle the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night time in a recreation that would boot the 6-7 defending NFC champs out of playoff risk, and will additional McVay’s trigger as a no-doubt postseason nightmare for any opponent. Final Sunday’s 44-42 win over the Buffalo Payments actually cemented simply how far the Rams have are available in a brief area of time.
How has this occurred, and what does it imply as soon as the postseason rolls round?
Matthew Stafford has his star broad receivers again
It’s not that the Rams have been utterly bereft of playmakers when Kupp and Nacua have been out. McVay tailored as greatest he may, working much more 12 personnel (one again, two tight ends, two receivers) than the standard league-high food regimen of 11 personnel (one again, one tight finish, three receivers) he would favor. Receivers Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittingtonm, and Demarcus Robinson, in addition to tight finish Colby Parkinson, have been probably the most prolific pass-catchers within the absence of the 2 superstars. However it stands to cause that when your most proficient guys are again on the sector, the situational receivers can return to that, whereas Kupp and Nacua can grace us with their brilliance. No one’s making an attempt to do an excessive amount of, and the chemistry Stafford has developed with Kupp and Nacua exhibits up again and again.
When Stafford has his full array of receivers, and he can assault a protection with all of McVay’s condensed splits, goal deployments, and movement ideas… good luck stopping it for too lengthy. The Payments had few solutions in opposition to any of it.
The Rams offensive line is well being(ier)
A part of the explanation Stafford isn’t getting pressured as a lot because the bye is that his protectors are feeling higher. Sort out Joe Noteboom and guard Steve Avila have been every positioned on injured reserve following the Rams’ Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, and Avila has been again since Week 9. Noteboom can play both left or proper deal with, however the efforts of Alaric Jackson on the left facet have been a really nice shock. Jackson, the fourth-year undrafted free agent from Iowa, made Secret Superstars this week after a dominant efficiency versus the Payments’ pass-rushing and run-stopping efforts.
The @RamsNFL‘s offense was definitely explosive and bodily in opposition to the @BuffaloBills within the Recreation of the Yr So Far, and LT Alaric Jackson was an enormous a part of that. Excellent in go professional, and he was sealing his edge again and again within the run recreation. pic.twitter.com/XLJpBhTA1M
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) December 10, 2024
Jonah Jackson, the previous Lions star who was alleged to be the Rams’ middle of the long run after signing a three-year, $51 million contract this offseason, has simply 200 snaps this season as he battles his personal accidents. If Jackson could be prepared for the ultimate regular-season run and the playoff push, all the higher. Beaux Limmer, the sixth-round rookie from Arkansas, has stuffed in ably in Jackson’s absence.
“I’ve lots of expectations for that group, as a result of I understand how proficient they’re, and I do know what sort of group they are often,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur mentioned Tuesday of his line. “Extra importantly, I do know they’ve that customary for themselves. With continuity not simply on Sundays, however with what they’ve been capable of do Wednesdays via Fridays… simply beginning to get used to hitting combos collectively, passing off video games collectively, being within the huddle collectively, and never being within the coaching room all day like they have been through the first a part of the yr battling their accidents. It’s good to have them again.”
And it could possibly be even higher.
The Rams protection is coming collectively
The transition from Raheem Morris to Chris Shula at defensive coordinator took a second to kick in, as is mostly the case. Ask the Philadelphia Eagles about their protection early within the season beneath Vic Fangio, and the way it’s seemed because the gamers took Vic’s philosophies to the sector.
Within the Rams’ case, Shula is extra more likely to run five-man fronts as a result of he has the expertise to take action. The additions of Jared Verse and Braden Fiske – Florida State rookies who have been already used to working collectively – has made an enormous distinction, and that’s confirmed up on the sector. These Rams are additionally a bit extra more likely to press and match opposing receivers, and there’s a comparatively unknown group of defensive backs who’re benefiting from that.
Cobie Durant, the third-year fourth-round decide from South Carolina State who additionally made Secret Superstars this week, has been maybe the most important benefactor. We’ll see what the current addition of 2023 Washington Commanders first-round decide Emmanuel Forbes, who washed out together with his first group, can convey to that equation.
Shula additionally has a tremendously versatile group of safeties and slot defenders in Jaylen McCollough, Kamren Kurl, Kamren Kinchens, and Quentin Lake. It’s a contemporary protection in that Shula can name a number of fronts and coverages, and whereas these complexities additionally require time for everybody to get on the identical web page, it’s beginning to occur.
“It’s actually about getting the most effective 11 on the sector, and in addition what the offense presents,” Shula mentioned this week. “There are specific groups that, primarily based on the personnels that they do, dictate what personnel you’re going to be in and what 11 you may have on the sector. Luckily, we’ve lots of guys again there that we are able to sort of transfer round. That dictates a matchup, the kind of schemes and the kind of personnels they placed on, and the provision of our guys to be versatile. If we’ve a man that we really feel is nice at nickel or good at security, we’re going to get our greatest 11 on the sector it doesn’t matter what.”
That “it doesn’t matter what” mindset appears to have all the group firing on all required cylinders. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is aware of precisely what the problem might be on Thursday night time.
“I believe they do loads to be sincere, simply coverages and the way they play,” Purdy mentioned Tuesday. “They’ve loads on tape, which as an offense and a quarterback, you’ve simply bought to be on prime of your stuff per play. Generally, there’s these defenses the place you stroll up and you already know what they’re in and kind of count on them to do sure tendencies all through the sport from what you’ve seen on movie. However I believe these guys do job of switching issues up, and also you’ve simply bought to be on prime of your stuff. Their entrance is admittedly good and explosive. They’ve gotten higher all year long. Their secondary, the linebackers, everyone, all of them tie collectively. They’re enjoying [their] greatest soccer proper now.
“So, large problem for us.”
How far can the Rams take this?
At this level, it will be a bit obsequious to assert that the Rams are up there with the Lions, Eagles, and Vikings among the many NFC’s greatest groups. However it’s additionally true that because the bye, there aren’t many groups in both convention who would discover them something however a tricky out at worst.
Now, the Rams have grow to be a type of “Objects are nearer than they might seem” groups that you really want no a part of. The remainder of the NFL is taking discover. They’re presently the NFC’s eight seed, so that they’ll must proceed the great vibes to even make the match.
But when they do? Watch the heck out.
