The Chargers are one of the pass-heaviest teams in the NFL, but that’s not what hurt the Rams in Sunday’s 31-10 loss. It was the Chargers’ running game that wore the Rams down and was the difference in the game.
The Rams, who had been excellent against the run this year, allowed a season-high 192 yards on the ground to the Chargers, including their first 100-yard rusher, Austin Ekeler. It doesn’t help that they gave up a 72-yard touchdown run to Ekeler, but the Chargers had very little trouble running it.
That was one of the first things Bobby Wagner pointed to after the game.
“We didn’t do a good job of stopping the run. We came in and knew they were going to pass the ball, but they were able to run the ball. Just got to do better,” he told reporters in the locker room.
It came down to gap discipline and missed tackles, which is often what run defense is about. The Rams took some bad angles against Ekeler and Joshua Kelley, giving up a couple of big runs to both players.
They’ll have one last chance to finish on a high note against the Seahawks next week, going up against the physical and athletic Kenneth Walker.
