The Los Angeles Rams’ offense has been off all season. They rank 20th in yards per game and 23rd in scoring, a big reason for the team’s 2-4 start. Much of the attention has gone to the red zone where the Rams have only scored touchdowns on 11 of their 23 trips – the eighth-worst rate in the NFL.
But despite their ineptitude inside the 20, their inability to create big plays for touchdowns is equally concerning. There are exactly two teams in the NFL that have yet to score a touchdown from outside the red zone this season: the Broncos and Rams.
That’s not the company Los Angeles wants to keep and it’s a reflection of how poorly the team has done when it comes to creating explosive plays. It’s not just long touchdowns that they’ve struggled to create, either. It’s long plays in general.
TDs scored from outside of the red zone…
8- DET, CIN, SEA
7- GB
6-
5-TB, PHI, IND, MIN
4- WAS, KC, BUF, NO, CHI, NYJ, DAL, HOU, LAC, NE
3- BAL, JAX, ATL, ARI, TEN, CAR
2- SF, PIT, LV
1- NYG, MIA, CLE
0- DEN, LAR— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) October 21, 2024
Through Week 6, the Rams had just seven rushes of 10-plus yards and 15 passes of 20-plus yards. Only one team had fewer long runs and only nine teams had fewer 20-yard passes through Week 6 than the Rams.
It’s reminiscent of 2020 when the offense was stuck in neutral under Jared Goff, forced to dink and dunk its way down the field and sustain long drives.
It’s hard to create big plays when the majority of the passes thrown by Matthew Stafford – who has one of the biggest arms in the NFL – are at or near the line of scrimmage.
Take a look at his passing chart against the Raiders, which shows he went 12-for-13 on passes within 6 yards of the line of scrimmage and only 2-for-10 on throws 7-plus yards downfield.
Stafford yesterday vs. Raiders:
– 12/13 and an INT within 6 yards of the LOS
– 2/10 on throws 7+ yards downfieldNot sure he’s ever had a passing chart this ugly pic.twitter.com/CpsB6GYrdT
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) October 21, 2024
This is all a combination of a few things that have hurt the Rams offense. First and foremost, the absence of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua has obviously taken a toll. The Rams are lacking playmakers at wide receiver, which is not only leading to fewer plays, but it’s also allowing defenses to play more aggressively in coverage, knowing they’re unlikely to be beat downfield by receivers.
Secondly, the offensive line has gone through several changes already, both due to injury and poor performance. As a result, Stafford has less time in the pocket, so he’s unable to hold the ball and allow downfield routes to develop.
The return of Kupp this week should help, but it’s not as if he’s a particularly explosive receiver, either. At least he can separate from defenders and create yardage after the catch, which will hopefully lead to the Rams’ first long touchdown of the season.
