4:09 Watch the best of the action from the Rams’ win over the Bears in Week 11
Quarterback Jared Goff’s production has emerged as the most notable drop-off, following on from him signing a new four-year $134m extension in September.
Goff, the No 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, flourished in McVay’s offense last season as he ranked fourth in passing yards (4,688), throwing 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
An eighth-ranked quarterback rating of 101.1 in 2018 has since been chiselled to a 27th ranked 82.1, which marks the lowest among the 11 active quarterbacks that started a playoff game last season heading into Week 12. His figures this season include 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions after 10 games.
The conservative offense that McVay orchestrated last season has seen 5.3 third down conversions per game fall to 4.6, not to mention a league-high 24.4 first downs per game slip to an 18th-ranked 20.3.
Goff’s mixed campaign was typified across the space of three weeks earlier this season. He threw 45 completions from a franchise record 68 attempts for 517 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in the 55-40 Week Four defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before being limited to 78 passing yards and no scores off 13 passes in the 20-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week Six.
He hasn’t been able to stand up as a match-winner, nor has he produced the required consistency.
Play-action has meanwhile been far less effective for the Rams compared to last season, during which they employed a league-high 36 per cent of the time on route to the Super Bowl, per Football Outsiders. The use of play-action with Todd Gurley serving as an added diversion beside Goff became a staple of the Rams offense. Opposition defenses have appeared to catch on, perhaps in line with Gurley’s limited production.
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Goff’s fortunes will need to turn should his team wish to breach a Ravens defense that has held opponents to less than six yards per pass attempt since the arrival of former Ram Marcus Peters in mid-October.
A new-look offensive line could accompany Goff this weekend after center Austin Blythe shifted to right guard against the Bears in the absence of the injured Brian Allen and rookie Bobby Evans replace injured Rob Havenstein at right tackle.
Time to focus on the run?
0:28 Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley beats Atlanta Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley for brilliant over-the-shoulder touchdown grab
One of the more surprising factors to the Rams offense in 2019 is the aforementioned reduction in both Gurley’s involvement and the running game itself.
They ran the ball 459 times for 2,231 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, raising questions over 256 carries for just 976 yards and 13 touchdowns so far this year.
It may be that the injury that had restricted Gurley in February’s Super Bowl is playing a part in McVay’s approach.
Last year Gurley was the focus of the offense racking up 1,251 yards, 89.4 yards per game and 17 touchdowns while as it stands his workload this season has tallied for 525 yards, 58.3 yards per game and seven touchdowns.
The value of the Rams’ rushing offense was on display in the 30-27 opening week victory over the Carolina Panthers as Goff’s 23 passes totalled 186 yards and one touchdown while running backs Gurley and Brown combined for 150 yards and two touchdowns on their 25 carries.
McVay has since leaned towards a pass-first approach, rushing just 61 times on first downs this year compared to 134 times last season. That said, Gurley’s use as a receiving weapon in the open field has also suffered. He has hit double figures in receiving yards just three times this season, despite having done so in every game in 2018 as well as getting in the 30s six times and surpassing 70 yards three times.
Gurley’s production did pick up last time out as his 97 yards and one touchdown off 25 carries led the Rams to a 17-7 win over the Chicago Bears. Use your best player and that’s what can happen.
Defense still key
The Rams defense that was so disruptive in the trenches last season has struggled to reach the same heights post-Super Bowl.
An Aaron Donald that led the NFL in 20.5 sacks in 2018 started the year with just one sack across his first five games. Nonetheless, there have been recent signs of improvement from the five-time Pro Bowler and the rest of the Rams defense.
The Rams have allowed fewer than 20 points in four successive games and fewer than 10 in three of those ahead of their meeting with the Ravens, with Donald having recorded at least one sack and a total of seven in his last five games.
Donald is yet to threaten his sack tally from last year but he does lead the league in quarterback pressures with 53.
He may still be waiting for his first interception of the year, but Jalen Ramsey has undoubtedly elevated the Rams secondary somewhere close to the level it’s talent dictates since joining from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It will take a dominant defensive performance to thwart a Ravens side that leads the league in rushing yards (2,031) and ranks third in total yards on offense (4,286) and is currently riding a six-game winning streak.
Not only that, it may take a return to the heights that took them to within touching distance of the Lombardi Trophy last year – but have the Rams got it in them to scale those levels again.
Sourse: skysports.com
