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Cameron DaSilva
3 hours ago
When you look back on the Rams’ 2019 season, it’s difficult to say what their identity was on offense. The past two years, they were a team that ran the ball successfully and utilized play-action passes better than just about any other team in the NFL.
This season, neither was the case. Todd Gurley averaged 3.8 yards per carry and wasn’t a factor as a receiver, while Jared Goff had two touchdowns and five interceptions on play action.
The lack of consistency on that side of the ball was startling. The Rams would go weeks with 35-plus pass attempts and abandon the running game in the fourth quarter, while other times, they’d try to run the ball down the opponent’s throat with Gurley and Malcolm Brown.
In Week 13, they seemed to find a groove. Sean McVay turned to more two-tight end sets with Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt, taking some pressure off of the receivers. Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks played fewer snaps as a result, but the offense was more consistent.
Goff says the Rams found a “new identity” in that 34-7 win over the Cardinals, changing things for the final five weeks of the season. He says that’s how the offense was supposed to look all along, with an abundance of play action, rollouts and heavy packages.
“It’s supposed to look like how it looked today. How it looked today, how it a handful of the last weeks, if you take out Dallas. I think since we played Arizona, we kind of did find a new identity. I think ultimately, we found different ways to win games,” he said after Sunday’s season finale.
Defenses adapted to what the Rams did best, which was outside zone runs and play action. They figured out ways to counter McVay’s scheme, just as the Patriots did in the Super Bowl and the Bears did last season.
Goff acknowledged that fact, admitting teams figured out parts of the Rams’ offense.
“I think that’s the biggest thing we can take away, is that we were so specific the last two seasons and then this year, we had to find different ways to win. Teams figured some stuff out where we had to adjust,” he continued. “We did adjust and we adjusted well, just unfortunately, we were one game short, two games short, whatever you want to call it. That’s the way it goes. I think it’s a good learning experience for all of us, coaches included. I know myself, personally, like I mentioned, we’ll use this as motivation and come back next year stronger. It’s something that eats at you and you never want to – especially if you think about the fans.”
The Rams will have to adjust and adapt again in 2020 as teams gather film on McVay’s offense. It’s part of being a coach in the NFL, needing to find different ways to win each week. Los Angeles just took too long to figure it out, coming up a little bit short of the playoffs.
Jared Goff: Rams offense found 'new identity' in final 5 games
In Week 13, the Rams flipped a switch and utilized more two-tight end sets.
theramswire.usatoday.com
