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Once Super, Rams Sliding into Uncertain Future
Mike FreemanNovember 13, 2019
The Rams' problems will not be easily fixed, the Steelers' not-so-secret weapon and why the Chiefs and 49ers may not last long in the playoffs. All that and more in this week's 10-Point Stance.
1. Rams turning to sheep
After the Rams' humiliating loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, running back Todd Gurley II was asked about his usage in the second half, when he had just six touches for 38 yards. Gurley didn't touch the ball once in the fourth quarter. His response was telling."I'm used to it,"
he said.
That's not the answer you want to hear from your franchise back, but it also shed light on one of the greatest mysteries surrounding the reigning NFC champions: Why is a team that was one of the most dominant last year now disintegrating before our eyes?
Heading into Week 11, the Rams are 5-4 and in third place in the NFC West. They are, unbelievably, in danger of missing the playoffs.Two AFC scouts who have watched Los Angeles closely the past two seasons said the Rams' struggles are complex, but one thing that stands out is that head coach Sean McVay has yet to find any solutions.
"He's an excellent coach," one of the scouts said, "but he's massively struggling right now. No coach in the
NFL is struggling right now as much as he is."
One of the best indicators of McVay's struggles was how wide receiver Cooper Kupp went without a catch against the Steelers. That seems as if it should be almost statistically impossible.
So what's happening? The scouts say the Rams' issues fall into four categories:
• Coaching: All of McVay's moves that worked last year aren't working now. The scouts say McVay needs to make some drastic moves to shake things up.
• Gurley: His decline is one of the most confusing aspects of the team's struggles and a genuine puzzle. Gurley doesn't have the same burst he did last year (
possibly because of injuries), but the game plan has also de-emphasized his usage. Through eight games, Gurley is averaging 13 carries per game, five fewer than last season.
The Rams have to make a decision. Either go all-in on Gurley, or don't. They can't do both.
• Offensive line: It was one of the NFL's best last year, but it is now easily one of the worst. The interior of the line is a particular problem, which likely has contributed to the team's problems running the ball. Against Pittsburgh, the line was blown back on almost every play.
• Jared Goff: One of the scouts said the Rams' fourth-year quarterback is "playing scared, and I get it. He's getting hit almost every pass play." He believes Goff is shell-shocked by the poor line play and the physical beating he's taking. Last season, Goff was hit 34 times all season while passing, according to
Pro Football Reference. That tally is already up to 30 this year, and he still has seven games to play.
Goff is a solid quarterback, but he currently has an 82.7 quarterback rating, which is lower than Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Mitchell Trubisky and Marcus Mariota (who got benched).
There's time to turn things around in L.A., but not much. If something doesn't change soon, the Rams will be watching the playoffs from the comfort of their sofas at home and left wondering how a franchise seemingly headed for a long run of success has taken so many steps back.
2. Prescription for a rebound
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The uncomfortable truth about the Rams is that the only thing that might shake them out of their malaise may be wholesale changes.
Better play from the offensive line would help, or a change of personnel there.
So would increasing the number of touches for Gurley or, again, perhaps a change of personnel. If Malcolm Brown can get things moving on the ground more than Gurley, then Gurley should take a seat on the bench for now. And yes, if Goff keeps struggling, consider benching him, too. No, Blake Bortles
isn't the answer, but when a talented team struggles like this, a coach needs to consider all of his options.
Those, of course, are short-term solutions. The bigger issue is not so easily fixed, and that is the possibility that two of the team's biggest recent contractual moves—giving Gurley a
four-year, $57.5 million extension and Goff a
four-year, $134 million extension—were wildly wrong.
That's easy to say now, and to be fair, I didn't think those were bad decisions at the time or are now. The Rams had to sign them both when they did, and they gave each the going rate.However, both players are massively underperforming.
It isn't all their fault, but they are a huge part of the problem. And when players sign for that kind of money, they are supposed to be solutions to other problems, not become issues in and of themselves.
