Turf Show Times
When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams offense ever since the 2022 season, one of the biggest concerns is the health of the offensive line. In 2022, the Rams witnessed firsthand how much injuries along the offensive line can derail a season. While the Rams have been able to overcome injuries to the offensive line the last two years, it has also been a primary reason for starting 3-6 in 2023 and the 1-4 start in 2024.
The Rams were able to get by in Week 1 against the Texans, but both Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson missed time during the game. According to the LA Daily News’ Adam Grosbard, Dotson and Avila are both week-to-week with ankle sprains. It’s also worth noting that after taking a veteran rest day, right tackle Rob Havenstein was limited on Thursday.
To say that the Rams would miss Dotson and Avila would be an understatement. Dotson has been one of the team’s most stable offensive linemen over the past two seasons. Dotson was tied for first in the NFL in Week 1 in pass-block win-rate and 13th in pass-block grade via PFF. Dotson has since practiced after missing Wednesday, but only in a limited capacity.
On the other hand, Avila is a player looking to take a step forward in 2025 after an injury-riddled 2024 season. Avila left the game against the Texans before returning late.
In both cases, Beaux Limmer filled in and while the Rams were able to get by, the second-year player had a few tough moments in pass protection. If Dotson and Avila were to miss time, that would leave the Rams with Justin Dedich and Limmer at left and right guard.
It really shows the thin line that the Rams are walking. While it can be said for most teams, the Rams especially are counting on their five offensive linemen to remain healthy. Again, the slow starts in 2023 and 2024 were both in large part due to injuries to the starting five up front.
Just with those two injuries along the offensive line, the Rams offense wasn’t necessarily limited, but they went through stretches of the game in which they struggled. The Rams offense ranked 23rd in EPA per play which was lower than the New Orleans Saints offense with Spencer Rattler and a Detroit Lions offense that scored just 13 points with a new play-caller. The Rams were also 22nd in success rate.
The opponent that the Rams played certainly needs to be taken into account as the Houston Texans could have one of the better defenses in the NFL. Still, the offensive line, especially the interior, struggled.
To put that in perspective and how that affected Matthew Stafford, the Rams quarterback averaged a 2.42 second average time to throw. That’s over a third of a second quicker than his 2.78 second mark in 2024. According to NFL Pro, it was his third fastest in a game since joining the Rams in 2021. Stafford was...
