Turf Show Times
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay proved why he’s one of the better offensive minds in the NFL in the Week 7 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. McVay got deep in his bag, pulling out something that even he hadn’t attempted in his nine years as the Rams’ head coach and play-caller.
Without wide receiver Puka Nacua, it was always presumed that the Rams might lean into their tight ends a little more and operate out of 12 personnel. This would get the Jaguars into their base defense and allow the Rams to take advantage of a linebacker group that was without Devin Lloyd.
While that was exactly what the Rams did, McVay did it to an extreme. Defenses will sometimes still match teams in 12 personnel with nickel. In order to guarantee the Jaguars were in their base defense, McVay did something that he had rarely done with the Rams. The Rams utilized three tight ends and operated out of 13 personnel.
From 2021-2024, the Rams used 13 personnel six times total. On Sunday against the Jaguars, the Rams operated out of that personnel grouping on over one-third of their snaps at a 38.7 percent rate. That was the highest usage rate of 13 personnel by an offense in the NextGen Stats era.
Operating out of 13 personnel didn’t necessarily help the Rams in the run game as one might think. In fact, the Rams averaged -0.17 EPA/rush out of the formation and just 3.67 yards per carry on 15 attempts. What this did do, however, is get the Rams the matchups that they were looking for in the passing game.
Matthew Stafford was 6-for-9 for 57 yards and three touchdowns when the Rams were in 13 personnel. Five of his six completions resulted in a first down or touchdown. The Rams averaged 0.7 EPA per pass out of 13 personnel. With the Rams as deep as they are at the tight end position, it also got them favorable matchups and more involved in the passing game. Six of Stafford’s nine attempts out of 13 personnel went to a tight end, and as a position group, they combined for three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.
The Jaguars were without one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL, and McVay took advantage of that. That was especially the case when it came to Dennis Gardeck. In the third quarter out of 13 personnel, the Rams got Tyler Higbee matched up against Gardeck. Higbee ran a wheel route and had separation. Unfortunately, Higbee dropped what would have been a big gain.
Ideally, in that situation, the Rams should put Higbee in the spot of Colby Parkinson and have Terrance Ferguson in-line to get that matchup. It seemed McVay agreed as he took advantage of that later in the game. In the fourth quarter on 4th-and-1, the Rams go 13 personnel with Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson lined up on one side. As Higbee motions left, the Rams...
