Turf Show Times
One of the bigger storylines of the 2024 Los Angeles Rams offense, specifically in the run game, was the lack of explosiveness. The Rams offense had an explosive run rate of 1.8 percent in 2024 which ranked 32nd in the NFL. While they were 27th at 3.6 percent in 2023, that was still twice as explosive as this year’s offense. Even in 2022 when the Rams were without Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp for half the season, they had an explosive run rate of 4.5 percent.
The Rams haven’t necessarily had an explosive offense since Todd Gurley was in the backfield. At the same time, the running game also hasn’t lacked the upside as much as it did in 2024.
It wasn’t that the Rams didn’t have a good run game. In fact, it was quite the opposite. On a per-play basis, the Rams had one of the more efficient running games in football. Their 45.1 percent success rate ranked sixth in the NFL. However, their -0.06 EPA per rush combined with their -0.1 rush yards over expected per attempt speaks to the lack of upside. In fact, the -0.1 rush yards over expected ranked 27th. For example, both the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked in the top five in success rate and had explosive run rates of 4.6 percent and 6.2 percent.
To put it simply, the Rams run game was good at keeping the offense on track and they didn’t take many negative plays. Their 14.9 percent stuff rate was the ninth-lowest in the NFL. In fact, 85.4 percent of Williams’ rushing attempts went for at least one yard which ranked eighth.
There will be a common theme throughout this column and that is that several things are true at the same time. In one sense, it is a good thing that the Rams run game was able to keep the offense on track. At the end of the day, that’s what a good running game should be able to do.
Still, the lack of explosiveness limited the overall upside. They finished 31st in Open Field Yards according to FTN Fantasy. In the modern NFL, being able to create explosives is key. Doing so significantly increases a team’s chance of scoring a touchdown. Again, the Rams run game was efficient. At the same time, it was a contributing factor to an offense in which scoring touchdowns sometimes felt difficult.
The question then becomes: is the lack of explosiveness due to the running back, the scheme, or the offensive line? Given that the offensive line ranked sixth in run-blocking via PFF and all five starters ranked inside the top-20 in their position it’s fair to eliminate the offensive line. That also doesn’t mention that they ranked ninth in adjusted line yards. That leaves the running back being the issue or the scheme.
It’s hard to quantify the scheme, but again, the Rams offense had a rushing success rate that ranked sixth in the NFL. The Rams run...
