3 things the Rams must do to keep their playoff hopes alive

At 4-5 LA is still in the thick of the NFC playoff race but that can change without improvement quickly

The Los Angeles Rams currently sit at 4-5, and while they still have a path to a playoff position, the team will need to reevaluate some things if they want to have a chance at postseason play. LA’s once struggling defense continues to improve with each passing game, but now it’s the Rams offense that looks completely lost, not scoring a single touchdown in their tough loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.

If Los Angeles has plans to play meaningful football come January, these are some changes the team should make to help potentially improve their situation.

1. Start Beaux Limmer at Center and Steve Avila at LG

One thing was made abundantly clear during the Rams loss on Monday and that’s that rookie Beaux Limmer is the team’s best option at center. In his seven starts this season, Limmer has given up zero sacks, one hit, one hurry and one pressure. During LA’s three-game win streak, in which Limmer started each game, the offensive line gave up one sack total. After removing Limmer from the lineup, the Rams gave up four sacks in one game to the Dolphins.

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Now that’s not to say Limmer is the sole reason for the Rams success during their winning streak, however, as the center he is the one making some protection calls and potentially could have been putting guys in better positions than his replacement. Jonah Jackson, who started over Limmer at center this week, finished the Miami game with a PFF score of 51.8, allowing three pressures while botching a pivotal snap to Matthew Stafford. He also had the lowest pass blocking grade on the team, and that says a lot considering that Joe Noteboom allowed six pressures and a sack in the same game filling in at right tackle.

Avila didn’t fair much better than Jackson at LG but his PFF score was 62.8 and he had a high rating for pass blocking. His run blocking score of 54.5 was poor, but he is the younger and cheaper player compared to Jackson. If the two are now competing for the left guard position, with Limmer hypothetically taking back his center position, then Avila is the one you hope succeeds out of him and Jackson. This is even more the fact when you consider that the Rams can get out of Jackson’s 3 yr-$51mil contract after 2024 pretty much scot-free the way it’s structured.

2. Omar Speights needs even more playing time

LB Omar Speights was a preseason superstar forced to wait for his role to expand in the regular season. When he was finally able to play some meaningful snaps due to injuries he did not disappointed, making an impact almost immediately. The defense has looked much improved with him on the field and he played a major role in the Rams 4th and 1 stop of the Seattle Seahawks in overtime two weeks ago.

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Speights positive play thus far earned him the most playing time he’s seen all year vs. Miami, making eight tackles and only allowing one catch for six yards. Missed tackles have been a problem for LA’s defense all year but Speights did not miss a single tackle attempt on Monday.

Along with Speights, Christian Rozeboom had his best game as a pro. The veteran linebacker finished the game with a PFF score of 89.6, snagging an interception and two pass breakups. Rozeboom has been criticized all year, but maybe with Speights on the field his performance will continue to improve because he can play more into his pass coverage strengths.

3. Lean into the run and use Blake Corum more

It’s easier said than done but the Rams need to commit even more to the run, specifically in the red zone. No one will argue that when the run game is thriving LA’s play action pass plays work exponentially better. The defense is playing to a top tier level and the Rams may need to steer into that skid, as the offensive line has proven that they cannot give Stafford the time that he needs. Stafford was pressured on 30.6% of his dropbacks vs the Dolphins, and unfortunately that’s right on pace for his season average.

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Whether it’s the pressure, or Stafford forcing the ball into tight areas, the QB has throw at least one interception in each of his last six games, as well as at least one in seven of the nine total games this season. Turnovers kill any positive momentum a team has in that moment, and depending where it happens on the field, could take away points or easily give them away.

Los Angeles may be better off by taking some passing attempts away from the offense leading to less opportunities for turnovers, while feeding not just Kyren Williams, but also Blake Corum. The rookie third-round pick has only has 23 attempts for the season, averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

Williams’ eight touchdowns this season points to him also being the Rams best option in the red zone. Unfortunately, it seems like Los Angeles gets a bit pass happy as they get closer to the goal line. After being forced to settle for five field goals this past week, some kind of fundamental change must happen if the team hopes to fix their lack of red zone good fortune. Relying even more on Williams and Corum could go along way towards improving their success within 20 yards of the end zone.