Rams giving Rob Havenstein more help than any tackle gets in the league
When the Rams get back tackle Rob Havenstein from his latest injury, will they need to go back to giving him help so often on the right side? Because according to a chart shared on Twitter by Timo Riske, there’s only one other tackle in the entire league who gets help (by guards, running backs, and tight ends) more often than Havenstein and Tampa’s Justin Skule is not a real starter.
Between injuries and age, is the 32-year-old Havenstein on the downslope of his career and how much longer can L.A. operate with him being the starting tackle who needs help chipping and blocking more than anyone else in the NFL?
offensive tackle island rate and performance when on an island pic.twitter.com/sVwTRx9ZKa
— Timo Riske (@PFF_Moo) November 21, 2024
According to PFF’s data, Havenstein has gotten help on over 50% of the snaps in the seven games he’s played in so far this season and there are only two other tackles in the league who can say that.
That’s where you will also see that left tackle A.J. Jackson is the tackle left on an island barely more than 50%, the 4th-lowest such rate in the NFL.
Could Jackson and Havenstein’s need for help on the edges be the reason that L.A. isn’t getting as much out of their offense this season as they could possibly get? The Rams are 21st in scoring, 30th in yards per carry, and 27th in third down conversion rate.
Or could this be a product of L.A. having several of the best blocking skill players in the league, such as Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua?
It’s probably a combination of factors, but between Jackson being a free agent and Havenstein turning 33 next year, the Rams have to be focused on finding out what tackles are out there in the draft and free agency. Otherwise they’ll be left on an island.
