When the Los Angeles Rams look back at their Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers, there are a few moments that will stand out. One of those is the 4th-and-1 play call with the game on the line. Instead of putting the ball in the hands of Matthew Stafford, the Rams ran it with Kyren Williams who had fumbled earlier in the game.
The result was exactly what you would expect. Anticipating a run play, the 49ers were ready for the handoff to Williams who didn’t have any space and was stopped short of the line to gain. Instead of continuing the drive for a win, the 49ers celebrated on the Rams’ home turf.
In typical McVay fashion after the game, the Rams head coach said, “The play selection was very poor. I’m sick right now because I put our players in a shitty spot.”
While McVay typically takes the heat of the blame after losses, in this case, he wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. Matthew Stafford was having one of the best games of his career. Throughout the fourth quarter and overtime, Stafford simply could not miss. That doesn’t mention that Puka Nacua has come up big in that type of situation in more cases than not. A jet sweep to Nacua or a pass to a player who is performing like the best wide receiver in the NFL would have made sense. It didn’t have to be hard.
It’s fair to recognize the thought process behind the play call. The Rams hadn’t taken a negative run all night and had converted in similar situations earlier in the game. One of those previous situations was another 4th-and-1 and Williams got past the line to gain. In both cases, the Rams stacked Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington over the tight end.
At the same time, a run play is the predictable one. A play caller of McVay’s caliber should be able to come up with something more creative than a run play up the middle. The Rams haven’t been great in short yardage situations this season, converting at a rate of just 50 percent. Against the Eagles, the Rams ran behind Beaux Limmer and Williams was stopped in the backfield. Last week against the Colts, Matthew Stafford was stopped on a quarterback sneak.
On the 4th-and-1 play call, the Rams once again line up with two wide receivers stacked over the tight end. However, this time, the defensive back doesn’t try to cover the backside and immediately crashes down. The Rams actually have the numbers on the right side in a three against two.
It should be simple to pick up a yard in that situation, but the Rams come up short. The lead blockers on the play are Davis Allen, Warren McClendon, and two wide receivers. It may be fair to question Williams’ decision as well. He simply runs forward. There may be space on outside of Nacua if he tries to go that direction. Again though, with the game on the line, that was the path that the Rams chose in the moment and it was the wrong one.
Matthew Stafford was incredible
It should be criminal to waste these kinds of Matthew Stafford performances. Stafford had the sixth-highest EPA per dropback in Week 5 and the Rams lost. The only quarterback with a better EPA per dropback and lose was Sam Darnold. It comes down to the defensive side of the ball coming up short.
Coming into the season, there were questions about Matthew Stafford’s back. However, at this point, it’s fair to wonder if that was all precautionary given how Stafford has carried the Rams this season. His throw to Tutu Atwell in overtime was prime Stafford. He avoids the rush by bailing out of the pocket with a spin move and then throws an accurate ball downfield to Atwell. The ball may have technically been underthrown, but given the circumstances, it couldn’t have been a better ball. Atwell does a nice job flattening out his route and making the catch.
There were multiple times throughout this game in which Stafford used his eyes or slight body movements to manipulate defenders. It’s a testament to his veteran savviness and experience. At his current level, Stafford is playing like an MVP. The issue here is that the Rams are 3-2 and not 5-0. It’s reminiscent of Joe Burrow last season. Stafford has started the season strong and we’ll see if he can keep it up over 17 games.
Nate Landman the lone bright spot on defense
While it may have been expected for Nate Landman to be an upgrade at linebacker, very few could have imagined how much of an upgrade he would be. Landman may not be the most athletically gifted, but if the scheme allows him to play within his limitations, he can thrive as he’s shown. Landman has been a disciplined tackler, but has also been surprisingly good in coverage. He’s been exactly what the Rams have needed at the position.
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