The Los Angeles Rams have had the week off as they prepare for the meat of their schedule over the second half of the season. Given how well the Rams have been playing, it wouldn’t have hurt for the bye week to come later in the season. However, this will be a good time to self-evaluate and attempt to fix some issues heading into a very important part of the schedule. Here are five questions that the Rams must answer coming out of the bye.
1. What’s wrong with the field goal operation?
This is arguably the most pressing question for the Rams heading into the bye week. With a made field goal at the end of regulation against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams are 6-1 right now. Had Joshua Karty not had his extra point blocked against the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams could have played for a field goal to win rather than a touchdown late in the game.
While Karty certainly hasn’t been perfect, many of the issues have to do with the protection. Before the two blocked attempts against the Eagles, Karty had made 26 straight field goals. This is a team that currently ranks 31st in field goal DVOA. In a league that thrives on close games, those missed opportunities to score points can be devastating. It’s up to Chase Blackburn to figure this out before it costs the Rams in a significant way.
2. Who starts at right tackle moving forward?
The Rams may have to make a difficult decision at right tackle coming out of the bye week. The reason that the decision is difficult is because it’s personal. Over the past decade, Rob Havenstein has given a lot to the Rams organization. However, it might be time for him to take on a different leadership role. It’s fair to note that Havenstein has been managing an ankle injury. At the same time, for the sake of chemistry, does it make sense to ruin what the Rams have built over the last three weeks?
Last season, the Rams attempted to go back to Jonah Jackson for the sake of experience, and it cost them. They immediately went back to Beaux Limmer the following week. Warren McClendon hasn’t given the Rams a reason to take him out of the lineup and therefore the question is whether or not they should. McClendon has allowed one pressure over the last two weeks, and offers more in the run game. With Havenstein as a security blanket, it may be a natural time to make the change.
3. Do Rams need to make a trade?
At this point, it’s unlikely that the Rams make a trade during the bye week. However, it’s a good opportunity to self-evaluate and make some calls prior to the trade deadline. A few weeks ago, the Rams had a 10 day break. The bye week would have been a good time to check in on any calls that were made during that time. It shouldn’t be expected for the Rams to make a splashy move at the deadline. The Rams may see Ahkello Witherspoon coming back from injury in addition to rookies contributing more as in-season acquisitions. If the Rams make a move, it would be more in the realm of Austin Corbett than Jalen Ramsey.
Still, this is a team that needs to do what it can to capitalize on this window with Matthew Stafford and recognize how special and rare it is to have him playing at his current level. The Rams need to take advantage of that. That’s not to say they need to mortgage the future. However, if there is a trade that can strengthen the secondary or help the Rams on the offensive line, it’s a move that needs to happen.
4. How to involve impact players more?
Here are Terrance Ferguson’s snap counts over the last three weeks:
- vs. San Francisco 49ers: 4 snaps
- @ Baltimore Ravens: 17 snaps
- @ Jacksonville Jaguars: 34 snaps
Ferguson’s snap count quadrupled from Week 5 to Week 6 and then doubled from Week 6 to Week 7. He saw multiple targets for the first time this season against the Jaguars and his lone catch was a touchdown. This is what fans have been waiting for with Ferguson. We’re finally at the bye week, and Ferguson has gotten time to acclimate to the team and the NFL. It’s time for Week 7 to become the norm and see Ferguson more involved in the offense.
While Ferguson is the best example here, it doesn’t stop at him. When Tutu Atwell has gotten involved, he’s made plays. He won the game against the Indianapolis Colts and set the Rams up to win against the 49ers. An argument can be made that Jarquez Hunter should see the field more. While it’s hard to rotate on defense, especially at linebacker, Shaun Dolac showed a lot in his lone performance against the Baltimore Ravens. If Ferguson gets more involved, that would make a lot of people happy. Anything else would be icing on the cake.
5. Can Rams find more consistency?
The Rams may be 5-2, but they have had stretches of inconsistency. It’s important to remember that it’s not always going to be perfect all the time. There is another NFL-caliber team on the other side of the field making plays and stopping the Rams from doing whatever it is they are attempting to do. At the same time, there seems to be some lapses in focus and intensity.
This is a team that is very good, and they’ve played more complete games as of late. However, they need to continue to build on performances against the Jaguars and Ravens over the next month. Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams finally seemed to connect and that must continue. The Rams can’t have slow starts against teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and expect to win those games. The offense can’t completely disappear for a quarter and a half as it has at times this season. If this Rams team can get more consistent over 60 minutes, they will be very difficult to stop.
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