When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams offense ever since the 2022 season, one of the biggest concerns is the health of the offensive line. In 2022, the Rams witnessed firsthand how much injuries along the offensive line can derail a season. While the Rams have been able to overcome injuries to the offensive line the last two years, it has also been a primary reason for starting 3-6 in 2023 and the 1-4 start in 2024.
The Rams were able to get by in Week 1 against the Texans, but both Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson missed time during the game. According to the LA Daily News’ Adam Grosbard, Dotson and Avila are both week-to-week with ankle sprains. It’s also worth noting that after taking a veteran rest day, right tackle Rob Havenstein was limited on Thursday.
To say that the Rams would miss Dotson and Avila would be an understatement. Dotson has been one of the team’s most stable offensive linemen over the past two seasons. Dotson was tied for first in the NFL in Week 1 in pass-block win-rate and 13th in pass-block grade via PFF. Dotson has since practiced after missing Wednesday, but only in a limited capacity.
On the other hand, Avila is a player looking to take a step forward in 2025 after an injury-riddled 2024 season. Avila left the game against the Texans before returning late.
In both cases, Beaux Limmer filled in and while the Rams were able to get by, the second-year player had a few tough moments in pass protection. If Dotson and Avila were to miss time, that would leave the Rams with Justin Dedich and Limmer at left and right guard.
It really shows the thin line that the Rams are walking. While it can be said for most teams, the Rams especially are counting on their five offensive linemen to remain healthy. Again, the slow starts in 2023 and 2024 were both in large part due to injuries to the starting five up front.
Just with those two injuries along the offensive line, the Rams offense wasn’t necessarily limited, but they went through stretches of the game in which they struggled. The Rams offense ranked 23rd in EPA per play which was lower than the New Orleans Saints offense with Spencer Rattler and a Detroit Lions offense that scored just 13 points with a new play-caller. The Rams were also 22nd in success rate.
The opponent that the Rams played certainly needs to be taken into account as the Houston Texans could have one of the better defenses in the NFL. Still, the offensive line, especially the interior, struggled.
To put that in perspective and how that affected Matthew Stafford, the Rams quarterback averaged a 2.42 second average time to throw. That’s over a third of a second quicker than his 2.78 second mark in 2024. According to NFL Pro, it was his third fastest in a game since joining the Rams in 2021. Stafford was efficient, completing 14-of-18 passes for 144 yards in passes under 2.5 seconds. However, it was also his fifth-most passing yards on such attempts since 2021. It’s an aspect that often gets lost. Stafford’s pocket movement and quick decision-making is a huge asset to the Rams offensive line when they have a bad rep.
Again, the Rams offensive line is consistently a talking point and it shouldn’t be with a 37-year-old quarterback. The Rams have invested a lot of finances into the offensive line, but not a lot of draft resources. Their left tackle and center are former undrafted free agents. Since 2021, they’ve spent two top-150 picks on offensive linemen, one of which was Logan Bruss. That’s not to say that the Rams have mismanaged the offensive line. If anything, it’s a testament of their ability to develop players. At the same time, it’s also a partial reason for the lack of depth.
It’s only one game and a small sample size, but things also aren’t going to get easier over the next few weeks. If Dotson or Avila were to miss any time in the next month, there would be some uncertainty. There would be some concern on how well a Limmer or Dedich could step into those starting roles. In 44 snaps, Limmer ranked 60th among 62 guards in pass-blocking via PFF.
The offensive line is going to be something to consistently monitor for the Rams. Their success this season is directly tied to its overall health and how well that unit plays. It wasn’t a strong Week 1 and the Rams are already having to navigate injuries along the interior. As they play more together and become a more cohesive unit, hopefully they continue to get better.
