[/zn/]

T Hell he had 11 runs of 20 or more behind GRob, Saffold, Barnes, Wichman and Havenstein in 2015....and we all know what we thought of that O line!!.

Jackson too could produce behind OLs that were far worse than 2016 or the first half of 2019 (like 2007 or 2009, when there were OL talent problems plus long lists of OL injuries).

Looking at run yardage past the LOS tells you how much the back is capable of doing on his own in spite of the OL. Football Outsiders ranks that. They have 3 stats I look at to get a bit of insight into the running game. First is percentage of runs stuffed, 2nd is 2nd level yards (5-10 yards past the LOS), & 3rd is open field yards (more than 10 yards past the LOS).

To be more precise--2nd level yards and open field yards tell you (roughly) how much the major back (with the most carries) is producing on his own past the LOS. It's basically a stat for big plays rushing.

It's tricky doing this because the numbers reflect all runners, including both RBs and WRs, so it does not just single out one back like Jackson or Gurley. But I take it that the numbers will be heavily tilted by the back who gets the most carries. So you get an approximate idea.

In terms of what this tells you (roughly), you look for years where either the 2nd level yards or the open field yards are ranked 10th or better, or on the red flag side, years where each is below 20.

Here's how the Rams ranked in all of those going back to 2006. I am only going to do the years where they had either Jackson or Gurley (excludes 2013-2014).

Red=a year where the major RB cannot produce that much on his own (past the LOS). Blue= a year where the back contributes heavily on his own (past the LOS, either in 2nd level yards or open field yards or both).

2006: runs stuffed 19th, 2nd level yards 10th, open field yards 13th
2007: runs stuffed 27th, 2nd level yards 30th, open field yards 9th
2008: runs stuffed 21st, 2nd level yards 19th, open field yards 23rd
2009: runs stuffed 28th, 2nd level yards 4th, open field yards 12th
2010: runs stuffed 14th, 2nd level yards 27th, open field yards 25th
2011: runs stuffed 20th, 2nd level yards 10th, open field yards 22nd
2012: runs stuffed 21st, 2nd level yards 11th, open field yards 16th

2015: runs stuffed 28th, 2nd level yards 24th, open field yards 3rd
2016: runs stuffed 28th, 2nd level yards 31st, open field yards 30th
2017: runs stuffed 23rd, 2nd level yards 1st, open field yards 11th
2018: runs stuffed 2nd, 2nd level yards 1st, open field yards 16th
2019: runs stuffed 26th, 2nd level yards 14th, open field yards 29th

Some key red flag years:

One is 2010. As it happens SJ played hurt pretty much all year (groin) and he also has his lowest YPC of his career with the Rams that year (3.8). Surprisingly the OL was okay that year...not high-ranked in talent but it was pretty coherent and very low in injuries so it was the same line all season pretty much.

Another is 2016. There are all sorts of signs TG was playing banged up that year in one way or another. He didn't look the same, and McGinnis flat said he was not healthy that year. TG's YPC that year was 3.2. Every other year except 2019 was 4.7 or higher. OL had issues that year too.

And--another is 2019. They do okay on 2nd level yards but not top 10. They are near the bottom in open field yards. I take that to mean that TG was not his 2017-2018 self. I assume that's knee issues. TG's YPC in 2019 was 3.8. OL as we know also had issues.

[CanuckRightWinger]

In the Rams season finale, with the maximum time for the Ram Yutes OL to gel BTW,
versus a 5-win and very soft Cardinal Team that had been virtually eliminated from any 2019 Playoff consideration for months....
who had their Golf Clubs all packed-up for the off season for a long time,

here's how that Yutes OL performed rushing against the Arizona Cardinals, at home, in LA:

33 carries for 113 yards rushing for a 3.4 yds/carry average

If you take out Woods 9 yard jet sweep and (EDIT) Nick
Scott's 6 yard fake-punt run:
31 carries for 98 yards rushing for a 3.16 yds/carry average

I called the Arizona D "soft" above. Per ESPN stats, HERE'S WHY:
CATEGORY......CARD D STAT.....NFL RANK
Total Yds/Game.....402.0............32nd (dead last)
Total 1st Downs...375 allowed...32nd (dead last)
3rd Downs Conv%...46.7%........30th
Rush Yds/Game......120.1..........24th
Yds/Carry Allowed....4.4...........21st TIE

With the Wade's D spotting the Rams Offense a 5 to 0 Turnover advantage, Five to Zero!....we nevertheless were tied 17-17 with the hapless Cards in the 4th Quarter, BECAUSE OUR OL COULDN'T MAKE FOOKING FIRST DOWNS ON A SHYTE D AND KEPT GIVING THE CARDS O THE BALL BACK!!! (4 Hekker Punts, plus the FakePunt Turnover on Downs!)

Ram 2019 OL performance optimists want to "throw out" that must-win Dallas game where Kromer's charges chalked up a 1.7 yards per Ram carry average.....yeah, let's not count that one, because that non-Playoff Cowboys team fielded a D that wasn't 32nd in everything! Here's another Rams 2019 OL rushing stat-stinker.....BALTIMORE AT HOME...9 carries for 22 yards and a 2.4 yards/carry average. OUCH!

With a 5-0 Turnover advantage, versus an Arizona team whose 2019 D stats absolutely stunk , the Ram Yutes hovered just over 3 yds/carry rushing....
and against teams that could field a D with some mustard? Much, much worse!

Those are the 2019 facts.....facts that have me yearning for new 2020 OL Ram bodies, either FAs or Draftees (I'm not fussy).....because the Rams 2019 OL tale-of-the-tape does not look overly promising to my eyes!

As always, JMO.

[PARAM]

here's how that Yutes OL performed rushing against the Arizona Cardinals, at home, in LA:

33 carries for 113 yards rushing for a 3.4 yds/carry average


I called the Arizona D "soft" above. Per ESPN stats, HERE'S WHY:
CATEGORY......CARD D STAT.....NFL RANK
Total Yds/Game.....402.0............32nd (dead last)
Total 1st Downs...375 allowed...32nd (dead last)
3rd Downs Conv%...46.7%........30th
Rush Yds/Game......120.1..........24th
Yds/Carry Allowed....4.4...........21st TIE

the hapless Cards

Ram 2019 OL performance optimists want to "throw out" that must-win Dallas game where Kromer's charges chalked up a 1.7 yards per Ram carry average.....yeah, let's not count that one, because that non-Playoff Cowboys team fielded a D that wasn't 32nd in everything! Here's another Rams 2019 OL rushing stat-stinker.....BALTIMORE AT HOME...9 carries for 22 yards and a 2.4 yards/carry average. OUCH!

an Arizona team whose 2019 D stats absolutely stunk

Those are the 2019 facts...

Yup, the "hapless Cards" finished #32 in defense and #24 in rush defense. Those are "the facts". But a little context. Over the first 8 games of the year the "hapless" Cardinals gave up 1041 rushing yards on 222 attempts (130 yds/g & 4.7 ypc). Over the last 8 games of the year they gave up 881 yards on 217 carries (110 yds/g & 4.0 ypc). So they did improve one would conclude or is there some other variable you'd like to introduce? In fact, against the #2 rushing team, SF, who they played twice in the second half of the season, they allowed 135 yards on 50 carries (68 yds/g & 2.7 ypc). Now does the really sound like a "hapless" defense? But let's review....those numbers (SF's) were much worst than the Rams vs. Arizona and the niners won 1 game by 3 and scored 13 points in the final 37 seconds to win the second one. Much worse than the Rams vs the Cardinals. The Cardinals improved 2nd half numbers would have been good enough for #15 in rushing yards per game allowed and #7 in yards per carry, based on the NFL final numbers. But the bottom line is what the final numbers say, not actually how much better they were playing in the second half.

As far as the Dallas game, aren't the utes allowed a mulligan in the last 5....games 3-7 that they played together on the season? But not because Dallas wasn't the bottom of the league in defense. They were the #9 defense overall and the #11 defense vs the rush. But that's not why we lost. The Rams came out flat and stayed flat all game.....in all phases....all game. BTW, it was in fact a must win for the Cowboys too....in Dallas.

But by all means, pound the table and shout out to the anyone who will listen. "Kromer is a loser" (despite the resume). "The young O lineman suck and they showed it" (because the Rams only gained 3.7 ypc and they didn't play like Saffold and Sullivan). So let's blow it up. Let's draft a couple of lineman....they always help in their rookie year even if they're not first round picks, don't they? Let's spend some money on some veteran talent (not Whitworth and Blythe) because there is no way in hell, those young guys can actually play in the NFL.

Just like Fowler and Higbee, who sucked....until they didn't.

[aeneas1]

tevi, the bolts' third year right tackle, gets completely schooled by watt on this play, but tevi isn't charged with a qb pressure allowed given rivers successfully delivers a short, quick pass with plenty of time to spare... had this been evans protecting goff on a rams bread and butter slow developing deep crossing route, goff would have been drilled and evans would have looked like a chump, a big question mark, while goff would have been accused of holding onto the ball too long.

point is, scheme has so much to do with an oline's success or failure, perceived or real, and imo mcvay's scheme took a step back last season, the oline wasn't put in a position to succeed as often as it was during his first two years on the job.

[PARAM]

tevi, the bolts' third year right tackle, gets completely schooled by watt on this play, but tevi isn't charged with a qb pressure allowed given rivers successfully delivers a short, quick pass with plenty of time to spare... had this been evans protecting goff on a rams bread and butter slow developing deep crossing route, goff would have been drilled and evans would have looked like a chump, a big question mark, while goff would have been accused of holding onto the ball too long.

point is, scheme has so much to do with an oline's success or failure, perceived or real, and imo mcvay's scheme took a step back last season, the oline wasn't put in a position to succeed as often as it was during his first two years on the job.


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And how come few fans who want a revamping of the O line don't point to Gurley? I'm not saying they were so solid and he should have had 1300 yards but that's not the point. They weren't solid, were in flux most of the season.....4 different lines in the first 10 games.....but no accountability is pointed Gurley's way.

The Bengals had 9 different starters...2 guys start 16, 1 start 13, another 9, another 8, 3 guys 5 each and another 2. Joe Mixon had 1137 yards on 278 carries (4.1). Giovanni Bernard 170 on 53 (3.2). I'm not calling Gurley, G. Bernard. I'm just saying sometimes running backs have to gain yards on their own. Gurley did very little of that in 2019. Mixon did and Bernard didn't.

I'm sure scheme had something to do with Gurley's poor performance too.

[AvengerRam]

Its almost like... its a... team sport?

[safer]

A HUGE problem last year was our not using Gurley's speed (I say we play him and let him earn his $$; it's NOT like Cooks who has suffered head injuries) and also not running nearly as many jet sweeps as we did in 17 & 18 which allowed D/E's to "pin their ears back". Later in the year we used Goff rolling out and our Oline stats improved considerably. I think that's a big factor in why our OT's played much less effectively in '19.
I'm not saying we can't improve upon our talent there---but McVay had his worst year in play calling and making D's fear protecting against outside runs.

[CanuckRightWinger]

Sheesh PA....mention a few stinker 2019 Ram OL performances...and laborious research is undertaken! Which is a good thing, actually!

I re-read my post twice to find one obscure Kromer reference (I wrote "Kromer's charges").....so my post was hardly about the LawnChairCollector Ram Assistant Coach that I think is over-rated.

No, no....my post was to dismiss the ongoing notion that the Ram 2019 Yute OL "was playing much better late in the year". That's the rumour that I posted to deflate.

I've posted earlier that McSnead will spend either Draft Treasure and/or FA buck$ to improve the Ram OL for 2020. That's my view. I cannot see McSnead going into Kroenke World Launch Year with a weak Rams OL, like they naively went into 2019 with (per Whit BTW). To me, "not learning from past mistakes" is a management death knell.....so I think new OL personnel will be added for 2020 by the wily survivors, Snead & McVay. I mean....it's the smart move to address last year's problem area.....and I attempted to demonstrate the 2019 OL as a problem area, even going into Week 17 vs the 5-win weak Cards.

The other 2019 Ram problem area was Wade's D of course.
Did you see what Sean IWillSurvive! McVay did there?? Regime change!

BTW, just curious....was Baltimore "an OL mulligan" too? The failed 2 rushes in SF#1 at home, from the 1 yard line....were they mulligans too?

BTW, mulligan is a Golf Term!....still and all, if you're gonna drift to other sports....cudda been worse, eh! Mighta brought up those damn NY Yankees again!

[aeneas1]

And how come few fans who want a revamping of the O line don't point to Gurley? I'm not saying they were so solid and he should have had 1300 yards but that's not the point. They weren't solid, were in flux most of the season.....4 different lines in the first 10 games.....but no accountability is pointed Gurley's way.

The Bengals had 9 different starters...2 guys start 16, 1 start 13, another 9, another 8, 3 guys 5 each and another 2. Joe Mixon had 1137 yards on 278 carries (4.1). Giovanni Bernard 170 on 53 (3.2). I'm not calling Gurley, G. Bernard. I'm just saying sometimes running backs have to gain yards on their own. Gurley did very little of that in 2019. Mixon did and Bernard didn't.

I'm sure scheme had something to do with Gurley's poor performance too.

on national tv a guy blows by noteboom and drops gurley for a loss, causing the commentator (collinsworth?) to question the rams blocking scheme while noting that there was simply no way noteboom could have blocked the defender, for emphasis the play was re-shown in slow motion... the rams' 2019 oline issues extended beyond oline personnel, at least that seemed to be the case imo.

[AvengerRam]

I don't think there's any question that scheme and play calling can increase or decrease the "degree of difficulty" for the OL.

An offense with QB who is not a "dual threat" player (i.e. Goff) and is designed to frequently throw downfield (McVay's offense) is going to put a lot of pressure on the OL. Add to that an ineffective running game, which makes play action less effective, and you have a QB frequently under pressure.

So, do you fix that with better OL or more flexible play-calling/lower degree of difficulty options?

The answer is yes.