LOS ANGELES — There were jokes, funny or not, depending on the audience, that the Rams were experiencing some déjà vu to start the 2024 season. It was 2022 all over again, when the Rams started 12 different combinations along the offensive line in the first 12 weeks of the season.
Well, stop the presses: Barring some unforeseen disaster between now and kickoff Sunday, the Rams (1-2) will start the same offensive line against the Chicago Bears (1-2) as they started in Week 3.
The Rams are still short a couple of starters on injured reserve, but the simple fact of having some semblance of continuity is not taken for granted after a chaotic first couple weeks of the season. And the Rams hope they can build off some success in their Week 3 win over the 49ers now that they aren’t scrambling to replace another injured player, whether on the line or elsewhere on the roster.
Running the ball with some level of consistency was a focus for the Rams after Week 2. They managed just 53 yards in a loss to the Cardinals, 28 of which came on the final drive as the Rams let the clock run out on the lopsided game.
Against San Francisco last weekend, the Rams took a step forward. They raised their yards per attempt from 2.7 to 3.8 and gained a season-high 98 yards on the ground, helping to offset the losses of wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua in the passing game.
Though encouraging, the 3.8 yards per carry were still below last year’s average of 4.3. Getting some continuity along the offensive line, though, with guys understanding better how their teammates around them approach blocks and plays, should help the Rams build on last week’s performance.
“We’ve always talked about ‘I see better than I hear’ and if we have some early-down efficiency, that’s when we can be at our best like any offense, but the enemy has a say and it’s going to be a great challenge this week,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “They pose challenges on all three levels, they’re really well coached, they do a great job of being able to make you pay and they’ve got an identity and enough complementary mixers to keep you honest.
“It’s about making sure that we’re targeted right, playing with the techniques, the fundamentals, and straining to finish.”
The Rams also have a little extra practice in 12-personnel, the two-tight end sets the team broke out en masse. The Rams lead the NFL in 11-personnel usage this season, but ran 26 plays with two tight ends in an attempt to get the run game going without left guard Steve Avila (knee) and center Jonah Jackson (shoulder).
With potentially tight end Davis Allen (back) returning to action this week, the Rams could get more creative with their 12-personnel options.
“We adjusted to the personnel we had and those guys went in there,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “Again, when you’re in that personnel, it’s not that different for most people. You just add that extra tight end, but they’re still hitting the same combinations. We’re still trying to distribute the field the same way.”
The Rams’ receivers room had a steady week, similar to the offensive line. After losing Nacua and Kupp in consecutive weeks, everyone came away clean and settled into their new roles while they wait for the cavalry to return.
These may seem like small luxuries, but after the first two weeks the Rams had, they can’t be taken for granted as they prepare to face the Bears.
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“Obviously, we’ve got guys behind the scenes trying to get back as fast as they possibly can, but it’s nice to go from one week to the next and not have any major changes,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “We can kind of try to build off what we did. It takes work to do that just because we played a certain way on Sunday doesn’t mean it’s going to be that way again. We have to go out there and earn it during the week. We got our mindset to do that.”
RAMS (1-2) at CHICAGO BEARS (1-2)
When: 10 a.m. PT Sunday
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago
TV/radio: Fox (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 227, 383