6 reasons for hope for the Rams in 2021...

6 reasons for hope for the Rams in 2021

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva


February 15, 2021

There was a lot to like about the Rams’ 2020 season, which unfortunately ended in the divisional round at the hands of the Green Bay Packers. They improved dramatically on defense, found a budding star at running back and got contributions from players who previously hadn’t done much in Los Angeles.

We’re still five months from the start of the 2021 season, but there’s plenty of reason for hope for the Rams. And even though the offseason is just getting started, Les Snead wasted no time improving the roster by agreeing to trade for Matthew Stafford.

There’s a decent chance the Rams will be even better next season and contend for a Super Bowl, with these being the six biggest reasons for hope in L.A.

1

The addition of Matthew Stafford


There’s no bigger reason for hope in Los Angeles than the arrival of Stafford. That may sound overly optimistic, given his career playoff record of 0-3, but Stafford is a legitimate upgrade over Jared Goff – and nothing held the Rams back more in 2020 than the play of their quarterback.

With Stafford, they have a quarterback who can process things quickly, extend plays by avoiding pressure in the pocket and make throws downfield. The offense with Goff under center was conservative and bland, opting for short and quick passes, which put a high reliance on wideouts making plays after the catch.

The goal in 2021 should be to have an offense that can strike fear in opposing defenses and not allow them to both stack the box and sit on underneath routes. Stafford is one of the most aggressive passers in football and will throw (and complete) passes deep that Goff was unwilling and unable to.

2

Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey will still lead the defense


When you have two All-Pros leading your defense like the Rams do with Donald and Ramsey, you’re bound to play some quality football on that side. The potential losses of John Johnson, Troy Hill and Leonard Floyd will hurt, but Donald will still rush the passer and Ramsey will still lock down wide receivers on a weekly basis.

That will make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks, which is job No. 1 for a defense. Affect and pressure the quarterback, and take away the team’s best receiver. Brandon Staley installed a great system in Los Angeles that should carry over under Raheem Morris in 2021. The Rams may not have the No. 1 defense in the NFL again next season, but this is a team that should still finish in the top 10 defensively.

3

Cam Akers is a legitimate RB1


It took a while for Akers to get going last season, but once he took the reins of the starting job, he excelled. Heading into Year 2, he should be the starting running back and receiving at least 15-20 touches per game. His emergence should have the Rams feeling good about their offense and running game in 2021, especially with Darrell Henderson in the mix, too.

They could have a really strong tandem in the backfield with those two players, which will take pressure off of Stafford and the passing game. Play action will be effective, defenses will have to respect the run and with Stafford being more aggressive throwing downfield, it should open things up for the running backs.

Expect to see a heavy dosage of Akers next season and if he can average 92 yards rushing per game like he did in his final seven games of 2020, the Rams could have a similar player to the 2018 version of Todd Gurley on their hands.

4

Offensive line should remain (mostly) intact


Andrew Whitworth should be back, David Edwards is likely to remain the starting left guard, Austin Corbett is still under contract and Rob Havenstein is coming off a bounce-back performance in 2020. Those four starters should remain intact next season, with the biggest question mark being Austin Blythe at center.

He’s set to be a free agent and if the Rams can’t (or choose not to) retain him, they’ll be looking for a new starting center. Brian Allen shouldn’t be counted on to overtake that job, so it could be a rookie or a free-agent signee.

Even if Blythe does leave in free agency, the Rams will be in fine shape up front. This group performed well enough last season and there’s little reason to believe that can’t continue next season. It’s not as if the offensive line needs a makeover like it did heading into the 2020 season.

5

Sean McVay continues to evolve and adapt


In four seasons as a head coach, McVay has yet to post a losing record. His worst season was 9-7 in 2019 and even then, the Rams were in contention for a playoff spot late in the year. McVay is one of the best coaches in football and there are no signs of him regressing, either.

After being very reliant on 11 personnel and using three receivers on offense, McVay adapted by utilizing more two-tight end sets late in 2019 and into 2020. He’s adding wrinkles to the playbook and that will continue next season – especially with Akers in the backfield.

He opens things up for the Rams and we began to see that in the divisional round against the Packers when he ran it out of wildcat formations, something McVay expects to continue next season. McVay will find ways to get Brycen Hopkins involved as a receiver, as well as Van Jefferson on more downfield passes.

6

Special teams will improve under Joe DeCamillis


It’ll be hard for the Rams’ special teams unit to be much worse than it was last season. They were one of the worst teams in that phase of the game and though missed field goals didn’t necessarily cost them any wins, the special teams as a whole did nothing to help with field position.

DeCamillis has already emphasized the importance of finding “a great returner” and with Matt Gay steading the kicking game after his arrival, special teams should be improved next season. Johnny Hekker was uncharacteristically inefficient down the stretch, too, and unless he’s on a serious downward trend in the form of a regression, I expect him to rebound.

The Rams ranked 24th in starting field position and 20th in opponent starting field position, so there’s plenty of room for improvement. Getting better in those areas will help both the offense and defense, too.