Rams are getting crushed in the field position battles this year…
| November 04, 2023 04:18AM |
Rams are getting crushed in the field position battle this season
[theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
eason, but the special teams unit hasn’t been any better. In Chase Blackburn’s first season as the Rams’ special teams coordinator, Los Angeles has had plenty of issues in that phase of the game.
From missed field goals to the return game, the Rams have had one of the worst special teams units in football. It’s a big reason Los Angeles is getting crushed in the field position battle. Obviously, field position isn’t all about special teams – turnovers on offense and takeaways on defense can also flip the field – but the Rams have consistently set up their opponents with short fields and failed to create short fields for their own offense.
According to Stathead, the Rams have only had one drive that started across midfield. Every other team in the NFL has had at least three drives start in opponent territory, and 30 of them have had at least five such drives; the Rams and Vikings are the only two teams with fewer than five.
On the flip side, only four teams have allowed their opponents to start drives across the 50-yard line more than the Rams. Los Angeles’ opponents have had 11 such drives, fewer than only the Cardinals, Panthers, Commanders and Colts.
The Rams’ average starting field position this season is their own 26.2-yard line, which is the fourth-worst of any team. The average starting position of their opponents is the 31.3-yard line, which is also the fourth-worst in the league.
That’s largely because of long returns allowed to their opponents, as well as Matthew Stafford’s costly turnovers. Teams have started drives at the Rams’ 10-, 1-, 8-, 14- and 9-yard line this season, though only two of those possessions turned into touchdowns.
If the Rams continue to lose the field position battle, it’ll continue to make winning games extremely difficult. Sustaining drives and marching 75 yards to score touchdowns consistently isn’t easy, nor is limiting the scoring output of opponents when they’re starting across midfield as often as they have against the Rams.
[theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
eason, but the special teams unit hasn’t been any better. In Chase Blackburn’s first season as the Rams’ special teams coordinator, Los Angeles has had plenty of issues in that phase of the game.
From missed field goals to the return game, the Rams have had one of the worst special teams units in football. It’s a big reason Los Angeles is getting crushed in the field position battle. Obviously, field position isn’t all about special teams – turnovers on offense and takeaways on defense can also flip the field – but the Rams have consistently set up their opponents with short fields and failed to create short fields for their own offense.
According to Stathead, the Rams have only had one drive that started across midfield. Every other team in the NFL has had at least three drives start in opponent territory, and 30 of them have had at least five such drives; the Rams and Vikings are the only two teams with fewer than five.
On the flip side, only four teams have allowed their opponents to start drives across the 50-yard line more than the Rams. Los Angeles’ opponents have had 11 such drives, fewer than only the Cardinals, Panthers, Commanders and Colts.
The Rams’ average starting field position this season is their own 26.2-yard line, which is the fourth-worst of any team. The average starting position of their opponents is the 31.3-yard line, which is also the fourth-worst in the league.
That’s largely because of long returns allowed to their opponents, as well as Matthew Stafford’s costly turnovers. Teams have started drives at the Rams’ 10-, 1-, 8-, 14- and 9-yard line this season, though only two of those possessions turned into touchdowns.
If the Rams continue to lose the field position battle, it’ll continue to make winning games extremely difficult. Sustaining drives and marching 75 yards to score touchdowns consistently isn’t easy, nor is limiting the scoring output of opponents when they’re starting across midfield as often as they have against the Rams.
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Rams43 | 132 | November 04, 2023 04:18AM |
| merlin | 66 | November 04, 2023 10:11AM |
