Box score breakdown: Under the radar numbers to know from Rams vs. 49ers
Andrew Ortenberg
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Each week, we’ll be diving into the Los Angeles Rams’ box score from the previous game and highlighting several interesting and under-the-radar numbers. Here’s what we found from the Week 7 matchup against the 49ers:
1. The Rams started in plus territory four times
The Rams scored 39 points, but most of those points belonged to the defense and special teams. The return games and defense continually set the offense up with great field position, starting the offense off in 49ers territory an insane four times.
It couldn’t have been much easier for the Rams, as they had scoring drives of 27, 21, 34, 27, and 13 yards. There’s an old cliche that says the best offense is a good defense, and in the Rams’ case it’s certainly true.
In addition to the defense, JoJo Natson had a pair of huge returns to set the offense up for easy scores, and John Fassel’s unit also came up with a huge punt block that put two points up on the board and allowed Natson to get one of his returns.
2. The Rams pressured C.J. Beathard nearly 50% of the time
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It’s almost as if the Rams’ defense heard all the criticism coming their way from the media, and responded in a huge way. The defense that had been gashed on the ground and through the air a couple of times recently played with a fiery intensity and put together their best performance of the season.
One of the biggest criticisms of the unit was the inability to generate a pass-rush, but the defense made that concern look like a distant memory on Sunday. They sacked C.J. Beathard seven times, and were in his face often. According to Pro Football Focus, they provided pressure on 17 of 35 dropbacks, and it would’ve been more if not for a series of quick throws designed to get the ball out of Beathard’s hands immediately.
Aaron Donald will continue to do Aaron Donald things, but it will be interesting to see if Samson Ebukam and Cory Littleton, both of whom looked good rushing the quarterback, can help keep up the pass-rush moving forward.
3. Jared Goff attempted just 24 passes
Normally if the Rams scored 39 points in a game, you might assume Goff was airing it out all day long. That wasn’t the case, and statistically speaking it was actually a relatively quiet day for Goff. He was very efficient with his limited attempts, completing 18 of them, but didn’t have the ball in his hands much due to the dominance of the defense.
Interestingly, it was the fewest amount of passes he’s attempted all season, and the third fewest he’s thrown during the Goff/Sean McVay era. Most of the scoring drives were pretty short, and Goff didn’t have to do much with the Rams leading comfortably most of the day. It was nice that he didn’t, but that won’t be the case next week when the Rams take on the Packers. The game profiles as a shootout, and Goff may have to throw it 40+ times to keep up with Aaron Rodgers.
