The Los Angeles Rams faced two of the best defenses in football the last two weeks, beating the Browns before losing to the Ravens in overtime. This week, they’re hosting the Commanders, who rank last in the NFL in points and yards allowed.
It’s a favorable matchup against a much weaker opponent, which comes at the perfect time following last week’s slugfest against the Ravens. It helps that the Rams will be at home, too, after playing a 1 p.m. ET game on the East Coast a week ago.
Looking at the advanced stats, the Rams have the edge in just about every department, from EPA/play to explosive play rate allowed. Sumer Sports put together a table comparing the Rams and Commanders in 11 different statistical categories and the Rams rank higher in seven of them: EPA/play, success rate, EPA/pass, EPA/rush, EPA/play allowed, EPA/pass allowed and explosive rate allowed.
NFL Week 15 – Advanced Stats Preview
Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Rams pic.twitter.com/8YXyr0cG1F
— SumerSports (@SumerSports) December 15, 2023
The Commanders create explosive plays at a higher rate than the Rams, but they also allow them at a much higher clip, too. Where Washington has its biggest edge is in pass rate over expected, which simply means the Commanders throw the ball more than expected.
That’s hardly surprising considering Sam Howell has attempted and completed the most passes in the NFL this season.