Sometimes, a break is exactly what a team needs. The Rams certainly hope that’s the case after losing two of their last three games heading into their Week 9 bye.
Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins was especially painful, given the way they lost the game. The Rams outgained Miami by 326 yards, held the Dolphins to only 145 yards of total offense and controlled the clock for most of the afternoon. What the Rams lacked was an identity and balance on offense, resulting in 61 pass attempts and four turnovers, all by Jared Goff.
Fortunately, they’ll have an extra week to review the film, gather themselves and get ready for a grueling second half of the season. Coming out of the bye, the Rams will immediately face the Seahawks, Bucs, 49ers and Cardinals. Preparation for the Seahawks in Week 10 will be key, considering how unprepared the Rams looked for Miami’s blitz packages and unrelenting pressure.
In the last three weeks, the Rams have scored a total of 57 points, which averages out to less than 20 points per game. They now rank just 21st in scoring after averaging 27.2 points per game in the first five weeks.
To be clear, it’s not the defense that needs a break. The defense hasn’t allowed a second-half touchdown since Week 3 and gave up zero points in the final 30 minutes of Sunday’s game. The Dolphins’ longest drive was 33 yards and three of their four touchdowns were either on the special teams unit or the direct result of Goff’s turnovers.
The defense ranks third in scoring and second in yards allowed, proving to be one of the best groups anywhere in football. But the offense has gotten in a rut lately with Goff throwing for fewer than 250 yards in three of his last five games.
The Rams will also benefit from the bye on the injury front. Jordan Fuller is expected to be back in Week 10 after missing the last three games. A’Shawn Robinson will make his debut against the Seahawks after being activated Saturday. Darrell Henderson injured his thigh against the Dolphins and the severity is not yet known, but the extra week of rest will definitely help.
The combination of added rest and an extra week to prepare for the Seahawks – while primarily trying to fix the issues on offense – will hopefully get the Rams back on track. If they come out flat in Week 10 with no offensive identity again, they could be in for a long November and December.