For the last three years, the Los Angeles Rams have relied heavily on 11 personnel. The grouping consists of three wide receivers, one running back and one tight end on the field, spreading the defense out and forcing them to utilize more defensive backs.
In 2017 and 2018, the Rams took advantage of this by throwing it successfully out of 11 personnel, while Todd Gurley also gashed defenses against lighter boxes with fewer linebackers in the middle. That wasn’t the case last season, though, as the entire Rams offense struggled no matter what personnel grouping it was in.
At the end of the year, Los Angeles found some semblance of consistency – but not out of 11 personnel. Instead, Sean McVay called for much more 12 personnel, getting two tight ends (Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt) on the field more often. That may have been the start of a mentality shift in L.A., and part of the reason for Brandin Cooks being traded.
The Rams no longer have three proven wide receivers to lean on, even though Josh Reynolds has established himself as a quality No. 4 option. In turn, their offense is going to change and likely steer away from a heavy reliance on 11 personnel.
In 2017, with Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, the Rams led the NFL in 11 personnel usage at 80%. In 2018 when Cooks arrived, they used 11 personnel even more, leading the league again at 89%; the next-closest team used it only 77% of the time.
Last season, the Rams shifted away from it slightly, trotting 11 personnel out there 73% of the time, tied for third in the NFL. McVay realized that teams were catching onto his scheme and diversified, particularly late in the year with a more run-heavy approach. It’s very likely that game plan will carry over into the 2020 season.
Expect to see more plays with Higbee and Gerald Everett on the field together, which didn’t happen often last year or the previous two seasons. McVay said recently that he needs to get Everett more involved, and now the door is wide open for that to happen.
“Really, really excited about what Gerald Everett’s going to do,” McVay said Monday. “I think Tyler Higbee did a phenomenal job, but I think Gerald Everett’s a guy that I’ve got to do a better job of utilizing his skill set because he’s a difference-maker. But he’s got to get the opportunities and I think that starts with some of the things I know I can do a better job of.”
As comfortable as the Rams are with their wide receivers blocking on the edge, having two tight ends on the field – both of whom can line up anywhere – will help the running game. There was evidence of that last season against the Bears when the Rams used 12 personnel 34 times and vaulted Todd Gurley to his best game of the year.
The Rams relied more on 12 Personnel (1 RB, 2 TE) without wide receivers Brandin Cooks & Robert Woods (season-high 34 plays).
Todd Gurley gained 92 of 97 rushing yards on runs out of 12 Personnel (3 carries, 5 yards from 11 Personnel).#CHIvsLAR | #LARams pic.twitter.com/SNW5c5LxXl
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 18, 2019
A few weeks later in their dominant 28-12 win over the Seahawks, the Rams steered even further away from 11 personnel. Higbee played 97% of the snaps, and Mundt was out there for 72% of the plays. Cooks and Kupp only played 38% and 28%, respectively. According to Rich Hammond of The Athletic, they used 12 personnel 71% of the time, the most ever by McVay with the Rams.
This isn’t to say the Rams are going to use it that often next season, but they had four healthy wide receivers in that game against Seattle and still utilized their tight ends more than ever. With Woods and Kupp being the only starting wide receivers returning in 2020, it’ll be easy for McVay to get his tight ends more snaps.
The Rams want to get back to being a run-first team, which they certainly weren’t in 2019. General manager Les Snead has said it multiple times since the end of the season, most recently this week on a conference call with reporters.
“It’s up to all of us in the organization, all the way down to the players, to make sure that we do a better job in ’20 than we did in ’19 of running the ball, being more balanced so we can get back to more like who we were in ’18 and ’19 and in the back-half of ’19,” Snead said.
All indications point toward the Rams being more focused on running the ball, and they had a more success doing that at the end of 2019 with two tight ends on the field than they did earlier in the year. That’s not to ignore what Gurley did out of 11 personnel in 2017 and 2018, but McVay and Snead have really put an emphasis on running the ball – and the trading of Cooks follows in line with that thinking.
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