The Los Angeles Rams’ offense laid an egg in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers, but offensive coordinator Liam Coen is doing everything he can to ensure a better outcome against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. After fielding a question about the offensive line’s role in hindering his playcall, Coen seemed unsure if the unit was the root of his issues, and gave a response that may hint at his strategy moving forward.
A reporter asked specifically about how injuries up front affect his game planning, and the coordinator was quick to dismiss the possibility that he is doing anything differently in the starters’ absence.
“Come on in our offices and we can talk about it I guess,” Coen said wryly, responding to the query regarding his preparation for Dallas. “No, it’s a good thing. [I have] got to give credit to [OG] Jeremiah Kolone first of all, for stepping up in a situation that he’s never been put in. Being really cool, calm, collected and being able to lead us in in the right way. So it’s a balance, man. It’s a total balance of well we want to try to push the ball down the field, but we also need to protect. We need to put these guys in the best position to protect it because if we can’t get the ball off, we got no shot.
“So it is an extreme balancing act to try to get some of those things off. We need to pick and choose our spots because it’s really…you call one on first down, maybe you have a better chance at getting a single-high defense versus shell or you get a g-bot, maybe it’s a little bit more shell. So I think it’s being a little bit more specific about where we do try to get the ball down the field, and also, obviously first and foremost, thinking about the O-line.”
There are several ways that Coen could mitigate the disadvantages posed by the lack of depth in his front five, but he would be remiss to let details strategy slip ahead of such a crucial matchup. The Cowboys have premier pass rushers who will look to make quarterback Matthew Stafford’s life miserable when the Rams throw the ball, so a cohesive and comprehensive game plan will be necessary for Los Angeles to get out of Week 5 with a win.
Watch for Coen to be extra creative in his play design in Sunday’s game, and for head coach Sean McVay to have extra input into the team’s schemes as they look to get back above .500 before midseason.