The Rams have become one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL since Sean McVay took over in 2017. Rarely have they committed careless penalties on offense or defense, though penalties on special teams were an issue in the last two seasons.
McVay’s group has been exceptional at avoiding costly penalties through the first three weeks of this season, which is a testament to the job he’s done, along with Brandon Staley and John Bonamego.
According to NFLPenalties.com, the Rams have committed only 12 penalties this season – tied for the second-fewest in the league. Those flags have cost them 88 yards, with eight coming on offense and only four on defense. Their four defensive penalties are the fewest in the league and have yielded an NFL-low 23 yards.
Here’s how their 12 penalties are broken down.
- Defensive pass interference: 2 (14 yards)
- Offensive holding: 2 (20 yards)
- False start: 1 (5 yards)
- Unnecessary roughness: 1 (4 yards)
- Offensive pass interference: 1 (10 yards)
- Illegal block above the waist: 1 (10 yards)
- Intentional grounding: 1 (10 yards
- Illegal formation: 1 (5 yards)
- Neutral zone infraction: 1 (5 yards)
- Ineligible downfield pass: 1 (5 yards)
The Rams did have a roughing the passer penalty called on Samson Ebukam against the Bills, but it was offset by an offensive holding penalty. For the most part, the Rams have done an excellent job staying disciplined and avoiding penalties.
Of course, the questionable defensive pass interference penalty on Darious Williams Sunday cost them a win, but besides that, few mistakes have been made by the Rams, particularly on defense.