The Rams offensive line has ping-ponged between being one of the best and worst units in the NFL since 2016. It was at or near the bottom of the league the year before Sean McVay took over, but it became one of the best in 2017 and rose to new heights in 2018.
Then, the group’s effectiveness and blocking ability plummeted last season amid major changes and injuries throughout the year. Fortunately, the front office and coaching staff appear to have found a quality combination of players up front, leading to a huge improvement from the offensive line in 2020.
That comes as a big surprise after the repeated questions the Rams faced this offseason for their lack of movement in free agency and the draft with regards to addressing the offensive line; the only player they added was Tremayne Anchrum in Round 7.
It’s still early and we’re only three weeks into the season, but Pro Football Focus ranks the Rams offensive line eighth-best in the NFL. Here’s what PFF’s Sam Monson wrote, including the number of pressures the Rams have allowed and the average yards gained before contact on rush attempts.
Pressures allowed: 17
Rush yards before contact average: 2.1One of the stories of the young season so far has been the massive improvement of this group, which has almost determined the Rams’ fortunes over the past several years. When the line collapsed a season ago, so did any chance of the team going back to the Super Bowl.
But for them to jump back into the top 10 through three games makes the team a completely different animal. Andrew Whitworth remains ageless, still hammering out elite PFF grades despite closing in on his 39th birthday, while Rob Havenstein has had a much-needed bounceback to better play.
At ESPN, the Rams are 13th in pass block win rate and third in run block win rate, which is a remarkable turnaround after seeing how poorly this unit was regarded last season.
Andrew Whitworth and Austin Blythe have been two of the best blockers for the Rams this season, while Rob Havenstein has also improved considerably since his regression last season. David Edwards has slid in for Joe Noteboom at left guard and looked good, while Austin Corbett has found a home at right guard in L.A.
At their respective positions, Whitworth is eighth in pass block win rate, Havenstein is seventh in run block win rate, Edwards is third in run block win rate and Blythe is fifth in run block win rate.
It’s no surprise that both Jared Goff and the Rams running game has improved in a big way since the offensive line found its footing this season. Goff leads the NFL in yards per completion and attempt, while Los Angeles as a team has the most rush attempts and the third-most rushing yards in the NFL.
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