Green Bay Packers v. LA Rams: Behind Enemy Lines Week 12

What is one area where the Rams are very good, but on the flip side, what does this team struggle with?

Ramblin’ Fan: The LA Rams are very good at moving the football when they are on offense. On all but a few rare occasions, the Rams have shot themselves in the foot more often than opposing defenses have denied them. That’s a bit disappointing because the offense has the ability to move the ball very effectively when everything is going according to plan. When the LA Rams take the field, the perception has been that the team can score a touchdown. In November, confidence in the team’s ability to score touchdowns has waned a bit, but it can be easily restored with a couple of impressive scoring drives at Lambeau field.

While the Rams are not showing up as a very good rushing offense this year, that is a bit skewed. The Rams fail to run often when they fall behind, even if running the football is very effective. So the Rams will run 10 times in a game when they average nearly 6.0 yards per rush. But in games that are close, and the opposing defense is playing tough against the run, the Rams will run 28 times. That strategy keeps the Rams rushing offense among the lower third of the league, simply because the team runs more often when the defense stops the run.

The Rams’ greatest struggles seem to be stopping offenses on third downs. That means that the Rams are not getting off the field and getting the ball back in the hands of the offense. Until the defense improves in that area, the Rams cannot be confident of winning against good opponents.

The Packers are an ideal test for the Rams in both areas. The Packers are well-coached, can run and pass effectively, and have plenty of battle-tested game planning over what works for the team. The LA Rams will have an opportunity to determine how effective their practices and BYE Week have been pretty quickly.