What happens when you ask too much from your players? The Rams are guilty of this. Injuries are becoming commonplace for them. How sustainable is the way their offense is playing?
Puka Nacua limped into the season, already dealing with an injury. Week 1 he reinjured his PCL which sent him to IR where he’ll be forced to miss at least four games. Hopefully, he’ll recover and prove to be his old heroic self again.
With Puka out for Week 2, the Rams turned to wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson. Robinson, who has shown he can perform admirably in the past, the Rams have proven they believe in him by Re-Signing their No. 3 wide receiver. He was, once again, asked to fill in and shoulder more responsibility. But it’s obvious the Rams coaching staff has decided to force-feed Kupp the ball early and often. This always raises concerns about the toll it takes on a player. Especially when playing from behind, they felt desperate to get it to Kupp.
Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals came out hot. Murray connected twice with Marvin Harrison Jr. for two deep touchdowns in the first quarter. In response, the Rams leaned heavily on Kupp. Despite Robinson’s ability to lengthen the field. It wasn’t enough for the Rams to share the workload evenly. In a desperate attempt to keep up with the Cardinals, they kept feeding Kupp the ball.
Injuries Mounting For The Rams
However, when you push your players too hard, the risk of injury increases. Nearing the end of the first half, Kupp got up limping. Kupp made his way to the locker room and did not rejoin the team after halftime. It was later announced the he was doubtful to return with an ‘ankle injury’. The more you push a player, the higher the risk of injury—something the Rams may need to reconsider going forward.
It’s not a secret that if the Rams keep playing like this, they will have no more wide receivers left on the field. The availability of Kupp for next week is not clear at this time and it will be something to keep an eye on over the week. Fully depending on one player, however impressive he might be is always a recipe for disaster in the long and grueling NFL season.
A smart approach might be, more balance. Their running game, led by Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, is still intact and capable of taking some pressure off the passing game. Williams has shown his ability to find gaps and make plays, although he only averaged 2.8 YPC against the stout Detroit run defense in Week 1. He’s still a reliable workhorse you can trust and Corum’s change of pace could help open things up.
Which leads us back to Demarcus Robinson. He’s proven in the past that he can be a reliable option. He’s shown that his route-running and speed are able to spread the field out. Forcing defenses to play more conservatively. By distributing the ball around, the Rams could reduce the risk of injury to their star players and in doing so become more unpredictable.
Hopefully, they wise up and see the bigger picture. The NFL season looks like a sprint with only 17 games compared to other major sports. Unfortunately most of the time it’s about who’s healthiest at the right time—the end of the season. Over-relying on star players like Kupp and Puka is not sustainable. A more balanced attack, involving Robinson, Williams, and Corum, could be the key to keeping the offense dynamic and the team healthy.
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