The LA Rams hosted the Dallas Cowboys in America’s game of the week Sunday afternoon. The woes for the Rams reared their ugly head repeatedly in this tilt. In a 22-10 loss at home, the Rams fall to 2-3 on the season. This marks the first time the rams have been below .500 through five games under head coach Sean Mcvay.
Stafford Suffers Punishment:
The offensive line for the Rams has been a huge issue all year. It continued to be an issue on Sunday, much to the dismay of Rams fans. Someone even more frustrated was Stafford, who suffered the wrath of yet another defensive front. A reoccurring theme this season is the Rams’ offensive line is the elephant in the room. Everyone knows it, but most don’t want to talk about it. It’s easier to place your eyes elsewhere for a better-looking conversation piece. They see how Stafford suffers punishment weekly but can’t figure out who’s to blame for offensive woes.
Stafford once again was on the receiving end of a five-plus sack beating. He took 11 quarterback hits, and it seemed like much more. In America’s game of the week, we all watched as once again, Stafford suffers punishment. For the second time in two weeks, the offensive line has allowed free rushers to act like Stafford is the last tray at the buffet line.
For those who don’t understand, the pass rushers are in a hurry to get to him because he might not be there anymore. Which means, Stafford suffers punishment for the second week in a row. Upon watching a Rams game, the comparison of a well-oiled door hinge can be made. The offensive line is far too easy to get through at this point.
Deeper Into The Punishment:
With every hit taken, it’s like watching your favorite character in a horror film fight the killer. They can’t do it independently, but they keep getting up. The war looks out of hand. The final kill is coming soon, and you can feel it coming. We’ve seen it all too much in five weeks.
The Buffalo Bills hit him 15 times, collecting seven sacks. The 49ers collected seven sacks on 11 hits. With week five’s performance, the tally of hits in just three games is up to 37. Stafford’s found the turf on 21 occasions, with 19 coming in those three contests. Once again, he suffers punishment far too much.
The offensive line for the Rams has allowed a 48.9% pressure rate through five games. The rate is the highest allowed during the Mcvay era. Stafford had 47 dropbacks on Sunday, and in 23 of those, he was pressured. That’s the most pressure allowed since Mcvay took over in 2017.
You knew it would be ugly from the outset when Stafford was sacked on the game’s first snap. A play-action pass that saw two free rushers hit Stafford forcing a fumble and resulting in a touchdown. The Rams have allowed 46 pressures in two games. Stafford suffers punishment at an alarming rate through five weeks.
Is There Any Reason To Question Stafford?
There have been many people who have decided to go the easy route with criticism. Mcvay, Stafford, Allen Robinson, Cam Akers, and Darrell Henderson have all been the brunt of criticism from fan to analyst. Remember the elephant in the room nobody wants to talk about? Everyone I just mentioned is the prettier conversation piece.
I’ve read and heard quotes from people who say Stafford is washed up. He can’t play at a high level, and my favorite, the Rams, need to trade him. Yes, dealing a man who’s pressured on 48% of his dropbacks and sacked a league high 21 times will solve all of the offense’s problems.
I’ve said in other articles that Stafford can’t sustain drives from his back. He also can’t do his job when the run game can’t get going making the offense one-dimensional. What people don’t realize is this offensive line has been shuffled five different times this season. That’s five different combinations to protect Stafford and block for Akers and Henderson.
It will not matter what plays McVay calls if the offensive line does not do its job. This is exactly the reason why Stafford suffers punishment from opposing defenses.
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