The LA Rams have had trouble getting every projected starting offensive lineman on the football field simultaneously. The season opened with both tackles injured, then two interior offensive linemen. Now, RT Rob Havenstein is injured once more. That's not a great foundation for winning games.
Entering their 10th game of the 2024 NFL season, the team has played 11 different offensive linemen. One of those starters, Logan Bruss, didn't cut the mustard, was released, and now finds himself playing for the Tennessee Titans after they claimed him off waivers.
The problem is that the Rams injuries have not stopped at the starters. Even backups have fallen to injury. And that creates problems for this offense. The Rams seldom reinforce the offensive line if backups play, and that's a huge problem. Right now the team is almost certainly playing a third-string offensive to face the Patriots. And if you expect them to go heavy with two tight ends? It has seldom happened this year.
New England Patriots Injuries
- OT Veridian Lowe- Shoulder - Questionable
- DT Jaquelin Roy - Neck - Questionable
- LB Sione TakiTaki - Knee - Questionable
- DE Detrich Wise - Foot - Questionable
- DB Kyle Dugger - Ankle - Questionable
- DE Daniel Ekuale - Abdomen - Questionable
- LB Christian Elliss - Abdomen - Questionable
- DB Marte Mapu - Neck - Questionable
- DB Alex Austin - Ankle - Questionable
- DT Christian Barmore - Not Injury Related - Questionable
Patriots Reserve Injured (IR)
- C David Andrews
- OL Jake Andrews
- CB Alex Austin
- LB Ja'Whuan Bentley
- WR JaQuae Jackson
- OT Caeden Wallace
- DT Arman Watts
- OLB Oshane Ximines
- DT Christian Barmore (IR/NFI)
- G Cole Strange (IR/PUP)
The New England Patriots are eager to get S Kyle Dugger on the football field. He has been out for an extensive amount of time due to his ankle injury first suffered in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers. While still questionable, Dugger's return will instantly stiffen the Pats run defense.
The Patriots also had to do without LB Christian Elliss in Week 10. He is also questionable for Week 11.
Los Angeles Rams Injuries
The team has slowly but surely found its way back to health. While the Week 11 injury to backup OT Joe Noteboom, and the persistent injury to RT Rob Havenstein are setbacks, the team is getting healthier. So the problem is not simply injuries. The team has struggled with consistency all season.
Insomuch as the offensive line is concerned, the three-game winning streak coincides with the three-game period of the team's most stable offensive line configuration. It's not blind luck or conicidence. The fact that the Rams started the same five offensive linemen for three consecutive games was a direct cause of their three-game winning streak.
That creates a pickle for the team heading into Week 11. Do the Rams revert to the configuration that led to three straight wins? Or does the team stick with the new starters, and try to go with the best right tackle left on the roster?
Rams IR Physically Unable to Perform (IR/PUP)
- TE Tyler Higbee
Rams IR Designated to Return (IR)
- OT K.T. Leveston
Rams Reserve Injured (IR)
- DB John Johnson III
- DB Derion Kendrick
- OT Conor McDermott
- DB Tre Tomlinson
- DT Larrell Murchison
- ILB Troy Reeder
Rams Injuries
Here are the players listed in the Rams final injury report:
- DT Neville Gallimore - Shoulder - Out
- RT Rob Havenstein - Ankle - Out
- DB Charles Woods - Ankle - Out
- OL Joe Noteboom - Ankle - Doubtful
- OLB Byron Young - Knee - Questionable
- CB Josh Wallace - Hip - Questionable
As you can see, the Rams offensive line continues to be hammered by injuries.
Will the Rams respond effectively to Week 11 injuries?
At 4-5, the team cannot enter any game with a presumption of success. Right now, even a winless team poses a real threat if they appeared on the Rams schedule. It's not that this roster is bereft of talent. Much of the time, it is simply due to the fact that the coaches seldom modify their game plan based on each week's unique set of circumstances.
Let's revisit the Rams' use of 12-personnel as an example. Per Lineups.com, we can identify those games in which the Rams deployed two tight ends at a rate higher than their season average. The two tight ends in this offense occured:
- Week 1 - 0% | Alaric Jackson Jackson/Rob Havenstein injured
- Week 2 - 0% | Alaric Jackson injured
- Week 3 - 45% (Win)
- Week 4 - 8%
- Week 5 - 5%
- Week 6 - BYE
- Week 7 - 15% (Win)
- Week 8 - 45% (Win)
- Week 9 - 31% (Win)
- Week 10 - 9% | Rob Havenstein injured
If you look at the data table above, the part that jumps off the page is the reality that when the team plays backups at offensive tackle, the coaches opt to shed 12-personnel. Is that tactic fooling anyone? Or does it merely complicate the task offensive tackles who are thrust into starting roles, only to find themselves left on an island.
Notice the pattern of wins versus losses above. The Rams have won every game in which they deploy two tight ends at least 15 percent of the time. The thing is, the offense is built for more tight-end work. After all, WR Tutu Atwell is perfectly suited to test the deep coverage of NFL secondaries. So having him on the field with two tight ends yields multiple benefits for the Rams roster, including:
- Penalizes defenses that opt to load up the box with eight defenders
- Penalize defenses that opt to stick with seven defenders in the box (by running the football)
- GIves the team a natural situation to sit either Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua, easing their workload.
- Allows the offense to consume more game clock, resting the defense and keeping them fresh
- Punishes defense with body blows that softens it up for big gains later in the game
The Rams have not won a single game without a higher-than-average use of 12-personnel. I think the evidence is obvious. So why won't the Rams use two tight ends more often? I think it's a bit like smoking. Bad habits are just hard to break.
