For as much attention as the Rams offense has gotten in the last three-plus years, it’s been their defense that has stolen the show this season. Led by first-year coordinator Brandon Staley, the Rams defense has been one of the best units in the NFL.
They’ve allowed the fewest total yards, fewest passing yards and third-fewest rushing yards, ranking first in the NFL in yards and points allowed per drive. The Patriots got a healthy serving of L.A.’s defense on Thursday night as the Rams completely shut down Cam Newton and New England’s offense, winning 24-3.
The scoreboard obviously shows this was a dominant defensive performance by the Rams, but the analytics tell an even better story. Mike Sando of The Athletic tweeted that the Patriots’ offensive EPA (expected points added) on Thursday night was -27.5.
That makes this the worst offensive performance ever by the Patriots in 374 games under Bill Belichick – including the postseason.
#Patriots' offensive performance during 24-3 loss to #Rams was their worst in 374 games under coach Bill Belichick.
Offensive EPA was -27.5
Previous low: -24.4 vs #Ravens in WC game after '10 season, then -22.8 vs #Bills in famous '03 Lawyer Milloy game.
Via @TruMediaSports
— Mike Sando (@SandoNFL) December 11, 2020
EPA essentially measures the difference between the expected points at the start of a play and the expected points added at the end. It’s a way to find out how much each play impacts a game and the effectiveness of the offense (or defense).
The Patriots offense gifted seven points to the Rams with a pick-six, mustered only 220 yards on 58 plays and went 0-for-4 in the red zone by coming away with just three points in those four trips.
The Patriots only had the ball for three and a half fewer minutes than the Rams, but they could do very little to move downfield against Los Angeles. The Rams were in complete control from start to finish, largely thanks to an outstanding performance by the defense.
