The Baltimore Ravens travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams on Monday Night Football, as they continue their push for the postseason. This will be the seventh meeting between these two teams, but the first time that a game will be played in Los Angeles. The last time the Ravens went on to the road to face the Rams in 2011, the Rams called St. Louis home.
The Ravens own a 4-2 record against the Rams and have won each of the last three games between the two sides. Their last encounter was back in 2015 in a game the Ravens won 16-13 thanks to a Justin Tucker field goal from 47 yards out as time expired.
Let’s take a closer look at the Rams to better acquaint ourselves with what the Ravens are likely to see on Monday night.
Offense
The Rams offense which took the league by storm in coach Sean McVay’s first two seasons has failed to hit these heights in 2019. The Kansas City Chiefs were the only team that scored more points and had more yards than the Rams in 2018. But the Rams are a lot closer to the middle of the pack this season. They are 13th in points scored and 15th in total offense. This is largely due to their failings in the run game, as they sit 21st in rushing yards against 7th in passing.
The Rams are predominantly an 11 personnel offense (three wide receivers, one running back and one tight end), and have lined up this way on 77% of their offensive plays this season. This is the second-highest rate in the NFL. They switch to 12 personnel (one back, two wide receivers and two tight ends) 15% of the time, the 8th lowest rate. The Rams like to run the ball out of 12, doing so on 69% of the time. They average only 3.3 yards per rush attempt, however, compared with 4.1 when they are in 11. The Rams average 7.4 yards per pass attempt in either formation.
From a play-calling point of view, the Rams are balanced between pass and run. They have a pass to run ratio of 1.53 this season, which is 17th in the NFL. The Rams slightly favor passing on 1st-and-10, but not by much. Their pass to run ratio in this scenario is 51-49.
Defense
The Rams’ defense is overseen by one of the best defensive coordinators the league has seen over the last four decades in Wade Phillips. Phillips runs an aggressive brand of the 3-4 defense that has bent but not broken during his current stint. The Rams have been around the middle of the pack in terms of points and yards allowed but have finished third and fifth in takeaways in the last season. They are eighth in 2019.
The Rams have allowed the ninth fewest points and yards in the league so far this season, thanks in large part to their elite run defense. Only four teams have allowed fewer rushing yards than the Rams. They are 14th in passing yards allowed. Phillips is not a big user of the blitz, with the Rams sending extra rushers on only 25% of their plays this season. 20 teams blitz more often than the Rams. The Rams are just outside the top ten with 29 sacks on the year, with Aaron Donald (8.0) Clay Matthews (7.0) and Dante Fowler (6.5) leading the way.
Teams have lined up against the Rams defense in 11 personnel on 60% of their total offensive snaps this season, and to be honest the results haven’t been great. The Rams have held offenses to 6.7 yards per pass attempt and 3.7 yards per rush attempt whenever they’ve seen three wide receivers on the field. 25 of their 29 sacks have come against this grouping.
Teams have enjoyed much more success through the air whenever two tight ends have been on the field, albeit on much smaller sample size. Opposing offenses have completed 40 of 56 pass attempts when in 12 against the Rams, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt and enjoying a 4:1 touchdown to interception ratio.
