Evolving theory behind Rams run game apparent, now execution must come next

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4890354/2023/09/25/los-angeles-rams-run-game-evolving/?source=emp_shared_article

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Every day, pro scouts John McKay and Matt Waugh — and sometimes general manager Les Snead — lean on large wooden plyo boxes stacked outside of the weight room and study the offensive line during the individual drills portion of Los Angeles Rams practice.

Those drills look different this year — and the three front office members who helped retool an offensive line that now features more size (especially on the interior) watch them for good reason: The 2023 Rams are deploying a higher frequency of gap-style concepts in their run game alongside their mid- and outside-zone concepts.

That run game has not quite fully taken off just yet. The Rams rank No. 23 in the NFL in total yards with 181 and No. 28 in yards per carry with 2.9; however they also rank No. 5 in EPA/rush (0.05) and No. 6 in successful play rate per rush attempt (44.1 percent), according to TruMedia. They also changed their personnel last week by trading veteran running back Cam Akers to Minnesota, clearing the way for Kyren Williams to take over as their No. 1 back.

Even as the details come together, the idea behind what they’re trying to accomplish is clear: An increase in usage of those gap/man and power run concepts, lends a brand of physicality and dimension to their run game – and their offense overall – that they have not had in a while.

“When you do get to those gap schemes, you do get a little bit more downhill physicality out of it — rather than what we’ve primarily been in the past, of a wide-zone/mid-zone team where it’s stretch-and-cut, stretch-and-cut,” right tackle Rob Havenstein said. “We still obviously do a lot of that, but it’s definitely good flavor especially with some of the size that we have up front.”

Bengals coach Zac Taylor, who worked directly under Rams coach Sean McVay as his quarterbacks coach in 2018, indicated when speaking to Los Angeles beat writers this week that he’s noticed a once-gradual schematic shift pick up in frequency.

“They majored in the wide zone (with) Rodger (Saffold) and (Andrew Whitworth) … it was a lot of wide zone to the left,” Taylor said. “But we always had everything, always had the tosses, the jet sweeps, the counters, the complementary stuff. I think you’ve just seen more of that in the last two years or so, majoring more in that and less in the wide zone.”

Along with overhauling a lineup that now features, from left to right, Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Joe Noteboom and Havenstein, the Rams hired offensive line coach Ryan Wendell this spring – a former longtime Patriots center who played under famed position coach Dante Scarnecchia. Then, they added veteran gap scheme aficionado Mike Munchak to their staff as a consultant in training camp and his role has carried into the regular season. Wendell is soft-spoken (a contrast to his imposing appearance and wild mane of hair/beard combination he keeps tamed under a bucket hat every day) but extremely meticulous in his coaching.

“I think one of the things that really stuck out to me with him in his interview process and getting to know him is he’s not trying to coach the right guard the same way as the left guard,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “Yes, there has to be unison in what you’re trying to get done, but he’s very in tune to different body types and how people move and that’s a sign of a good coach. He’s very individualized, but yet how can it all piece together to make sure that those five work in cohesion?”

As spring meetings began this offseason, McVay addressed the team on the topic of the run game: they would be a physical, tenacious group. They could change the offensive line all they wanted, but he promised them that toughness would also come from him via their adjusted scheme – inclusive to the running backs and tight ends, too.

Nick Caley is the Rams’ new tight ends coach after a long stint in New England. He happily admits he drives to work at 5:30 a.m. each morning with the windows down and Dave Matthews Band blasting from the speakers — but when practices begin his personality shifts a little more to the “death metal” side of the musical spectrum. Caley and his players are vocal, physical and fired up.

“It’s like he drinks seven Celsius (energy drinks) from leaving his house to getting to the facility,” said veteran tight end Tyler Higbee. “He’s just got juice, always. Always, always, always.”

Caley’s energy matches the excitement of his group, who, led by Higbee, are involved in the run game in slightly different ways than in previous years. Higbee is on the front side of more blocking assignments, for example. On several plays over the last couple of weeks, Higbee has had a running start across the formation to crash a block into an opponent (usually picking up more than one player in the process), instead of just acquiring/absorbing blocks like he used to on the back side of the play.

“Tyler’s a psycho,” Havenstein said. “He’s a guy who loves that contact — especially when you get to game day, you see a different side of Tyler. For him to go out there and fly around, now he’s doing a lot of stuff where he’s on the front side of things. In the past, he’d be on the back side taking those shots. But now, it’s getting him movement.”

The “movement” Havenstein was referring to manifests in anything from an escort motion, a “sift” block, or even a power run play some teams call “blast” (it just depends on the concept in which it’s deployed, and whether it’s actually intended to disguise a play or block for a play). The result is many different types of run plays and concepts that can all come out of what looks like a basic pre-snap tight end alignment, similar to the philosophy the Rams have always used in their passing game under McVay.

“It’s all about the ‘illusion of complexity,’ to where we can move things around, make it all look the same,” Higbee said. “Just being able to do that, and getting us into different spots, I think it has helped as you’ve seen in the first couple of weeks.”

Meanwhile, No. 2 running back Ronnie Rivers said with a loud laugh, new position coach Ron Gould keeps a “size 10 up their butts.”

Gould, he explained, is supportive and positive — albeit demanding. He was a running backs coach in the collegiate ranks for over two decades.

“He’s a great coach, great guy,” Rivers said. “It’s been a real blessing to have him in the room.”

Under Gould and the Rams’ offensive coaches, Williams and Rivers seemed to particularly take to the increase in gap/man concepts in practices over the last couple of weeks, as the team fully installed its “game plan” runs ahead of the Week 1 matchup against Seattle. In training camp, these concepts are mostly theory and reps on air because players can’t truly block or hit (and practices are open to observers). In closed joint practices, and then the two weeks leading into the season opener (also closed), theory turned into reality.

“For me, it really challenges you to be a true running back. It challenges you to have patience, have vision and keep your shoulders square to the line. I love that. I love to be able to set people up,” Williams said. “I love those gap schemes, because it’s a whole lot of (blocking) movement – but if you understand it, it makes it a lot easier and makes it clearer when the holes are supposed to hit and where you’re supposed to go.”

The tenacity from the linemen, running backs and tight ends is shared by the receivers under longtime position coach Eric Yarber. Rams receivers have traditionally been extremely involved in the run game as blockers, but had been missing a blocking partner for Cooper Kupp like they used to have in veteran star Robert Woods. The coaching staff began assigning rookie receiver Puka Nacua — a willing, albeit inexperienced blocker — some of the concepts previously deployed for Woods.

“They ask more of the receivers than most teams do in the run game,” said Taylor, who also worked under Yarber as the Rams’ assistant receivers coach in 2017. “‘Yarbs’ is the man for a reason, he gets it out of those guys and they understand the expectation and he gets them committed to blocking in the run game.

“Not many times you see a guy fly motion and lead up in the C-gap full-speed to go block a safety in the run game, but those guys don’t bat an eye.”

The changes the Rams have made to their run game, from the coaching at multiple positions, to the scheme, to the effort from players, is becoming a fundamental part of this team’s personality in 2023.

“The way that they play, the way that they compete, the way that they support one another, the way that they continue to strain and strain just a little bit more, that’s powerful,” McVay said.

Next, the Rams hope, comes consistent production.

“We’re still waiting on that breakout (game),” Havenstein said, “the belief is there. Guys have bought in. Not to get sentimental, but that’s one thing I love about this team. Whether we’re too young to know any different, or guys have just bought in because they’ve seen the work in training camp, we’re coming out there and putting our best foot forward.”