Sean McVay is typically a terrific coach when it comes to scripting the early part of a game. He usually knows how to take advantage of a team’s weaknesses on defense after a week of preparation, dialing up plays to get the ball moving down the field early.
That hasn’t been the case this season.
The Rams’ first-quarter offense is arguably the worst in the NFL right now. The 33rd Team pointed out that the Rams and Eagles are the only teams in the league that have yet to score a first-quarter touchdown this season. The kicker? The Eagles had a bye in Week 5, so they’ve only played four games.
That makes the Rams the only team in football without a first-quarter touchdown in five games played. The futility on offense in the first 15 minutes goes beyond just a lack of touchdowns.
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The Rams are averaging 1.2 points per game in the first quarter, second-worst in the league. They’ve had a total of nine drives in the first frame and only two of them have yielded points, both field goals by Joshua Karty.
They also had another drive that went 66 yards but ended in a failed fourth-down attempt, which came against the Packers on Sunday. The other six drives? They’ve totaled 25 yards combined.
They’ve had five punts, two turnovers on downs and two field goals made, with five of those drives failing to even cross midfield. As a result, the Rams are being outscored by an average of 5.8 points per game in the first quarter, a big reason they’ve had to play from behind in all five of their games so far – with only one halftime lead this season.
When you’re leading, the offensive playbook opens up. The Rams haven’t had that luxury very much this season and it’s something that must improve after the bye.