You don’t have to look at the numbers to know Matthew Stafford was under way too much pressure in the pocket last season. But just to put it into perspective, he was sacked 29 times in nine games last year compared to 30 sacks in 17 games the season prior.
The offense was a complete mess in 2022, in large part because the protection up front was so poor. That gave Stafford very little time to find open receivers, and as a result, the Rams had to resort to short, quick passes just to keep things moving in the right direction.
Heading into the upcoming season, Sean McVay made it clear how determined the Rams are to keep Stafford upright more often, saying they’re going to “work our (expletive) off to try to figure that out.”
The always insightful Cooper Kupp says it’s not just on the offensive line. It’s everyone’s responsibility, from the receivers running good routes to the running backs successfully moving the ball on the ground.
“Yeah, well I think everyone plays a part in the ball getting out,” he said. “The faster the ball can get out, the less time those guys up front have to protect. And the better you can run the ball, the better you can screen, the better you can do quick game, the better you can play action, the better things can open down the field, the less likely there are to rush. It all plays into it. All that stuff plays into it. And so everyone has a responsibility to get open within the timing rhythm of a play. And as a receiving core of being able to see things, diagnose them, get to the spots you need to as fast as you can, that’s also part of protecting the quarterback.”
Obviously, the offensive line plays the biggest part in keeping Stafford upright, but as McVay said earlier in the week, his play calling is a factor, too. If the Rams have another season where Stafford is under duress as much as he was last year, they’re going to struggle again.
And as helpful as it is to call plays to get the ball out quickly, the offensive line has to sustain its blocks long enough to allow deeper routes to develop – something that was missing from the offense last season.
