The Rams offense has undergone several tweaks this season due to injuries up front and a stagnant passing attack that has struggled to move the ball. They’ve shuffled the running back group, shifted the offensive line and also mixed things up at wide receiver while Van Jefferson is out.
Sean McVay has also adjusted the scheme to lessen the burden on the offensive line. Against the Panthers on Sunday, the Rams deployed a quick-passing attack, focusing on shorter throws to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers.
In doing so, Matthew Stafford was sacked just once and hit three times. His average time to throw was just 2.52 seconds, the sixth-fastest of any QB in Week 6. It was also below his season average of 2.72 seconds.
Looking at his passing chart, you can see the Rams had a specific plan of attack against the Panthers. Stafford didn’t attempt a single throw more than 20 yards downfield. His intended air yards average of 4.4 yards was the fourth-lowest of Week 6, too.
It wasn’t a perfect game for Stafford and he still threw a pick-six, but he was sharp, only throwing seven incompletions on 33 attempts. The Rams still need to stretch the field more than they have, but until Jefferson returns or they find a legitimate deep threat, this will have to do.
