The 2018 season was a memorable one for the Los Angeles Rams as in Sean McVay’s second season, they won their second straight division title and finished 13-3, cruising all the way to the Super Bowl before being defeated by the New England Patriots.
A big reason for the Rams’ success that season was the production of their offense, ranking second in the league in yards per game (421.1) and points per game (32.9) behind only the Kansas City Chiefs in both categories. The Rams, of course, beat the Chiefs in an all-time classic shootout on Monday Night Football that season.
Unfortunately, the Rams were not able to duplicate the same offensive success in 2019 due to injuries and ultimately missed the postseason after finishing 9-7.
The 2018 Rams offense is still earning some praise though as Pro Football Focus ranked them as the best offensive supporting cast of the decade, which was decided by their WAR formula:
Best offensive supporting casts of the decade (All Non-QBs) per PFF WAR:
1. 2018 Rams
2. 2016 Falcons
3. 2014 Cowboys
4. 2011 Saints pic.twitter.com/76khbnyOi6— PFF (@PFF) July 1, 2020
Jared Goff had his best season by far in 2018, throwing for 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions, completing 64.9 percent of his passes.
A big reason for that success though was due to his supporting cast, particularly in the run game. In 2018, Todd Gurley rushed for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns, adding another 580 yards receiving with four receiving scores. He dealt with knee issues late in the season, although CJ Anderson was able to pick up where he left off when he went down largely in part to the Rams’ dominant offensive line.
L.A. also had two star receivers in 2018 with Robert Woods catching 86 passes for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns and Brandin Cooks catching 80 passes for 1,204 yards and five touchdowns. Cooper Kupp also was a breakout star before going down with a season-ending knee injury, and then Josh Reynolds picked up the slack to finish out the year.
While the Rams may not have as much talent on offense in 2020 with Gurley, Cooks and some offensive linemen no longer in the organization, they are still capable of doing great things and should be much better than 2019. With McVay at the helm, there are still plenty of bright days ahead in the new decade for the Rams offense.
