One of the reasons the Rams rushing attack is so effective—aside from simply the talent of Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson—is Sean McVay’s ability to manipulate the defense with his offensive formations.
The Rams ran the ball from 11 personnel (three receivers, one running back, one tight end) on 82.8 percent of their rushing attempts this season, the highest rate in the league according to Sports Info Solutions. No other team was above 66.3 percent (the Dolphins).
The benefit to this strategy is that it limits the defense’s ability to load the box with eight or more defenders.
The Rams successfully used this strategy to become the only team in the league that was able to earn a positive gain in Expected Points Added (EPA) on over 50 percent of their rushing plays this season.
On the other side of the ball, stopping the run has been an area where the Patriots defense has had some issues.
According to Sports Info Solutions, the Patriots allowed 5.16 yards per attempt versus 11 personnel this season, which ranked 18th. But perhaps more concerning for the Patriots is the fact that they allowed 2.67 yards before contact per attempt versus 11 personnel, ranking 27th in the league.
This stat indicates that Gurley and Anderson should have some running room against New England’s defense, and we’ve seen throughout the season that both running backs have the ability to break off long runs once they’re given some room to sneak through the line of scrimmage.
Of course, the health of Gurley could complicate matters for the Rams. Despite McVay’s claim that Gurley’s lack of playing time against the Saints was due to the “flow of the game,” it’s hard to believe given the discrepancy in usage between Gurley and Anderson:
The Rams offense featured Todd Gurley on only 32 offensive plays, his fewest in a game under Sean McVay. C.J. Anderson played more snaps and finished the game with more touches.
Anderson: 17 touches on 35 plays
Gurley: 5 touches on 32 plays#LARvsNO | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/RP78WB5nVo— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 21, 2019
The Rams should be able to create running room for Gurley or Anderson, but having the more explosive Gurley on the field would certainly benefit Los Angeles’ quest for a Super Bowl title.
