Football games are won by scoring more points than your opponent. The Los Angeles Rams lost to the Detroit Lions by one point and that is on them. They had opportunities, but they were squandered.
The Rams could have scored more points, up to 15 more to be exact. They drove into the Lions red zone three times and could only come away with 9 points from all that effort. They drove all the way to the Lions six-yard line on the very first drive of the game and still a field goal.
The Rams first drive is Sean McVay’s drive, he scripts it, and the offensive genius couldn’t muster one play to punch the ball into the end zone. He didn’t opt to go for it on 4th down from the six. He settled for a field goal when he should have gone for it. Convert any of those trips and the outcome could have been in favor of the Rams.
What Can The Los Angeles Rams Learn From Dan Campbell?
What would Dan Campbell do? He would have gone for it. He would have gone for six, not three. Need evidence? Look no further than this very game. Campbell opted to go for it on the two-yard line in the second quarter and got it.
Fortune favors the bold. If all things are the same, Campbell loses the game by three points if he settles for three in that instance. That’s why the analytics community pounds the table for going for it on 4th and goal. It wins games and Sean McVay should be able to dial up plays to score on 4th down.
Los Angeles Rams By The Numbers And Such
The Los Angeles Rams are fourth best team in the league when it comes to scoring touchdowns in the red zone, scoring TDs on 64 percent of red zone trips. When the Los Angeles Rams go for it on 4th they have a 62 percent success rate, 6th best in the league.
McVay knows how to do it, he just doesn’t.
Run The Damn Ball
The Rams ran the ball just 17 times and just twice when they were in the red zone. This is despite being 9th in EPA/play when running the ball in 2023 and having Kyren Williams, one of the league’s best backs. He scored 12 touchdowns in 12 games this season, many of those in “and goal” situations.
