One Sean McVay Adjustment Changed Everything for Rams in Win Over Chargers

The Los Angeles Rams beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, and it was the tale of two halves, to say the least.In the first half against the Chargers, the Rams reverted to how they operated against the Eagles, relying heavily on 11 personnel. It wasn’t until Stafford hit Tutu Atwell for 40 yards in the two-minute drill that the offense finally got a first down.

Up until the final drive of the first half, Matthew Stafford had just 20 yards passing on six completions and the offense had just seven yards on four rushing attempts. The McVay offense accomplished something that not even the Jeff Fisher offenses did. No Rams offense this century had gone three-and-out on their first five offensive possessions.

Heading into Sunday, the Rams were forced to change their offense. Without Colby Parkinson, they were left with just three healthy tight ends on the roster, one of which was rookie Max Klare who had played just one career snap on offense before Week 8.

When the Rams were in a similar situation in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, they got back to 11 personnel. In Weeks 1-3, the Rams had operated out of 11 personnel at just a 56 percent rate, ranking 19th in the NFL. Against the Eagles, that was up to 88 percent, which was the second-highest rate for the week.

The Rams spent the offseason building an offense for 13 personnel. It’s partially why they drafted Max Klare. This is how the Rams want to operate moving forward and what they want their identity to look like.

In the first half against the Chargers, the Rams went back to how they operated against the Eagles, going back to 11 personnel. They started the game operating out of 11 personnel at a 75 percent rate. However, instead of Davante Adams getting a majority of the snaps across from Nacua, it was a mix of Tutu Atwell and Konata Mumpfield.

Why the Rams Can't Rely on 11 Personnel Like They Used To

The Rams simply don’t have the personnel to operate out of 11 personnel like they used to. A big reason why the Rams became an 11 personnel team was because they couldn’t justify keeping one of Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp off the field. Additionally, Woods and Kupp were effective as blockers, eliminating the need for multiple tight ends.

However, with Adams out, it’s hard to justify having Mumpfield and Atwell on the field for a majority of the snaps. Neither are effective blockers, and because of that, the run game also struggles. That brings up an overall larger issue of the Rams needing a third wide receiver. For the time being, the Rams have to work with what they have.

To start the game, the Rams were trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and force something that they weren’t built to be. They averaged -0.43 EPA per pass out of 11 personnel in the first half with just a 46.2 percent success rate. The run game also equally struggled. They averaged -0.52 EPA per rush with a zero percent success rate trying to run out of 11 personnel. Granted, it was a small sample size of two carries for three yards, but the Rams were unable to get any sort of rhythm on offense because of it.

Sean McVay's Halftime Adjustment Changed Everything for Rams

While McVay and the coaching staff may not have deemed Klare ready, he was certainly thrown into the fire in the second half. Klare had just five offensive snaps in the first half, compared to 20 in the second half. Out of Klare’s 25 snaps, 20 of them were him being used as a run-blocker. Among qualifying tight ends, Klare finished the week as the 12th-best run-blocking tight end, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Rams got back to their 13 personnel identity in the second half, and it worked. It opened up the entire offense. After using 13 personnel at a 20 percent rate in the first half, that was up to 63.6 percent in the second half. The Rams had 17 carries for 79 yards out of 13 personnel after halftime. They averaged 0.02 EPA per rush and had a 47.1 percent rushing success rate. That doesn’t mention the 0.65 EPA per rush and 75 percent rushing success rate out of 12 personnel.

Being able to run out of 12 and 13 personnel opened up the passing game in 11 personnel. Stafford was 5-for-7 for 52 yards when throwing out of 11 personnel in the second half. He averaged 0.2 EPA per pass and had a 57.1 passing success rate.

Again, the Rams spent the entire offseason building their offense around multi-tight end sets. It shouldn’t be a surprise when leaning into that ended up being a success and the turning point in the game.

As shown in Week 7 against the Raiders, if the Rams can get the run game going, the entire offensive playbook opens up. The Rams had 24 carries for 122 yards out of 12 and 13 personnel. They had just three carries for seven yards out of 11 personnel.

Why 13 Personnel Needs to Remain the Rams' Offensive Foundation

Moving forward, the Rams will certainly hope to avoid situations where they're forced to become something they're not. Ideally, Parkinson is healthy and the Rams should get Terrance Ferguson back very shortly, if not this week.

At some point, the Rams may need to utilized 11 personnel again. The Rams are clearly more efficentive in 13 personnel than they are in 11 personnel. With that said, 13 personnel is great in neutral and positive game scripts. When the Rams are forced into a negative game script, they may need to lean into 11 personnel more than they would like.

However, in neutral game-scripts, the Rams are a much better offense when they stick to what they’re supposed to be. The Rams are averaging 0.07 EPA per play in 13 personnel compared to 0.01 EPA per play out of 11 personnel. The Rams have been significantly more efficient with three tight ends on the field compared to three wide receivers.

The Rams have now shown in consecutive weeks what their offense is capable of when the running game becomes the focal point. While the initial offensive gameplan against the Chargers may not have worked, McVay deserves credit for recognizing what wasn't working and making the necessary adjustments. The decision to move away from 11 personnel and use Klare in 13 personnel allowed the Rams to take control in the second half and come out with a win.

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