The New York Giants have two games remaining in the season, and they will play the Los Angeles Rams this week, who have an offense that appears to be playing at full tilt right now.
Employees
Though he was one of the NFL’s most underappreciated quarterbacks for many years, Matthew Stafford is now receiving the credit he deserves with the Rams. It seems like Stafford and head coach Sean McVay were meant to work together to operate a really effective offense.
Although Stafford’s output has decreased this season, he is still enjoying one of his most productive seasons to date. In 2023, Stafford’s proportion of dropbacks with a turnover-worthy play is 1.6%, which is the lowest of his career. In addition, he’s been more inclined to merely toss the ball away in the face of peril rather than taking needless hits and losing yards.
After seeing just 44 scrimmage touches in his rookie season, Kyren Williams, a second-year running back, has emerged as the team’s star player this year. With a 104-yard performance against the Saints last week, Williams passed the 1,000-yard barrier. He has now completed three games in a row and five of his past six with 100+ yards.
Williams ran a 4.7 40-yard sprint at the 2022 Combine, but nobody took him seriously. But he constantly finds the right channel with his vision and contact balance, and if opponents don’t meet him with aggression, they will pay a heavy price.
Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, and Cooper Kupp are the Rams’ three receivers. The team has played with 11 different lineups. As the Rams’ system occasionally focuses more on force-feeding receivers—Tutu being more of a deep danger than anything else—Kupp and Puka have been the main pass-catchers.
When it comes to reverses, end-arounds, and jet sweeps, Nacua and Atwell have been mixed in.
The lone tight end that gets regular playing time is Tyler Higbee. Even if Puka and Tutu’s rise has greatly reduced Higbee’s volume, he has still proven to be a trustworthy option this season.
Plan
The McVay offensive plan might be the most comprehensive in football. There’s a reason McVay assistants switch employers so frequently—they’ll do everything to be a part of that offense.
The Rams have changed to become the most gap-heavy team in the NFL at the moment, in part because of the assistant coaches McVay acquired this past offseason. Previously, the offense was the cornerstone of the wide zone running scheme.
The Rams’ use of compact sets is noticeable when they are in an offensive formation. Whether there are two receivers on either side of the offensive line or three receivers grouped together on one side, the Rams keep everything close to the ball.
Better ball concealment during play fakes, a crucial component of their offensive strategy, enables players to pull across the formation to block.
Only the Rams and the Browns use 11.5 personnel, which is what I call the Rams’ typical operating personnel. Although there are only 11 players on the field, Nacua’s pre-snap motion puts him in a position to play the role of an elevated H-back. Nacua’s relentlessness as a run blocker enables the Rams to go “light” with three receivers while still being devastating in the run game, regardless of whether the motion moves him into the backfield as a fullback or more like a tight end.
Implications for the Giants of This
Positively, despite their inexperience this season, the Giants defense has played excellently against gap-based teams. The Giants held the gap-heavy run games against the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots to a combined 21 points. What worries me more is the Giants’ poor tackling performance in recent weeks.
When the Rams want to show off their eye candy in the passing game—such as receiver hand-offs, misdirection runs, or pre-snap motion into play action—the Giants must maintain their composure. Maintaining linebacker discipline is essential to controlling this offense.
Rather than blitzing the interior, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Giants run more blitzes using the slot or a safety close to the line of scrimmage. While a blitz from an off-ball linebacker would put the rusher directly in the teeth of the offensive line or Kyren Williams in pass protection, blitzing off the edge would make it simpler for the defensive back(s) to get around the offensive line.
Last Words
It’s encouraging that the Rams have moved further in the direction of that approach given how the Giants have stopped gap runs this season. It makes sense to be concerned that the young players on the defensive end of the ball could cause problems, considering how crucial discipline is.
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