With a win and no new injuries to worry about, the Los Angeles Rams can focus on improving rather than just trying to avoid more problems.
“It’s been a while since that’s been the case,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said Wednesday. “Obviously, we got guys behind the scenes trying to get back as fast as they possibly can, but nice to go from one week to the next and not have any changes. So we can kind of try to build off of what we did.”
The Rams (1-2) believe their offensive line will gain the most from this stability. They have three of their expected starters—left tackle Alaric Jackson, right guard Kevin Dotson, and right tackle Rob Havenstein—back in action, while rookie center Beaux Limmer and first-time starter at left guard Logan Bruss improved as the game went on against the San Francisco defensive line on Sunday.
Dotson felt that the group came together in the fourth quarter, helping the Rams come back from a 10-point deficit to win 27-24. The offense gained 126 of its 296 yards in the last 15 minutes, averaging 7.88 yards per play and reaching the red zone three times.
“I felt like it was no hesitation in our play,” Dotson said. “And it felt like we understood what had to be done to get where we wanted to go. Everybody just put their head down, trusted the guy next to him, and just played.”
Dotson said that working together is the only way for an offensive line to bond, but the Rams had some previous experience among the current lineup that helped them get started.
Limmer and Truss practiced together as backups during training camp, and then Limmer, a sixth-round pick from Arkansas, played as the first-team center during a joint practice with Houston.
“As far as moving everybody around, it’s kind of real comfortable in there,” Limmer said.
That week in Houston helped Limmer get used to Stafford, who has been using his 16 years of experience to help build a strong connection with the new center.
“So far everything’s going real smooth, and he helps me out with all the protections, all the spots, everything when I need it, so it’s been great,” Limmer said.
Dotson also mentioned how valuable it is for the new starting five to spend time together off the field, especially since the lineup has changed so quickly.
Steve Avila, who was expected to start at center but was moved to left guard for the first game in Detroit, is likely out until October due to an MCL injury.
Jonah Jackson, who switched between center and left guard for the first two weeks, is on injured reserve after re-injuring his shoulder from camp. Havenstein missed one game because of an ankle injury, and Alaric Jackson was suspended for two games.
“I haven’t been on a team where it all happened that fast or having that many people out at one time,” Dotson said.
Even with the win against the 49ers, there’s still a lot of room for the offensive line to get better. The run game hasn’t gone over 98 yards or 3.8 yards per carry. Stafford has been sacked 10 times. These issues will need to be fixed against the Chicago Bears (1-2) on Sunday.
