St. Louis Rams: 3 Big Things to Focus on for 2015

By Curt Popejoy | Aug 6, 2015

With the 2015 NFL season knocking on the door, it is time for the St. Louis Rams to switch from a macro perspective to more of a micro point of view. Yes, there are roster decisions to be made and plenty of big picture things to consider. Nevertheless, sometimes the devil really is in the details. A few specific areas of focus can make a huge difference in the success of a season.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: 30 Greatest Coaches of All-Time

So what are the three big thing this team needs to focus on? Read on and find out.

More from Los Angeles Rams

Get Aggressive in the Secondary

As I went back and reviewed all the Rams games from 2014, there was one thing that really stood out on defense. Often times, the coverage was a very simple zone, and players were caught just standing around while opponents made catches in front of them.

I assume this was a product of confidence in that talented defensive line. There’s no doubt a secondary can get a little lax when they have so many talented pass rushers in front of them. This has to change. The secondary needs to amp up the pressure, so when the defensive line is forcing early throws, the cornerbacks and safeties are in position to make plays.

Improve on Third Down

I was a little shocked as I crunched the numbers that the Rams were surprisingly effective on first down in 2014. St. Louis averaged a very respectable 5.97 yards per play on first down. This only ranked No. 18 in the league, but it was barely one yard per play less than No. 1.

Unfortunately, even though the Rams went into second down quite manageable, their third-down efficiency was abysmal. The Rams only converted on 35.4 percent of third down tries, and that was No. 27 in the league. Most teams that are really good at converting on third down have a go-to target. Perhaps for St. Louis that will be tight end Jared Cook, or better yet rookie running back Todd Gurley. Just the threat of Gurley in the backfield on third down should help.

Stay Healthy

Injuries happen to every team, but the Rams were done no favors last season. Only six players on defense and three on offense started all 16 games in 2014. These numbers are just way too low. Yes, there might be a bit of turnover as starters get locked in, but if you want to point a finger at why this offense struggled so much, look at health.

St. Louis could never get any consistency of cohesion among the unit. No quarterback started more than eight games, no running back started more than nine, and only one wide receiver (Kenny Britt) started more than 10 games at wide receiver. Double-digit starts among the skills players is going to make a huge difference in the success of this team.

Next: St. Louis Rams 2015 Redraft

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Los Angeles Rams