Fun with numbers: Rams offensive line

by Ryan Van Bibber on Nov 19, 2009 3:50 PM CST in 2009 St. Louis Rams regular season

Offensive line stats are a strange animal, but leave it to the guys at Football Outsiders to measure the grunts up front who make it happen. As anyone following the St. Louis Rams knows, head coach Steve Spagnuolo and GM Billy Devaney have made the rebuilding the offensive line a top priority, investing lots of money to get younger and tougher up front. How's the investment paying off so far?

Well, early in the season there were times when the line looked like the same old unit that caused so much consternation in seasons prior. It was a little rough at first, as players learned the system and how to function as a unit. The pass protection has been mostly solid all year long, with a few exceptions here and there. But over the last few games, the offensive line has looked like a much better, more cohesive unit, getting the best of both the Lions and the Saints defensive fronts. Let's look at some numbers.

(a quick note, FO uses the Adjusted Line Yards (ALY) measurement, which account for the OL's role in terms of yards gained on rushing plays, i.e. they take the running back out of the equation. Here's the full definition for ALY.)

First of all the total ALY for the Rams this year, through nine games is 4.08 ALY, good enough for 17th best in the league. Last season, that number was 3.73 ALY, and in 2007 it was 3.72 ALY. Both numbers from the past two seasons ranked 28th in the league.

The directional numbers are the most interesting, showing big jumps over the last two games.

Check it out, through week 10:

Left End, 4.61 ALY, 11th
Left Tackle, 6.28 ALY, 1st
Mid/Guard, 3.91 ALY, 23rd
Right Tackle, 4.71 ALY, 5th
Right End, 2.05 ALY, 30th

In two games, their ALY at Right Tackle have gone from 3.97 ALY to 4.71 ALY. Wow. That's a huge jump, and Jason Smith gets lots of credit for that. They've improved at Mid/Guard too, up from 3.74 ALY. I don't worry about the middle as much, since that's where the Rams 51% of the rushes, and teams are cramming the box to hold back Steven Jackson.

Progress.

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Progress indeed.

I believe in 2010

by Eric Nagel on Nov 19, 2009 3:54 PM CST reply actions

I was surprised

not to see him in ESPN’s rookie watch at all. I understand we’re not going to get the love from the traditional media, because of our W-L record. Hell, the real ROY this year has been Jairus Byrd (60 tackles, 8 INT, 10 PD), and they dropped him from 3rd to 4th…

You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.

by 3k on Nov 19, 2009 5:56 PM CST reply actions

Alex Barron Leads NFC West in Penalties, Highlighted by Sando

Or I should say lowlighted.

Sando documents the NFC West penalty watch, and guess who heads the list? For the entire division!

Yes, Richie Incognito is in the top 10. But only the top 10? I guess he’s slipping, because he made the very top of one of NFL’s more notorious lists.

by CoachConnors on Nov 19, 2009 7:54 PM CST reply actions

I'll say it AGAIN

yet another nail in the coffin…

I believe in 2010

by Eric Nagel on Nov 19, 2009 10:36 PM CST up reply actions

The coffin....

…should be riveted shut, covered with concrete, and dumped into a bottomless pit. The only justice for the Rams would be for Barron to get a job with the She Hawks or San Fran,

by edpjr on Nov 19, 2009 11:10 PM CST up reply actions

bizarro rams

I don’t get NFL network, so I got sucked into another UFL game on versus (during commercials of the Lakers/Bulls).

Haslett’s Florida Tuskers (wtf?) finished the season undefeated, even though Antonio Pittman almost blew it with a late-game fumble. Luckily, Darius Vinnett had a big game, and Quentin Culberson caused the fumble on the final drive that wrapped it up.

I could totally see Barron fitting in nicely with these guys.

by mooseknuckles41 on Nov 19, 2009 11:32 PM CST up reply actions