The Los Angeles Rams don’t play around on third and fourth down. According to Ian Hartitz of Fantasy Life, the Rams rank first in the league in throws at or past the first-down marker when facing third and fourth down. L.A. does so on 71% of their attempts in late downs, which is 7% higher than the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
This is partially because the Rams rarely have plays on third or fourth down. L.A. ranks last in third down attempts with 126 — nine fewer than the Indianapolis Colts — and 14th in fourth down attempts with 14. The Rams rank 13th in third-down conversion rate and sixth in fourth-down conversion rate.
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The cause of all this: Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. It would be safe to call both quarterback and head coach aggressive offensive minds who always look to keep drives alive rather than play the field position game. Stafford ranks second in the league with 160 first downs thrown, and his net yards per passing attempt (which takes sacks and interceptions into account) is first at 8.18 yards.
Schematically, it makes sense too. Rather than rely on yards after the catch, the Rams want to make sure they have the best shot to convert a first down straight up and not focus on setting up blocks or trying to get playmakers in space. Not running the ball isn’t a bad sign, either. It just means the Rams trust Stafford to execute in the critical moments.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams are the most aggressive passing team on 3rd and 4th down