The Rams have five tight ends on the 53-man roster, but the position group has barely shown up in the offense. Through one game, those tight ends have combined for just four catches on 31 yards. Nineteen of those yards came after the catch, which leaves a tiny footprint in the air: only three air yards per reception and two air yards per attempt.
That kind of output won’t move the needle.
If Los Angeles is going to get anything useful from multiple-tight-end looks, it has to create stress for the defense. That didn’t happen against the San Francisco 49ers. Terrance Ferguson, who had one target, and Max Klare, who was inactive, were not part of the plan in any meaningful way, even though both are supposed to be part of the future at the position.
Colby Parkinson, who flashed last season, was also underused. He finished with one catch on three targets for six yards. For a player with his skill set, and for a tight end room built around flexibility, that’s a waste.
The issue goes beyond one game. The Rams have already shown a habit of assembling a roster that doesn’t quite match the way they want to play.
Last season, they paid Tutu Atwell $10 million to sit on the bench. They also carried four running backs while using only two in the offense.
That kind of mismatch in roster construction and usage has a cost, and it’s one the Rams can’t keep ignoring.
Ramblin’ Fan’s John Sbisa argued the offense should lean harder into multiple-tight-end sets, even after the struggles against the 49ers, and there’s logic there. Los Angeles never really forced San Francisco’s defensive backs to sort through different tight ends running different routes.
Instead, the routes stayed too close to the line of scrimmage. That made life easy for the defense and gave the 49ers no reason to widen out or adjust much at all.
When passes are being thrown within five yards of the line of scrimmage, coverage doesn’t have to work very hard. Even fans in the stands can cover well enough when the route tree is that basic. San Francisco was happy to close in and take away the action around the formation.
The Rams have more in the room than they showed Sunday. They can use Ferguson and Klare in different ways, and they should. The more variety they bring, the better chance they have of forcing defenses to react instead of sitting on everything underneath.
Trying the same approach and expecting a different result is a dead end. Week 2 gives the Rams a clean chance to change that.
In Other News...
Rams Already Have A Discipline Issue On The NFLs Radar
The NFLs first accountability list of the season arrived with a familiar reminder for teams trying to keep early September from getting away from them. Week 1 fines were handed out to 20 players for on-field violations ranging from unsportsmanlike conduct to unnecessary roughness and illegal hits on quarterbacks, a snapshot of how quickly discipline can become part of the league conversation even before the schedule settles in.
For the Rams, it is the kind of leaguewide report card worth watching closely because it sets the tone for how officials and the NFL office will judge borderline play moving forward. Around the league, Stefon Diggs was fined for illegal celebrations, Jahmyr Gibbs drew the largest penalty for helmet use during a play, and Javonte Williams was punished for taunting, all of it reinforcing how thin the line can be between aggression and a costly mistake. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Receiver Depth Is Suddenly A Real Concern Behind Davante Adams
The Rams spent most of the offseason treating wide receiver as a position that could wait, with CJ Daniels added in the draft and Tutu Atwell brought in via trade. But with Week 2 approaching, the picture looks a lot different, because Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington are both dealing with injuries and the room behind Davante Adams is suddenly looking thin.
It puts a sharper spotlight on a front office decision-making process that leaned toward future needs more than immediate insurance at receiver. It also makes the Atwell trade harder to evaluate in the moment, given how little he has contributed recently, and leaves Los Angeles with a real depth question right when the offense can least afford one. [Read more 🡒]
Puka Nacua Leaves Rams Facing A Nervous Monday Night Wait
Puka Nacuas status has become the biggest late-week question hanging over the Rams as they head toward their Week 2 matchup with the Giants. Listed as questionable because of a hip injury, Nacua missed practice during the week, and Sean McVay still has not said whether the receiver will be available, leaving Los Angeles to manage the uncertainty right up to kickoff.
For a Rams team that is still carrying a strong betting edge entering Monday night, Nacuas availability matters well beyond the injury report. If he is ultimately held out, the line could move a bit, but the larger issue is what his absence would mean for a passing game that would rather not spend another week improvising while waiting on one of its most important targets. [Read more 🡒]