The Rams are going big with 3 tight ends on offense, and it’s driving their 4-game winning streak

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Halfway through his ninth season as the Los Angeles Rams’ coach, Sean McVay is still coming up with new ways to confound NFL defenses.

The latest twist in his offensive game plans has been a big surprise — quite literally.

The Rams (7-2) are thriving in recent weeks with extensive, simultaneous use of three tight ends. The bulky offensive sets — and Matthew Stafford’s superb play within them — have been a major driver of Los Angeles’ offensive surge, culminating in a redemptive 42-26 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday for the Rams’ fourth consecutive win.

“The thing that’s cool is it always starts with the players,” McVay said Monday. “The only reason you can do it is because you have four players that are capable of doing it. They’re smart, they’re conscientious, they can play all the spots, and it’s awesome.”

Those four tight ends are Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson. All four have caught a pass in each of the past two games, with Parkinson and Allen hauling in TD passes in Santa Clara.

McVay spent years devoted to 11 personnel — a term meaning one running back, one tight end and three receivers on the field. The Rams had long stretches where they never changed their basic setup at all, with McVay’s offenses regularly ranking near the top of the league in their use of three-receiver sets.

This season, McVay has four tight ends who are capable blockers and receivers, and he’s putting them all to work. Even back in training camp, McVay clearly had big things in mind for his big men, and those early plans have played out in fascinating fashion.

The Rams had three tight ends on the field against the 49ers for 30 of their 67 snaps — one of the highest rates by any NFL team in the past decade. A week earlier, three tight ends played on 35 of the Rams’ 80 plays in their 34-10 win over New Orleans, making a combined 10 catches for 114 yards and two scores.

Perhaps this new twist shouldn’t be such a surprise. After all, McVay got his NFL start with three seasons as Washington’s tight ends coach from 2011-13, working with the likes of Chris Cooley and Vernon Davis.

“This does bring back some good memories,” McVay said. “This game is cyclical.”

What’s working

Stafford has played his way into the MVP conversation for the first time in his 17-season career with one superb performance after another. He scorched the 49ers for 280 yards and four touchdowns, including the 400th of his career. In the past six games, he has thrown for 1,688 yards with 20 touchdowns and no interceptions. This Rams offense has been one of McVay’s best so far — and that’s saying something.

What needs help

The Rams’ vaunted pass rush didn’t make much impact on 49ers quarterback Mac Jones, who wasn’t sacked and was only hit once while going 33 for 39 with three TDs. Los Angeles still ranks among the NFL leaders in sacks, but San Francisco could have provided a blueprint for opposing offenses to minimize the edge rushers’ impact.

Stock up

Harrison Mevis, the “Thiccer Kicker,” will keep the job for another week after hitting six straight extra points at San Francisco. Mevis didn’t get the opportunity to try his first NFL field goal, but McVay remains convinced Mevis can do the job. Yet McVay also said the Rams will continue to use a roster spot to keep deposed kicker Joshua Karty.

Stock down

Cornerback Darious Williams played only 12 snaps while still coming back from his shoulder injury, and the 49ers appeared to be eager to throw his way. The Rams weren’t ready to use new cornerback Roger McCreary, so Williams had to do his best in less-than-ideal circumstances.

Injuries

McVay had no update on receiver Davante Adams, but reiterated his belief that the veteran could have returned against the Niners despite his oblique injury.

Key number

13 — The number of touchdown passes Stafford has thrown over the past three games — all of them against an opposing blitz, according to NFL NextGen Stats. McVay said those numbers are a bit skewed because red-zone plays inside the opponent’s 5 are always counted as blitzes, but that’s still a compliment to Stafford and to the Rams’ offense, which has sharply improved its red-zone effectiveness.

Next steps

Regular-season games don’t get much bigger than Sunday’s showdown with the Seattle Seahawks (7-2), who have kept pace with the Rams in the NFC West. Cooper Kupp, the MVP of the Rams’ Super Bowl victory, will return to the city where the receiver spent his first eight seasons and where he is still beloved by Rams fans.

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