Can other NFL offenses copy the Rams' 13 personnel...
Key takeaways
- Sean Mc Vay had probably been thinking about his next offensive trick for years.
- When receiver Puka Nacua went down with an ankle injury against the Ravens last season and was ruled out for the subsequent week's game in London against the Jaguars, McVay was faced with a conundrum.
- What McVay did was almost entirely out of character for his offenses, going back to his first year with the Rams in 2017.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Sean Mc Vay had probably been thinking about his next offensive trick for years. He might have seen the vision early in his run as coach of the Rams, and he might have witnessed what other teams had done and thought he could do it better. There was a hint to the future over draft weekend a year ago, but it wasn't until the 2026 NFL draft that we really saw how the league had been shifted -- all as a result of one relatively minor injury.
When receiver Puka Nacua went down with an ankle injury against the Ravens last season and was ruled out for the subsequent week's game in London against the Jaguars, McVay was faced with a conundrum. He had Davante Adams at wide receiver, of course, but there wasn't much behind him on the depth chart. Tutu Atwell hadn't been consistent enough to earn a larger role and had just missed the Ravens game with a hamstring injury. Jordan Whittington could theoretically step into the Nacua role, but only as a pale imitation of the real thing. Players such as Xavier Smith and Konata Mumpfield would see their roles increase later in the season, but they hadn't played much by the time the Rams crossed the Atlantic.
What McVay did was almost entirely out of character for his offenses, going back to his first year with the Rams in 2017. McVay's response to the Nacua injury was to go from 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) to 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends, one wide receiver). While that seems logical enough, it undersells just how stunning of a change that is for the 40-year-old coach.