Rams' biggest playoff concern could spell disaster against NFC contenders

The Los Angeles Rams are in the middle of a minor losing skid lately. Losses to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17 have confirmed their status as a road team in the playoffs.

While the special teams unit has been a much-maligned group all year, a different part of the game, one on defense, is a major concern this playoffs.

Aaron Schatz of ESPN highlighted the Rams' lackluster run defense in short yardage situation as a concerning weakness for the playoffs. But it's even worse for the Rams, as this weakness could spell their doom in the playoffs.

Rams' biggest playoff concern could spell doom vs. top contenders

"Concerning weakness: Short-yardage run defense," Schatz pointed out. "Up front, however, Los Angeles has stuffed opposing running backs for a loss or no gain on only 12.2% of runs. Only Cincinnati is worse."

This statistic is already an issue on the surface. If a defense cannot stop the run in short-yardage situations, when a running game is at its most important, the Rams could be in for trouble. But it gets even worse.

Schatz writes, "It's not a good weakness to have against this playoff field. Most of the Rams' possible playoff opponents have converted short-yardage runs over 70% of the time this season, including Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Carolina, and Tampa Bay."

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There are seven possible playoff matchups for the Rams this season, and only the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers aren't converting short-yardage runs at a 70% minimum rate.

But the Rams aren't safe from those teams either, as the Packers have Josh Jacobs and the Eagles have Saquon Barkley. Both running backs are among the best in the NFL, and combined with the Rams' weakness, they could do some damage.

Regardless of who the Rams face in the playoffs this season, their run defense in short-yardage situations is a major issue that could spell their doom.

This issue is a big one for the Rams, and could be the deciding factor in a playoff game this season. This is just one part of a game, but it's not an insignificant one, and with this playoff field, it's a weakness that could spell doom for the Rams in the playoffs.

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