After leading the league in points last season, the Los Angeles Rams haven’t missed a beat this year. They’re third in points, second in yards and have committed the fewest turnovers, which is a recipe for success in the NFL.

Part of the reason the offense has been so dominant is that it creates explosive plays left and right. Todd Gurley has 13 runs of at least 15 yards, yet his longest is only 29 yards. He ranks second in the NFL with 1,043 yards but hasn’t ripped off a long 50-yarder to pad his stats.

In the passing game, Jared Goff and his receivers have been on the same page all year. He’s had 57 completions of at least 20 yards, including four over 50 yards. The Rams rank second in the NFL in explosive plays (15-yard rushes, 20-yard passes) behind only the Chiefs.

Unfortunately, the Rams have also been susceptible to big plays on defense. It doesn’t help that they played four of the top-five teams in explosive plays (excluding themselves) this season, but Los Angeles has to be better in that department.

Wade Phillips’ defense has allowed the second-most explosive plays in the NFL, only fewer than the Chiefs.

The best teams in the NFL – the Saints, Rams and Chiefs – all create big plays consistently, but only one doesn’t rank among the worst when it comes to defending them. That could be the reason the Saints look like the best team in the league right now, owning a tiebreaker over Los Angeles, too.

This is one area in which the Rams have to improve if they want to go deep into the playoffs.