The Rams’ offensive line has been a driving force during their bye turnaround despite injuries at the position.

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Coming off a bye week with the Rams, quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked once and pressured 11 times on 58 defensive tackles. That’s Stafford’s lowest total in both stats through two games this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

On an offensive line that has lost two starters since the second game of the season, Stafford’s pocket has remained very clean over the past two games. In place of injured forwards John Jackson and Steve Avila, sixth-round rookie Bo Limmer took over at center, and undrafted rookie Justin Dedich most recently took over at left guard. Neither has allowed a sack in 283 blocked snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

“(We) mostly just stay together, stay in touch, play as a unit.” Offensive lineman Alaric Jackson told theRams.com.

This success is a testament to veteran leadership, rookie adaptability, offensive line coach Ryan Wendell, assistant offensive line coach Zach Cromer and Mike Munchak, who advised the team. With the Rams since 2023, Wendell has taken charge of the group and helped them succeed despite personnel and injuries. It hasn’t been flawless, but after the bye week, the unit appears to have achieved its goal.

“(Wendell) was great with the guys,” head coach Sean McVay said. “Be able to communicate, communicate with them, be able to teach, and he has incredible humility and is always learning. He always asks questions, although he knows the answers to most questions. He has very strong opinions about how (things) should look.”

McVay was impressed by how “resilient” and “poised” Wendell was in the face of adversity, as well as the rapid improvement of young players such as Dedich and Limmer.

According to McVay, both players were productive pass protectors and run blockers during their starts.

“When you look at Bo, he has a really tough role to play,” McVay said. “We ask a lot from this center, especially in terms of communication, and in many cases we didn’t have verbal communication, so there’s a lot of emphasis on visual communication… (I was) pleased with the improvement.”

McVay added that Limmer has also gotten better physically as a blocker since being elevated to the starting lineup. He also said Dedich has “good instincts and awareness” and boasts the ability to anticipate moves.

Offensive lineman Kevin Dotson said the roster’s improvement is largely a result of continuity. That was never more evident than last week against the Vikings. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known for bringing a lot of pressure with great looks, but the Rams’ frontcourt played its best game of the season in perhaps its toughest game to date. In 12 blitzes, Stafford was never pressured.

Dotson said it’s “a matter of time” before things start to pick up. He’s trying to give younger players the advice he wishes he’d received in his rookie year without trying to change his identity, and they’ve taken it in stride.

“The best person you can be is yourself,” Dotson said. “So if we can leave them to themselves, but just do it in a way that helps the whole online line, that’s something we can do.”

One player who really helped these young guys develop was offensive lineman Rob Havenstein. Dotson said Havenstein has the right to correct decisions a center makes if he sees something differently, and that helps players be more aware and perform their assignments more easily.

“(Havenstein) is not the center, but he controls the line of communication,” Dotson said. “Whatever he says, we’ll do it.”

Against Minnesota’s unique pass rush scheme, Havenstein’s presence was vital to the Rams’ success. Dotson said that in the short week of preparation, they were “reacting” to what the Vikings often showed on tape rather than preparing for every possibility. They reached a level of comfort and trust in each other that was reflected in the statistical table.

“(The win over Minnesota) shows us that we can handle a tough defense … and just boosts our confidence,” Dotson said. “Now we’re going up against people with pretty simple facades, now we can say, ‘This is nothing compared to what we just did.’

Dotson added that Seattle’s pass-rush scheme isn’t complex, but it’s still not just constant base defense.

The Seahawks are turning out the eighth-lowest passer in the league, according to Next Gen Stats, so there likely won’t be as much tension on the offensive line on Sunday. They can use this in conjunction with the 10 days between games to improve their results from the previous week.

“It’s like anything else: the more continuity you have (the better),” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “These guys have been playing together for a few weeks now, so you expect to see improvement and we expect to see even more, and I know they expect to see more of themselves.”