The Los Angeles Rams have long been known for disguising their plans on offense, and a new breakdown of tight end usage shows just how far that philosophy extends to personnel groupings.
According to data shared by analyst Ryan Paganetti, the Rams had the smallest pass-rate gap between their top two tight ends in 11 personnel on early downs of any team in the league during the 2025 regular season and playoffs. Colby Parkinson posted a 67.6% pass rate across 207 snaps in 11 personnel, while Tyler Higbee checked in at 66.4% on 140 snaps — a gap of just 1.2%.
That balance held even though Higbee missed significant time. He was sidelined by a hip injury in Week 5, then landed on injured reserve with an ankle issue and missed roughly six weeks before returning in Week 16. He finished with 25 catches for 281 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. Parkinson stepped up as the steadier full-season option, hauling in 43 passes for 408 yards and eight touchdowns, while rookie Terrance Ferguson chipped in 11 catches for 231 yards and three scores in a complementary role behind both veterans.
Regardless of which combination of the three was on the field, defenses could not easily decipher the Rams’ next move.
That unpredictability extends well beyond personnel groupings into how often the Rams used extra tight ends altogether. Per Sharp Football Analysis, Los Angeles ran an NFL-record 331 offensive plays out of three-tight-end personnel in 2025 — nearly triple the next-closest team, the Steelers, who ran 145.
The volume alone would be notable, but the efficiency is what separates it from a gimmick. The Rams averaged 8.4 yards per pass play with three or more tight ends on the field, a full two yards better than the 6.3 league average and among the best marks posted by any offense out of any personnel grouping in 2025. No team ran three-tight-end sets close to as often as L.A., and no team that used them with real volume came within shouting distance of that efficiency.
With Matthew Stafford back under center and a deep, versatile group at his disposal, McVay has one more layer of disguise to lean on as opponents search for any pre-snap edge against L.A.’s attack.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: How McVay’s tight end usage keeps defenses guessing
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
