After finishing dead last in the NFL in scoring last season, the Los Angeles Rams rank second this year. The job Sean McVay has done with guys like Jared Goff and Todd Gurley has been remarkable, putting the Rams on track to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The offensive turnaround has caught the attention of everyone, and rightfully so. Every aspect of the Rams’ offense has exceeded expectations, and it’s the main reason they’re legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

As good as the offense been, though, there’s still one area in which the Rams have struggled mightily – and it’s not where you’d expect. Los Angeles is 29th in the NFL on third-and-1, converting just 46.7 percent of the time (7-for-15).

For comparison’s sake, the Chiefs lead the way at 92.3 percent, getting past the sticks on 12 of 13 attempts. The Jets are last at 30.8 percent, which should come as no surprise.

There’s no question the Rams have been bad on third-and-short, but they still rank among the league’s best on third down overall. They’ve converted 43.7 percent of the time, which is seventh in the NFL – and that’s after going 3-for-14 against the Saints.

The Rams are bad on third-and-long, too. On plays needing 10-plus yards to convert for a first down, Los Angeles has gotten the necessary yards 17 percent of the time, just 22nd in the NFL. For a team as explosive as the Rams, that’s a bit surprising.

Where they thrive is in-between those two downs and distances. On third down needing 2 to 9 yards, the Rams are No. 1 in the NFL. They’ve converted on those plays 59.5 percent of the time, which is far better than the second-best team, the Bills (53.3 percent).

So while it’s certainly encouraging that the Rams are consistently converting on third-and-medium, their struggles on third-and-1 are concerning – especially with Gurley in the mix. He’s a powerful runner who often gains yards after first contact, but he’s struggled in short-yardage situations. The Rams are utilizing him in those scenarios, too. On 15 third-and-1 attempts, they’ve called a run play 13 times.

Gurley and the Rams offense as a whole simply has to be better in those situations.