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The Los Angeles Rams earned a dominant victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday with the help of several impressive performances. Blake Corum and Kyren Williams led the run game while the Rams remained stout on defense, creating turnovers in the secondary. Let’s get into this week’s player and position grades.
The Rams certainly need to get Matthew Stafford some help. For the first half against the Chargers, Stafford did not appear comfortable and seemed unsettled in the pocket. With that said, the Rams also need Stafford to be better. He had just a 35.7 QBR and averaged -0.23 EPA per pass. Stafford was good when he needed to be and was efficient in the second half, but the Rams need more from their quarterback.
While Blake Corum and Kyren Williams had just five carries for 10 yards in the first half, they turned it around in the second half. Corum and Williams combined for 22 carries for 119 yards after halftime. Corum led the way as he had 55 yards, including a 23-yard score on the opening drive of the second half. The Rams had the third-best rushing attack in Week 8, averaging 0.15 EPA per rush.
When it comes to the Rams’ wide receivers, it’s like doing a group project in school, but only one person did all the work. Grading just Puka Nacua, he would get an A+, but we have to grade the group as a whole. Konata Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington, and Tutu Atwell aren’t good enough. Nacua caught 11-of-12 targets for 80 yards while the rest of the Rams’ receivers combined for two catches on six targets.
Moving to 13 personnel changed the entire dynamic of the Rams’ offense. The Rams were able to run the ball and operate from under center the way they want to. Finding consistency on the ground also opened up the play-action passing game. Max Klare showed why he should have been getting more playing time earlier in the season as he had an impact as a blocker as well.
The offensive line was fantastic for the Rams on Sunday. As a whole, they allowed just one pressure and were dominant in the second half when the Rams got physical and started running the ball. Sunday was also the best game of the season for Kevin Dotson. He looked a lot like the player many have come to expect.
For most of the afternoon, the Rams dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Had the Chargers picked up the first down on 3rd-and-3 at the end of the half, the Rams' offense may not have gotten another chance to score, leaving the team potentially trailing by double digits. PFF also credited the Rams' defense with 15 pressures on the day.
Omar Speights’ strong run of form continued on Sunday. Since Week 3, Speights has been the fourth-best linebacker in the NFL via PFF. An argument can be made that Speights should be getting more playing time. Now that Quentin Lake has taken over green dot responsibilities, that might happen. Nate Landman had two missed tackles in his return after being out with an injury last week.
The Rams have one of the best pass defenses in the NFL and they made a positive impact against the Chargers. Quentin Lake and Trent McDuffie each hauled in an interception. McDuffie also led the Rams in tackles. This remains one of the Rams’ strongest position groups.
For the first time this season, there isn’t a lot to talk about with special teams. The Rams had two kickoffs that ended up short of the landing zone with the dirty kickoff approach. With that said, when it was executed, the dirty kickoff worked. Ethan Evans had a strong day as well. I don’t want to get too optimistic, but maybe this group is turning a corner.
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