The Los Angeles Rams came up with a much-needed win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, winning 26-17 on the road. After the way they played against the Cardinals in Week 4, it was important to bounce back with a victory in dominant fashion against their division rivals.
Pro Football Focus handed out grades for every Rams player who took the field on Thursday night, and it was clear which position groups stood out in a positive way. On offense, it was the wide receiver group, with the defensive line stepping up.
Below are the top three and bottom three players on offense and defense, as well as other notables.
Top 3 offense
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WR Robert Woods: 87.0
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WR Cooper Kupp: 78.6
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WR DeSean Jackson: 77.8
Can you tell which position group played well in this one? Woods, Kupp and Jackson all had a big impact in the win over the Seahawks, combining for 310 of Matthew Stafford’s 365 yards on 20 catches between the three of them. None of the wideouts had great games as blockers in the running game, with the exception of Kupp’s big block on Jamal Adams during Darrell Henderson’s 29-yard run, but they were excellent as receivers – which is what they’re primarily paid to be.
Top 3 defense
Like the offense, there was one group that clearly stood out as the best on defense. It was the defensive line, with Donald, Joseph-Day and Gaines all playing well. Donald had seven pressures on his own, but Joseph-Day and Gaines each had three, which is impressive for a pair of nose tackles. Joseph-Day made eight tackles to lead the team, too, so he was stout against the run.
Bottom 3 offense
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WR Van Jefferson: 51.7
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TE Tyler Higbee: 49.4
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LG David Edwards: 48.2
Jefferson played his fewest snaps of the season and didn’t do much in his limited opportunity. He caught just one pass for 16 yards on the opening drive and dropped what likely would’ve been a touchdown on a slant route near the goal line. Higbee caught two passes for 14 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown, but PFF wasn’t overly impressed with any part of his performance. Edwards was the weak link on the offensive line, allowing two pressures and getting beat by his man for tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage twice on a single possession.
Bottom 3 defense
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LB Kenny Young: 47.3
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S Taylor Rapp: 44.7
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S Nick Scott: 28.9
Young played fewer snaps than Troy Reeder, and perhaps that’s because he didn’t play particularly well. He allowed 64 yards in coverage on three targets, including a big 29-yard catch by Deejay Dallas when Young was in man coverage. He didn’t miss any tackles, fortunately, but he was a liability in coverage.
Rapp and Scott also had rough nights. Rapp gave up a 25-yard pass to Tyler Lockett on the opening drive after he bit on the play fake, failing to get back into coverage quickly enough. Scott had an interception, but PFF gave him a team-worst 30.7 coverage grade.
Other notables
Whitworth was the fourth-highest graded player on offense, allowing only one pressure in 38 pass-blocking snaps. Michel outgraded Darrell Henderson, who received an overall grade of 62.9 despite rushing for 82 yards on only 17 carries. Stafford played well outside of a few bad throws, including his inexplicable interception in the end zone, but he received just an average grade.
Ramsey admitted he didn’t have his best game and gave up a season-high six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, but it’s still somewhat surprising to see him graded lower than Rochell, who allowed three catches for 36 yards and a touchdown, with a defensive pass interference penalty, too. Fuller earned his highest grade of the season and allowed only one catch for 4 yards in coverage.
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