Rams report card: Grading every position heading into Week 7 bye
Cameron DaSilva /October 19, 2022
The Rams have reached their Week 7 bye, which is the perfect time to evaluate each position group through 6 games
theramswire.usatoday.com
The Los Angeles Rams have hit their bye in Week 7, wrapping up their first six games of the season with a win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. We’re not quite at the halfway point in the season, but now is a good time to evaluate each position group on the Rams’ roster through six games.
Here is our latest report card, grading each position up to this point. The offense received predictably low grades, but there’s a lot to like on defense.
Quarterback: C-
There are two factors at play with Matthew Stafford. For one, his offensive line has been atrocious, which isn’t surprising given how many injuries the Rams have suffered in that group. But Stafford also has not been good enough.
He’s been much too careless with the football, committing 10 turnover-worthy plays in six games, which is tied for the second-most among all quarterbacks. Stafford is capable of playing better, even under as much pressure as he has been, and he won’t deny that, either.
Running back: F
Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. have been a complete flop in the backfield. They were believed to be one of the more promising tandems in the league, but through six weeks, they’ve been one of the worst. Henderson is 83rd among all running backs in rushing grade, per Pro Football Focus, and Akers is even worse at No. 91.
They’re missing holes, not breaking tackles and doing very little to help the offense. Now, Akers is on his way out, which only worsens this problem for Los Angeles.
Wide receiver: B+
Cooper Kupp is doing all he can to keep this offense afloat. He leads the NFL with 56 catches and is averaging 101 yards per game, so he hasn’t missed a beat from last year.
Unfortunately, the rest of the receiving corps has struggled to show any sort of consistency. Ben Skowronek has 221 yards, which is second among the team’s wide receivers, and Allen Robinson has just 170 yards in his first six games – not even 30 yards per game.
Tight end: B
Tyler Higbee has been featured in the offense as one of Stafford’s favorite targets, catching 34 passes for 297 yards. He’s been the only tight end consistently contributing, and his value to the team is high. But the Rams could also use more from their other tight ends, Kendall Blanton and Brycen Hopkins.
Offensive line: D
The only reason this grade isn’t an ‘F’ is because of the injuries the offensive line has suffered. It’s hard to blame this group for being as bad as it has been without Brian Allen, Coleman Shelton, Tremayne Anchrum Jr., David Edwards and now Joe Noteboom, but even in Week 1 when everyone was healthy, the protection was poor.
With Allen on his way back, hopefully the level of play up front improves in the second half of the season.
Defensive line: B
Greg Gaines has taken a step back this season, which has hurt the defensive line as a whole. A’Shawn Robinson isn’t doing much as a pass rusher, but his run defense has been solid.
And then there’s Aaron Donald, who has been every bit as dominant as he usually is. Marquise Copeland is coming into his own and has helped the group in the last two weeks, but outside of Donald, there’s plenty of room for improvement.
Inside linebacker: A-
The pairing of Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones has worked out just as the Rams hoped it would. Wagner has been excellent against the run and is the Rams’ second-highest graded defender, only missing one tackle all year and also recording two sacks.
Jones is the Rams’ fifth-best defender, per PFF’s grading system, and always seems to make plays no matter where the ball is. They’ve been a real strength of this defense and have cleaned up some of the misses from the defensive line.
Outside linebacker: D
Leonard Floyd, Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins have not been good. It’s just that simple. They have 15 pressures combined in six games and have only totaled two sacks as a group.
They’ve been one of the most disappointing groups of players this season, and their ineffectiveness as pass rushers is hurting the defense. Floyd, in particular, has been a dud for the Rams this year, being the team’s clear-cut No. 1 edge rusher based on salary and playing time.
Cornerback: B+
Jalen Ramsey got off to a little bit of a rough start, but he’s back on track and playing the way we all expect him to; he has the third-best PFF grade on the Rams’ defense. Unfortunately, the rest of the cornerback group has been riddled with injuries. Troy Hill, Cobie Durant, David Long Jr. and Grant Haley have all missed time with injuries.
Derion Kendrick is doing a decent job as a fill-in, but the hope is that Hill and Durant returning will improve the overall play in the secondary.
Safety: B
Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott and Jordan Fuller have done a decent job on the back end. None of the three has stood out in a particularly positive way, but they also haven’t made many costly mistakes.
Scott is probably the best of the three, especially when it comes to coverage. Fuller’s fall from starter and captain has been surprising but the Rams clearly like Scott and Rapp over him.
Special teams: C
Matt Gay has only missed one field goal all season, and it came from 50-plus yards. He also made a 57-yarder and has drilled all of his PATs. That part of special teams hasn’t been a problem. The punting, coverage and return game have been less-than-stellar.
Dixon has had one punt blocked and Brandon Powell is averaging 19 yards per kickoff return, which is somewhat concerning. The Rams did block a punt against the Cardinals, but the special teams operation needs to be better as a whole.
