Rams Week 2 report card: Grading every position in win vs. Colts
We’re only two weeks into the regular season, but there doesn’t appear to be a glaring weakness on the Los Angeles Rams’ roster. Sure, there’s room for improvement, but the defense has been excellent in the red zone and the offense has shown an ability to strike quickly and efficiently.
We saw both of those things come through against the Colts in Week 2, a game the Rams won 27-24. There were strong performances from players on both sides of the ball, which was the case in Week 1, too.
Here’s our report card for the Rams’ win in Indianapolis.
Quarterback: B+
Matthew Stafford threw his first interception with the Rams, but that one pass shouldn’t outweigh the performance he had against a decent Colts defense. He threw for 278 yards on only 30 attempts, with two touchdowns and a passer rating of 101.8. Most importantly, he responded when the Rams fell behind – and quickly. He led a four-play, 70-yard drive in 2:03 after the Colts took their first lead, throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp to put the Rams back on top. He was sharp, and the three drops by his receivers didn’t help.
Running back: B
Darrell Henderson Jr. started the game once again, but he wasn’t able to finish it. He rushed for 53 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown, also catching three passes for 29 yards before injuring his rib in the second half. Sony Michel stepped in and rushed for 46 yards on 10 carries, looking good in his first real action with the Rams. The two got the job done despite not putting up huge numbers, earning a ‘B’ grade from us. Henderson gets some additional praise for his pass blocking, too, picking up the blitz well.
Wide receiver: B+
Cooper Kupp would get an A+ on his own for his 163-yard, two-touchdown performance. However, his fellow receivers struggled with drops and weren’t all that productive. Robert Woods had two drops and just 64 yards receiving on five catches, while Van Jefferson also had a drop and caught only one pass for 14 yards. DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell were non-factors, too. Kupp made up for some mistakes made by the Rams’ wideouts.
Tight end: C+
Tyler Higbee played every snap but he only caught one pass for 8 yards, which was his only target of the game. He was given an unimpressive 46.9 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, which weighed down his overall grade of 52.5 Johnny Mundt didn’t do anything meaningful to contribute, playing only three snaps, so it was up to Higbee to handle the snaps at tight end.
Offensive line: A-
The offensive line did a great job against the Colts, essentially neutralizing DeForest Buckner by limiting him to only four tackles and two QB hits. Stafford was sacked only once, which was allowed by Andrew Whitworth, but interior pressure wasn’t much of an issue. The pocket wasn’t as clean as it was in Week 1, but the quarterback had plenty of time to go through his progressions and find open receivers.
Defensive line: A-
The defensive line was once again led by Aaron Donald, who made his way into the backfield often against the Colts. He had eight pressures and three QB hits, though he didn’t have a sack. Sebastian Joseph-Day also stood out with nine tackles, two QB hits and a sack, plugging running lanes in the middle of the line. A’Shawn Robinson didn’t have much of an impact, however, failing to record a single tackle in his 27 snaps played. Jonah Williams had one pressure as a sub, and Greg Gaines had two of his own, as well.
Inside linebacker: B+
Troy Reeder was one of the Rams’ best players on defense this weekend, making four tackles, hitting the quarterback once and picking off a pass deep in the red zone to keep points off the board. His running mate, Kenny Young, wasn’t as successful against the Colts. Young was ejected for making contact with an official, and he was struggling in coverage before that incident. He was playing well against the run, however. It’s great to see Reeder playing so well as a starter.
Outside linebacker: B+
Leonard Floyd stepped up against the Colts, winning his matchup with Julien Davenport fairly often. He had seven total pressures on just 32 pass-rush opportunities, which is a high rate for the team’s top edge rusher. His tackling was subpar, though, missing a couple of sacks when he did get close to Carson Wentz. Justin Hollins only had two pressures as the No. 2 edge rusher, being the only other outside linebacker to hurry Wentz in the pocket. Floyd must continue playing the way he did against the Colts instead of the way he performed in Week 1.
Cornerback: A
Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams were both great in coverage. Ramsey only allowed one catch for 7 yards on four targets, while Williams surrendered just 57 yards on 11 targets. Ramsey’s game-sealing interception came at a huge moment late in the fourth quarter, too, showing why he’s the best corner in football. After getting tested often by the Bears, David Long Jr. was only targeted three times and allowed a single 9-yard catch. He’s off to a good start this season, too.
Safety: B-
Jordan Fuller allowed four catches on four targets, giving up 64 yards in coverage. Taylor Rapp also allowed three catches on four targets for 50 yards, as neither player was particularly good when dropping back and covering. Nick Scott, aside from his special teams blunder, played relatively well in his 11 defensive snaps, but the Rams need Fuller and Rapp to play better.
Special teams: C+
Special teams continues to be a problem for the Rams, particularly the punting game and coverage units. They allowed a 41-yard return on the opening kickoff and Hekker averaged just 36.3 yards per punt, with one of his kicks being downed inside the 20. The worst play of the afternoon came when Matthew Orzech’s long snap on a punt hit Scott in the arm and was recovered for a Colts touchdown, giving Indianapolis a lead in the fourth quarter. This group must be better, with the exception of Matt Gay and his perfect start to the season – including Sunday's game-winning field goal.
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