Normally, a bye this early for the Los Angeles Rams would not be considered a good thing, but in the topsy-turvy 2024 season, the timing couldn’t be better. L.A. needed the Week 6 re-set after an erratic 1-4 start that could have just as easily landed anywhere between 0-5 and 4-1.
As bad as the record is, there are reasons to remain optimistic. After late-camp and early season injuries decimated the team, particularly the offense, starters are starting to filter back to the team. The defense has started to make up ground after a poor start, minor tweaks/changes are being made weekly to shore up weak points. On offense, this version of the offensive line has now been working together five weeks and the run game is starting to heat up.
Bye week is a good time to look back and reflect on who’s playing and more importantly, on who’s playing well. After all, Rams head coach Sean McVay is hinting lineup changes are in store.
Players, individual game snap counts, and percentage played are in bold.
Quarterback
While there was much haranguing about the L.A. backup quarterback situation back in training camp, possible problems caused by Jimmy Garappolo (0, 0%) and his two game suspension or the substandard preseason work of Stetson Bennett (0, 0%) never came to fruition.
Matthew Stafford (327, 100%) has proven that at age 36, he can still take a beating. While his on-field production is on par with that of his past, two areas, touchdown passes and red zone efficiency have been lacking. Staff has moved the offense between the 20’s, but hasn’t been able to turn it into points. The Rams offense has scored 17.6 points per game, 27th in the league.
Running back
So far, the Rams haven’t done a lot to control the workload of Kyren Williams (71, 41, 52, 48, 67 = 85.3%). Overall, NFL teams are running the ball with renewed success this year, but the Rams aren’t following the trend. They are currently well-behind the pace of last season.
It looks as if Blake Corum (0, 8, 0, 0, 11 = 5.81%) will take over RB#2 and he should start to see a higher rep share. Ronnie Rivers (7, 3, 6, 13, 0 = 8.8%) will continue on special teams and be ready when/if his number is called on offense. Cody Schrader (0, 0%) was a final cuts waiver claim and had to be rostered, he’s likely inactice all season unless the injury bug bites.
Wide receiver
Since being re-installed as a starter three games ago, Tutu Atwell (6, 10, 43, 55, 63 = 54.1) has 14 catches for 233 yards, a 16.0 yard clip. He’s earned his role as a contributor and adds a deep component to the Rams offense, thus making it more multiple.
Andrew Whittington (2, 26, 22, 59, 72 = 55.3%) has been an excellent compliment underneath with good hands and run-after-catch ability. His versatility and physical play has the Rams using him all over their formations, both as blocker and receiver. After getting his feet wet early, he’s played 131 of the last 139 snaps.
It’s been a relatively quiet go for Demarcus Robinson (72, 48, 54, 52, 76 = 92.3%). Even with all of the play time, he hasn’t been able to step up as the “go to” guy. He’s been passed by Atwell and Whittington in target share and appears destined for a WR#4. Honestly which is what he’s always been.
The biggest faller in the WR room, Tyler Johnson (51, 45, 29, 10, 11 = 44.6%) has been targeted twice in the last two games. Xavier Smith (0, 0, 0, 2, 8 = 3.1%) has been used mostly as a kick returner, but has received a few offensive reps. A decision looms on his availability to the Rams for future use. He’s not on the active roster and has elevated from the practice squad three times. His next elevation will require a roster spot.
On the injury front, Cooper Kupp (78, 27, 0, 0, 0 = 32.1%) probably shouldn’t gear up for this weekend’s tilt with the Las Vegas Raiders, but rather mark the calendar for the Minnesota Vikings in 10 days. Don’t look for Puka Nacua (25, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 7.64%) soon, Rams head coach Sean McVay said that he’s “…still a little bit away.”
Tight end
With Tyler Higbee out for a big chunk of the season with a knee injury, the signing of Colby Parkinson (69, 42, 58, 53, 62 = 86.8%) appeared a very good move. Research showed that he was well-thought of as a receiver by draft pundits and had spent four seasons with a Seattle team known for its run game and two-tight end formations. He hasn’t played poorly and Matthew Stafford appears very comfortable targeting him, but he’s akin to a low-fat, low-protein meal— leaving me wanting a little more. I’d like to see a him show an additional physical presence.
After a career full of injury, Hunter Long (3, 10, 26, 13, 17 = 21.1%) has stayed healthy and fans get see a little of why he was a Round 3 pick. Very modest production, but his snap counts are going up incrementally. I’d like to see how he looks with more time on the field. Injuries have held Davis Allen (6, 0, 0, 0, 3 = 2.7%) back after a promising rookie outing, maybe he heals up with the bye.
Offensive line
In his second season starting at left tackle, Alaric Jackson (0, 0, 58, 61, 78 = 60.2%) has shown solid advancement. He’s been a bargain. The bye may be in the best interests of Kevin Dotson (78, 52, 58, 61, 78 = 100%), he’s been playing with a tweaked ankle and you can see on film that he’s not pushing off like in the past. After missing that first game, Rob Havenstein (0, 52, 58, 61, 78 = 76.1%) is back and in full form. He’s not a dominating force, just a solid pro. SIS DataHub rates him ESPN has him 2nd in Run Block Win Rate and 20th in Pass Bock Win Rate.
Rookie Beau Limmer (41, 52, 58, 61, 78 = 88.6%) has had a baptism by fire. Opposing teams are trying to exploit his inexperience in blocking calls by using stunts, loops, and late blitzing, but he’s generally held up. SIS DataHub rates him as the 15th best center and 62nd best offensive lineman. Also basically a rookie, Logan Bruss (0, 0, 56, 61, 78 = 59.6%) has played pretty well. He’s proven to be much stronger run blocking than in pass protection, ESPN rates him 7th in Interior Offensive Line Run Block Win Rate.
After struggling in the first two weeks, Warren McClendon (78, 52, 0, 0, 0 = 39.7%) won’t likely be used unless it’s an emergency situation or a mop up job. Ditto for undrafted rookies Justin Dedich (0, 0, 2, 0, 0 = 0.6%) and Dylan McMahon (0, 0%). Any kind of injury would put the Rams behind the eight ball, until Joseph Noteboom gets back. L.A. just opened the 21-day practice window for his return.
Special teams
Rookie kicker Josh Karty (18 total snaps) is 9 of 10 on field goals and 7 of 8 on extra points. If he stays on that course, it will be a solid first year.
A good sophomore season for punter Ethan Evans (58 total snaps). He’s 6th in net yards per punt, 8th in percentage of punts inside the 20 and allowed only seven returns. He’s booted 24 of 25 kickoffs through the end zone.
You never notice long snapper Jay Ward (33 total snaps) because he has yet to make a wayward snap on punts, extra points or field goals.
Defensive tackle
Seven down linemen is a lot to carry, time must be getting short for at least one and the addition of Jonah Williams (0, 0, 0, 0, 1 = 0.3%) could make it two. Going forward, Williams could take up to 40-50% of DLine snaps. He did the run-plugging dirty work last season, that opened (or clogged?) things up for others. Maybe Mr. Irrelevant, Desjuan Johnson ( 0, 21, 6, 0, 0 = 8.5%) has run his course. He’s only been active in two games. Tyler Davis (11, 0, 21, 11, 7 = 15.7%) is on a downward snap trend, but the Rams like to keep their draft picks around for a year.
The Rams have been putting Kobie Turner (56, 55, 57, 50 48 = 83.9%) at nose tackle the past two games and he’s heating up. He’s on track to match last season’s production. At first blush, it would appear that Braden Fiske’s (47, 52, 46, 33, 30 = 65.2%) reps are trending down, but the Rams have begun using a deeper rotation these past two games. He’s is in the Top 10 of ESPN’s Pass Rush and Run Stop Rate’s. Good stuff for a rookie.
It’s dramatic irony that the Rams have had to move their two biggest lineman out of the nose tackle job. Bobby Brown (37, 37, 30, 32, 28 = 51.7%) and Neville Gallimore (4, 16, 29, 30, 19 = 30.9%) have combined for 24 tackles, but not a single one for loss and only one quarterback pressure. They are consistently being pushed back and playing on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage.
Edge
L.A. is certainly getting draft value out of Jared Verse (43, 48, 47, 41, 41 = 69.4%). He’s got a ways to go on wrapping up tackles, but when Pro Football Focus, ESPN Pass Rush Win Rate and SIS DataHub all have him listed in the upper echelon of their ratings, something is going right. Verse, along with his two mates, need to show better awareness and discipline when protecting/setting the edge.
I mentioned in last week’s snap count review and it bears repeating that Byron Young (49, 42, 54, 49, 47 = 76.0%) and Verse have a bad habit in common. Both tend to thump ball carriers instead of wrap them up. They are both young and could get away with it against college competition, but in the NFL, strength and contact balance are not outliers, they’re common traits. That said, Young has a tremendous explosive quality to his game and as this defensive front grows together, they will end strong.
The unlimited motor of Michael Hoecht (30, 42, 43, 34, 38 = 58.9%) makes him a suitable backup to the Rams young edge phenoms, he won’t allow the defense a break when subbing in. While the discount in reps has his overall stats down, he stays right in there with tackles for loss and the new defensive scheme doesn’t put him in harm’s way with pass coverage. It’s only been a few times, but I like when the Rams have used a package of all three edges together.
Not much room for Nick Hampton (0, 1, 0, 0, 0 = 0.3%) and Brennan Jackson (0, 0%). Depending on how the season progresses, an argument could be made for both Hampton and Jackson to get a look. Hoecht is currently making $3mil and is an unrestricted free agent next year. His contract evaluation by overthecap.com sets him to be just under $5mil.
Off-ball linebacker
It’s fair to say that the linebacker unit didn’t turn out as expected. The rub with and banishment of Ernest Jones came late in the process and forced Troy Reeder (61, 65, 69, 56, 51 = 95.2%) into a starting role. As well, the defensive front line’s trouble holding its mud has forced many more two-linebacker formations, making Christian Rozeboom’s (45, 52, 55, 37, 42 = 72.8%) role more extensive than last year when he was often subbed out for an extra safety.
The song remains the same for Jake Hummel (0, 0%), Omar Speights (0, 0%), and Elias Neal (0, 0%). All three have been solely limited to special teams work.
Safety
When the Rams signed Kam Curl (61, 66, 71, 60, 59 = 100%), he was expected to play a pivotal role in the secondary. L.A. head coach Sean McVay called him a “grown ass man” and compared him to former-Ram Mark Barron. Curl is a much better player underneath, attacking and cleaning up tackles, but the Rams lack a true free safety to play in deep coverage and to say he’s struggled deep is an understatement, allowing 9 of 11 completions (88.1%) and a QB rating of 158.3.
To start the season, the Rams were using Quentin Lake (61, 66, 71, 60, 59 = 100%) all over the field in the “STAR” position, a hybrid CB/S/LB. He became the Rams leading tackler, but due to problems at safety, the team has returned him to that traditional role in the last two weeks. While his tackle numbers are a bit down, his coverage game has improved. Versus the Packers, although Lake was not charged with it, he was part of giving up that deep completion that set up the first score of the game.
With Curl and Lake gobbling up the safety snaps, there won’t be many leftovers. Kam Kinchens (5, 9, 29, 38, 0 = 25.5%) had his chance, but too many rookie mistakes have pushed himJaylen McCollough (0, 1, 11, 0, 15 = 8.51%) now gets a chance in package work. The interception return for a touchdown didn’t hurt his case.
Cornerback
Notice how you’re not hearing the name Cobie Durant (59, 48, 70, 60, 56 = 92.4%) much on telecasts? Durant has taken to being moved back outside and has quietly put together a solid season. He’s allowed 11 of 20 passes for a 55.0% completion rate and a 70.4 quarterback rating. He’s also tackling better, 15 with one miss, allowed 11 yards after catch, and has a QB hit on a blitz.
L.A. didn’t waste much time getting Darious Williams (0, 0, 0, 0, 29 = 9.1%) up to speed. He didn’t start but was on the field in the second half. I had him down for allowing two short completions and I’ll leave it to debate as to whether he was burnt or playing from trail position on his late-game pass break up. Either way, his addition should help solidify the Rams pass defense.
Undrafted rookie Josh Wallace (2, 18, 2, 0, 31 = 16.7%) got the start and the most work work since mopping up in the Arizona Cardinals loss. Against the Pack, he allowed two short completions with a passer rating of 57.3.
Tre’Davious White (61, 60, 71, 60, 0 = 79.4%) was a healthy scratch and faces an unknown future, while undrafted rookie Charles Woods (0, 6, 0, 0, 0 = 1.8%) does his work on special teams.
What to expect going forward
The defense has improved incrementally since the Arizona debacle and fans should expect that to continue. It won’t be a good defense unless they can do something about stopping the explosive plays, but the recent additions of corner Darious Williams and defensive tackle Jonah Williams, as small as they may seem, will help out immediately.
But this Rams team will only go as far as the offense takes it and up to this point, has not been hitting on all cylinders. It should be reported that they have faced 4 of the top 12 defenses in fewest points allowed and played even with them. But, the red zone woes have to be figured out, by both coaches and players.
When predicting the rest of the season, a good case can be made for coming back from the horrific 1-4 start and having a good season. Without getting too deep into prognostication, if the Rams can win 4 of 5 coming out the bye and get their offensive starters back, that would be a great position for the stretch drive. But that means the Rams find a way to pry wins out of close games, not find a way shoot themselves in the foot.
