The Los Angeles Rams got an exciting 44-42 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 14 in arguably what was the game of the year. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay had one of their best games of the season while wide receiver Puka Nacua also had a big day. Here is this week’s stock up, stock down.
Stock Up: Sean McVay’s Game Management
Sean McVay can take a lot of criticism by the Rams fanbase. Some of that is warranted, but sometimes it can get over the top. A game like Sunday against the Bills is a good reminder of the difference that McVay can make in a game. His game management in the fourth quarter was a huge difference-maker in the Rams coming out with a win over the Bills.
McVay not only completely shifted the Rams’ offensive identity and came up with a brilliant game plan, but his decisions in the fourth quarter were particularly impactful. However, it was not forcing anything at the end of the half and then his decisions in the fourth quarter that really paid off. Facing 4th-and-5 with under four minutes to play, McVay correctly opted to go for it. McVay with Matt Gay or Greg Zuerlein probably “takes the points”. However, the Rams head coach decided to go for it and the result was a drive that ended in a touchdown. If McVay was going to go down, he was going to go down swinging.
Stock Down: Rams Defense
The Rams defense got stops when it mattered and came up on the wrong side of a few penalties. However, at the end of the day, they simply need to be better. The Bills had the ball for 21 minutes and scored 42 points. After forcing a three-and-out and a punt to start the second half, they allowed four consecutive touchdown drives.
This group has had a lot of positive moments this year. When the Rams offense needed the defense to step up last week, that’s exactly what they did. This week, it was the offense that needed to step up in place of the defense. That said, explosive plays are becoming a significant issue. The Rams don’t have a cornerback that is confident on the ball. Safeties consistently take bad angles. This is a defense that simply does not play smart football in the secondary. While the defense is in the process of a re-build, there are a lot of mistakes that are avoidable.
Stock Up: Puka Nacua as a top-5 wide receiver
Is it possible that Puka Nacua is underrated? Nacua has risen to the occasion in many of the Rams’ big games over the last two years. That was no different on Sunday when he had 12 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. He added a rushing touchdown to that total as well.
Somehow it feels like Rams WR Puka Nacua is underrated.
2nd-most receptions in first 25 games (159)
4th-most yards in first 25 games (2,194)
2nd-most 100 yard games in first 25 games (11)
5th player ever with 10+ rec. and 100+ yds in 3 games within first 25 games.— Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakTST) December 9, 2024
How many wide receivers in the NFL are playing better than Puka Nacua right now? Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson? Outside of that, Puka Nacua has to be next in the conversation and an argument can be made that he should be talked about with those two. Every single week Nacua is laying out and making an incredible catch along the sideline. He may be the most positionally skilled wide receiver in the NFL and he needs to be in that conversation.
Stock Down: The pistol formation
Coming into the game on Sunday, Matthew Stafford had 63 passing attempts out of pistol which was the second-most in the NFL behind only Kirk Cousins. Whether it was a matchup thing or McVay just putting more trust in his quarterback, they didn’t throw a single pass out of pistol on Sunday against the Bills. In fact, McVay and Stafford got back to their “greatest hits”. After throwing just 26 times out of empty all year, Stafford was 7-for-7 for 97 yards and two touchdowns out of empty on Sunday.
Throughout the offseason, it became clear that the pistol formation was going to be a staple in the Rams offense. That may continue to be the case, but the drastic shift is something worth noting. Sometimes you just have to let your elite quarterback sling it and that’s exactly what McVay did.
Stock Up: Rams contender status
Not many gave the Rams a chance to win against the Bills on Sunday. However, the win showed exactly what the Rams can be when they are playing to their potential. For the first time all season, an offensive line with all five projected starters played together in back-to-back weeks. That showed in the offensive performance.
This is not to say that the Rams should be considered a Super Bowl contender. However, with four games to play, they are a team in control of their own destiny. If they do make the playoffs, they will be a team that nobody wants to face because of the Rams’ head coach-quarterback duo. They finally showed that they can compete and beat the best. We’ll see if that instills confidence in the rest of the roster.
