The Los Angeles Rams moved to 2-0 after a closer than expected contest against the Tennessee Titans. LA came out on top 33-19.
Do we know who the Rams are and what they are capable of after two games? It’s really not clear.
Los Angeles bested a talented Houston Texans team that has holes in important areas of their roster in the opener. This weekend’s game against the Titans was a tale of two halves. It’s difficult to know how this team stacks up for their Week 3 matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
But good teams find ways to win. That’s exactly what the Rams were able to accomplish on Sunday.
Which individuals affected the outcome in positive and negative ways? Let’s look at the “winners & losers”.
Winners
Byron Young, EDGE
Now up to three sacks on the season with two coming from this game, Byron Young is on pace for a major statistical breakout in his third year as a pro. Young was stout in the run game on Sunday as well.
Most importantly—with the outcome in the balance at 20-16 Rams with two third of the fourth quarter remaining—Young recorded a strip sack on rookie QB Cam Ward to trigger a resounding finish by LA. They went on to score 13 fourth quarter points after this splash play.
Jared Verse hasn’t filled up the stat sheet yet. Opposing offensive lines are paying him a lot of attention. If Young is going to capitalize like this consistently, his presence will make the Rams defense dangerous.
Puka Nacua, WR
Nacua is the engine of the Rams offense. His early 45-yard rushing touchdown set the tone. While Davante Adams out targeted and gained more yards than Nacua at 13-106 and 9-91, the offense seemed more efficient when they got the ball in the hands of their best offensive player.
Darious Williams, CB
Ahkello Witherspoon left the game early due to a shoulder injury. Fortunately for Los Angeles, they didn’t seem to miss him too much. It’s worth mentioning that Witherspoon brings a size element to the corner room that others don’t offer; however, he’s the worst coverage player out of the big four on the roster.
While Williams did not play a single defensive snap last week against Houston, he stepped in for roughly a third of the game and played admirably. Williams was stingy in coverage and forced a pass breakup in limited targets.
You can do worse than having a savvy veteran with a wealth of experience in this defense on the bench. That value was evident on Sunday afternoon.
Blake Corum, RB
There wasn’t much to be excited about with the Rams running game in the first half and continuing into the second. Blake Corum received two carries and created yards after contact in a way that Kyren Williams simply was not. Sean McVay rewarded Corum with more touches, and he rewarded his head coach by rushing five times for 44 yards and a score (8.8 average vs Williams at 3.9).
Does Corum start to steal carries from Williams moving forward?
Davis Allen, TE
Davis Allen doesn’t have the athleticism of Tyler Higbee or Terrance Ferguson to make much of an impact between the 20-yard lines. The Rams aren’t going to use Allen on screens often like they do with Higbee.
But Allen is a useful chess piece as a blocker who can then make an impact in the red zone—and he’s found success in this department in each of the two weeks by catching touchdowns.
Allen seems like the team’s most consistent receiving option in the red area in the limited action we’ve seen so far.
Losers
Justin Dedich, LG
Steve Avila sat out against the Titans while he nurses an ankle injury. While Beaux Limmer replaced him in the lineup this week, Justin Dedich instead received the start at left guard.
Dedich played well in limited opportunities last season. This game was disappointing, though worth pointing out that he drew one of the toughest matchups in the NFL in Jeffery Simmons. Dedich is severely undersized, and he was outmatched against the 6-4, 302 lbs. Simmons.
Rob Havenstein, RT
One of the most concerning developments from the first two games of the season is the fact that Rob Havenstein has not looked like his usually dependable self so far. Last week was somewhat excusable considering the Texans’ talented EDGE rushers; however, the matchup against Tennessee was a drastic step down in terms of degree of difficulty.
The Rams need Havenstein to play better.
Use of Davante Adams
I can’t put a player who caught six passes for 106 yards and a touchdown on the “losers” list. This was a solid performance from Adams, and this was game was a proof of concept for his replacement of Cooper Kupp.
But the usage of Adams seemed forced at times against the Titans. Matthew Stafford looked his way early and often, and ultimately he caught less than half of his 13 targets. Adams’ deployment was even more frustrating in the red zone. His targets in the most important area of the field were low probability plays, including a fade on third-and-goal that had little chance to be completed and forced LA to settle for a field goal.
The Rams probably felt as though Adams was underutilized last week. They were heavy handed in this regard in Week 2. It makes sense that it could take time to strike a balance, and it simply may be a work in progress at this point.
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