It was a tale of two halves for the Los Angeles Rams this weekend against the Tennessee Titans. LA took care of business on the road and came home with a 33-19 victory. They move to 2-0 on the season and are tied for first place in the NFC West with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals.
Who stood out on an individual level in this game? Let’s dive into the grades from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Top five grades on offense:
1 – Davis Allen, TE: 89.4
With Colby Parkinson inactive for Week 2 because of injury, Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson saw increased roles on Sunday afternoon. Allen played 25 snaps (18 in run blocking) to Ferguson’s four (three as a receiver). It’s clear that Allen is the replacement for Parkinson and Ferguson is more the understudy to Tyle Higbee. Allen has an argument to replace Parkinson when healthy, as he earned a PFF run blocking grade of 80.6 (third on the offense behind Alaric Jackson and Coleman Shelton).
Even with only four passing snaps, Allen made a key play through the air and connected with Matthew Stafford for a touchdown. It was his second in as many weeks and the third-year TE leads the team.
2 – Davante Adams, WR: 82.2
Stafford tossed the ball in Adams’ direction often in the first half and he finished with 12 targets. The results were mixed which played a big part of the offensive struggles through two or three quarters. The Rams found their stride in the fourth quarter on their way to a decisive outcome.
Adams finished with six receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown. He played eight snaps in the slot and mostly aligned out wide. His average depth of target of 13.0 yards shows he’s still capable of being a vertical threat into his 30’s.
On a disappointing note, Adams hauled in only one of his five contested catch targets and finished with a drop.
3 – Puka Nacua, WR: 81.6
Nacua started the game off with a bang by rushing for a 45-yard touchdown. This rushing attempt was longer than any rush Kyren Williams has recorded in his Rams career.
Compared to Adams, Nacua was the more efficient receiving option. He caught eight of his nine targets for 91 yards.
4 – Alaric Jackson, LT: 80.6
Growing into his role as one of the Rams’ most important players, Jackson fared well in both run and pass blocking in this game. LA’s left tackle led the team with a run blocking mark of 83.7. He was above average as a pass protector and drew a mark of 70.7 while allowing two pressures.
The Rams in total allowed ten pressures on Stafford with Kevin Dotson allowing three.
5 – Matthew Stafford, QB: 78.5
We can expect inconsistency from Stafford. Simply put, it is a defining characteristic of his career.
While he was elite last week against Houston, he came back down to earth in this game despite being under pressure less often (10 pressures allowed by the OL on 34 dropbacks; three pressures were attributed to the QB). Stafford tossed two big-time throws and put the ball in harm’s way twice with turnover-worthy plays.
Through two weeks (pending the primetime games), Stafford (seven) trails only Dak Prescott (nine) in big-time throws and Russell Wilson also has seven. Stafford still leads the NFL in PFF passing grade.
Other notes on offense:
Coleman Shelton continues to struggle in pass protection at center. He allowed two pressures and finished with a pass blocking grade of 37.6. Justin Dedich also struggled in replacement of Steve Avila and earned a grade in the same facet of 36.4. Dotson was the worst in this department at 28.8.
Blake Corum received only five carries but made the most of them with 44 yards and a score. He forced a missed tackle and earned 19 yards after contact (3.8 avg). In comparison, Kyren Williams rushed 17 times for 66 yards. He forced one tackle and created 51 yards after contact (3.0 avg) with most coming late in the game.
Top five grades on defense:
1 – Byron Young, EDGE: 90.0
On a day where Jared Verse missed time due to injury, Young stepped up in a big way. He’s been LA’s best pass rusher through two weeks and recorded six of the Rams’ 23 total pressures in this game. Young sacked rookie Cam Ward twice, including a key forced fumble. He also recorded four run stops, which puts this game on the radar as one of his most well-rounded performances of his career.
Have a day, Byron Young.
2 – Quentin Lake, DB: 89.3
Lake struggled last week against the Houston Texans but bounced back in a big way in Tennessee. He finished with a PFF coverage grade of 90.0 and allowed just two receptions for four yards with a pass breakup on four targets. Lake also recorded a key pressure on two blitzes.
3 – Darious Williams, CB: 79.5
Ahkello Witherspoon broke his collarbone and is likely to miss extended time. While Williams did not make the field as a defensive player in Week 1, he stepped in and was LA’s best corner according to PFF. Williams did not allow a reception on his only target and earned a coverage grade of 79.9. He played 26 of 66 defensive snaps.
4 – Cobie Durant, CB: 73.0
Durant is PFF’s third-ranked corner through two games (pending the prime time games from Week 2). The only players ahead of him are Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets and Keisean Nixon of the Green Bay Packers. It’s discouraging that the Rams aren’t making Durant a full-time player. He’s played only 66 snaps to Gardner’s and Nixon’s 126 and 136, respectively.
With Witherspoon likely out for a while, Durant should be primed for more opportunities. He likely should be playing over Emmanuel Forbes.
5 – Josaiah Stewart, EDGE: 72.4
Stewart was the beneficiary of Verse’s absence, though he will have a rotational role as LA’s third rusher off the edge. The rookie earned three pressures on 14 pass rushes including his first career sack. He also graded positively in run defense with a mark of 77.8. Stewart did miss a tackle on two attempts and this hurt his overall grade.
Other notes on defense:
Emmanuel Forbes had a rough day at the office. The Titans tested Forbes from the jump, and largely their plan worked. The former first round pick allowed three receptions on four targets for 48 yards, a touchdown, and a passer rating in coverage of 154.2. To his credit, he did record a pretty pass breakup. Forbes finished with a 58.7 coverage grade.
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