Week 7 brought a total team win and complete effort for the Los Angeles Rams. They bested the Jacksonville Jaguars in London 35-7 and advance to 5-2 on the season.
Let’s break down the individual efforts from the game and dive deep into the advanced metrics that may not be reflected in the box score. These are the top five Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades on each side of the ball with a few other notes that caught my eye.
Top five grades on offense
1 – Davante Adams, WR: 91.3
It wasn’t the most productive day for Adams in terms of yards (35), though he did find the end zone three times. The veteran caught five of the eight passes thrown in his direction, which is a positive sign because entering this game his catch rate was below 50% on the year. Adams won two of three contested catch opportunities and did not drop a pass (he averaged over a 10% drop rate through six games).
2 – Matthew Stafford, QB: 78.8
Stafford finished with a relatively low PFF grade considering he kept the ball out of harm’s way (zero turnover-worthy plays) and tossed three big-time throws. The offensive lagged in the third quarter and was unable to build on their 21-0 lead. Stafford was off-target during this period and for the game posted an adjusted completion rate of 69.7%—his third lowest mark on the season.
It’s worth noting that Stafford’s second lowest mark came in Week 6, so he’s been less accurate over the last two games. Is this a trend or possibly a product of missing Puka Nacua?
3 – Steve Avila, LG: 72.3
Avila’s performance was well balanced between the run and pass games. He earned a run blocking grade of 71.4 and a pass blocking grade of 65.9. Avila allowed one pressure on Stafford and was flagged for penalty once.
It was a positive outing in his second game back from injury.
4 – Terrance Ferguson, TE: 71.1
While Ferguson scored the first touchdown of his career—a 31 yarder—it wasn’t even the most impressive part of his contributions on Sunday. The rookie posted a run blocking grade of 76.8 on 16 such plays which bested all of the Rams’ linemen.
It’s possible that blocking is something that has kept Ferguson off the field early in his career, though he’s demonstrating he’s willing and capable. Can he eat into Tyler Higbee’s playing time following the Week 8 bye?
5 – Kevin Dotson, RG: 70.1
Dotson allowed one pressure in pass protection, which was good for a grade of 72.8 in this facet. In the run game he earned a mark of 66.0. His run blocking grade was the second-lowest among the starting five linemen in front of Alaric Jackson.
Other notes on offense
The snap counts at receiver seem unusual, and it could be a sign that Tutu Atwell is still working his way back from injury. Atwell played only 10 snaps while Konata Mumpfield and Xavier Smith were on the field for 28 and 33, respectively.
Top five grades on defense
1 – Darious Williams, CB: 84.4
LA’s veteran corner earned a coverage grade of 86.3. He was targeted six times and allowed only a single reception for six yards. Williams broke up four passes and held the opposing quarterback to a measly 39.6 QB rating.
Williams has now strung together two positive performances and could be turning a corner on the season. The Rams need as much help as they can get on the outside, so this is a welcome development.
2 – Kamren Kinchens, DB: 78.5
Kinchens was every on Sunday morning, though Trevor Lawrence only threw the ball his direction one time. the second-year safety notched four tackles and a run grade of 71.8. He found many ways to contribute, including a pressure on Lawrence that caused an errant throw on a late down.
3 – Emmanuel Forbes, CB: 75.1
Forbes made several open field tackles and was more surehanded in this game than we’ve come to expect from him. He did not miss a tackle. In coverage he allowed two catches on three targets for 12 yards.
4 – Omar Speights, MLB: 72.3
Shaun Dolac played well last week when Speights missed because of injury. Speights’ play this season has been up and down, though he woke up on the right side of the bed in London.
The second-year linebacker was awarded a run defense grade of 77.0 versus the run. He did miss one tackle out of three attempts.
5 – Braden Fiske, DT: 70.2
The box score suggests Braden Fiske did not make much of an impact (no sacks); however, he led the defense with eight pressures (career high) and set up clean up opportunities for other pass rushers. The Rams sacked Lawrence seven times.
Fiske has still yet to record a sack this season. He’s still his disruptive self and is making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
Other notes on defense
Knowing Fiske led the defense in pressures, these are the numbers for everyone else:
- Jared Verse: 5 (1 sack)
- Kobie Turner: 5
- Byron Young: 4 (2 sacks)
- Josaiah Stewart: 3 (1 sack)
- 2 pressures, 1 sack each: Landman, Murchison, Lake
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