PFF Grades: Kobie Tuner earns ‘Player of the Game’ nod in loss

Fans of the Los Angeles Rams may be surprised that LA had the highest rated player, Kobie Tuner, in a game they lost

The Los Angeles Rams lost the to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and we now have access to some of the numbers according to Pro Football Focus. PFF rated Kobie Turner their Player of the Game as he continued to ascend in his second season. LA kept this game close, and even had a lead heading into halftime. There are some positive grades like Turner’s to reflect that effort.

Though they ultimately could not stay in front of GB by the time the game clock struck zero, and there are some negative grades which reflect that as well. Despite this loss, there were some genuine bright spots for the Rams in Sunday’s contest.

Top five grades on offense:

1- Alaric Jackson, LT: 83.1

Jackson was the highest rated offensive player for the Rams against the Chicago Bears in Week 4, and that trend seemed to continue this week against the Packers. Jackson posted a high pass blocking rate of 85.7, and his run blocking was a little lower with a grade of 76.9, but Jackson was one of the reasons the Rams stayed in the game yesterday.

2- Xavier Smith, WR: 77.3

Smith apparently only played eight snaps, but you could’ve fooled me as he made the most of them. One of the heroes in LA’s exciting win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, and perhaps turning himself into a player who should be getting on the field more for LA.

3- Jordan Whittington, WR: 75.2

Whittington has gotten some looks with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua missing time, but even if they were healthy there is a chance that this rookie would still be getting opportunities. He appears dangerous with the ball in his hands and with a run blocking grade of 70.6 this past week it sure seems like he fits Sean McVay’s offense perfectly.

4- Beaux Limmer, C: 68.5

Whittington is the last offensive Rams player to have a grade of above 70, but that shouldn’t take away from what Limmer has done since becoming the starting center for this team. LA had other plans for the offensive line coming into the year, but due to injury Limmer has been one of the players asked to step up. His pass blocking grade was only 54.8 but his run blocking grade came out to an even 71. He’s learning, he’s made some mistakes (he didn’t fair all that well against Chicago last week), but there is so much to like about this young player, and potentially a lot to look forward to.

5- Blake Corum, RB: 67.8

Fans had been wanting to see what Corum could add to this offense, and against the Packers the young rookie finally was given a real chance. His highest grade was in his passing/receiving where he scored a 77.4. Had Kyren Williams not fumbled, then maybe he would’ve been the top-rated RB on the day, but instead it is Corum who McVay may plan to use more of after the bye week.

Other notes on offense:

Williams found himself with an overall grade of 59.9 and again had he not fumbled then perhaps his day and LA’s day look completely different. Tutu Atwell came in as the 12th highest rated player on offense with a score of 54.9. As exciting as Atwell can be, he has not been able to carry this offense. That may be more of a reflection on coaching and decision making and not as much on Atwell’s ability.

Matthew Stafford clocked in right behind Atwell with an overall grade of 54.4. As awesome as Stafford can be, he has struggled without Kupp or Nacua, and the offense has looked lackluster (especially in the red area) through five games of the season.

Top five grades on defense:

1- Kobie Turner, DLT: 90.2

As mentioned above, Turner may have been the highest graded player among both teams on Sunday, but what “The Conductor” will probably stress about is the loss more than his PFF grade. Turner looks like a hit for the Rams, but his great play has not frequently translated into Rams’ wins this season. Turner did notch two sacks on Sunday but he can’t do it all alone.

2- Neville Gallimore, DLT: 78.4

Gallimore played 19 snaps on defense but he (like Smith on offense) made the most of them. Perhaps LA will consider giving Gallimore more playing time, but LA’s defense also seems heavy into rotating their personnel, so perhaps the lower snap count is where he should be at for now.

3- Jared Verse, ROLB: 76.7

Verse continued his overall high level of play, and he submitted a 73.9 tackling grade on Sunday. Verse won defense rookie of the month in September, but he also has people around the NFL questioning his ability to finish plays. He’s a young player who so far has shown a lot of promise, but at the same time he has some things to clean up. He’s a rookie so he has time, and so far, the verdict surrounding this player is that LA found a good one, maybe even a great one.

4- Bobby Brown III, DRT: 75.7

Brown did not log the number of snaps of Turner or Verse, but he made sure his presence was felt. His pressure grade of 53.8 may have left something to be desired, but his run defense grade of 77.1 still shows a player who can come in clutch on early down or running down situations. He was an overall benefit to the Rams on Sunday and not a detriment.

5- Jaylen McCollough, SS: 71.7

If you watched the game on Sunday then you saw McCollough’s interception of Jordan Love to give the Rams the lead before halftime. With Tre’Davious White a healthy scratch, it gave players like McCollough a chance to crack into LA’s secondary. He only played 15 snaps, but his coverage grade of 76.8 may be something that forces Chris Shula to give the safety more playing time.

Other notes on defense:

Darious Williams got back on the field this past Sunday and clocked in a PFF grade of 58.1. Overall, LA’s defense was not the reason they lost this game. Green Bay scored 14 points on two offensive turnovers (a fumble by Williams and an interception by Stafford). Even though the team lost this game, the defense may be taking steps in the right direction, and you could argue the defense gave the team a chance to win on Sunday, but it was the offense who fell short.

Now LA has the bye week to evaluate, and to try and find the best players to put on the field. McVay and Les Snead have had five weeks, and after four losses it’s time to put together something special, or miss the playoffs for their second time in three years.