Rams WR’s were elite vs man coverage last year...

Rams WRs were elite vs. man coverage last season
Cameron DaSilva

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

The Los Angeles Rams fielded the top-scoring offense in the NFL last season, largely led by Pro Bowlers Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. Of course, they didn’t do it all on their own, getting plenty of help from both their offensive line and wide receivers.

Despite Sammy Watkins’ disappointing (and brief) stint with the Rams, Los Angeles’ wide receivers were among the best in football. Whether it was making big plays on the outside, converting key third-down plays in the middle of the field or blocking for Gurley on the edge, the Rams’ receiving corps was outstanding.


Pro Football Focus put that into perspective by looking at how Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Watkins performed against man coverage last season and not surprisingly, the results were great. Against press coverage, only two receivers produced a higher pass rating than Kupp in 2017: Ted Ginn Jr. and Doug Baldwin.

Kupp had a really encouraging rookie season in 2017 and heads into his sophomore campaign as one of the league’s most promising slot receivers. Kupp rarely faced press coverage last season, but when he did, he used his shiftiness and athleticism to produce great results. Kupp caught 18-of-23 targets for 320 yards against press coverage, posting a WR rating of 147.7 and recording a catch rate of 78.3 percent, both of which ranked third among receivers with at least 10 targets. Even more impressive is the fact that a whopping 65.0 percent of Kupp’s press targets were positively graded, which was second only to Sterling Shepherd a season ago.

It’s difficult to press receivers in the slot because of how much room they have. They’re given a two-way go as opposed to outside receivers who have the sideline working against them. As a result, Kupp wasn’t pressed often. However, when Goff did look his way against press coverage, he had resounding success.

The other way for corners to play man coverage is in off-man. That means the cornerback gives the receiver a free release to protect against deep passes. This tactic is often used against faster receivers, giving the cornerback a cushion in case the wideout goes deep.

Against off-man coverage, the Rams had two representatives: Watkins (No. 1) and Woods (3). Also on the list was Brandin Cooks (5), who will effectively replace Watkins in Los Angeles. Granted, some of that success has to do with quarterback play, but the Rams’ receivers know how to get open when given a cushion at the line of scrimmage.

Here’s what PFF had to say about Cooks.

New England’s former deep threat faced more off-man coverage in 2017 (56.5 percent of snaps) than press-man (43.5 percent), likely due to Cook’s incredible straight-line speed. Cooks thrived against off-man coverage, as he ended the season with 41 catches on 61 targets for 739 yards. He also ranked fifth among receivers with an average of 17.9 yards per reception against off-man coverage.

The fact that Kupp, Woods and Cooks all ranked among the best receivers against man coverage is a good sign. It could lead teams to utilize more zone coverage next season, which should give Goff larger windows to throw into.

Either way, the Rams have a strong group of receivers heading into 2018.