Rams PFF grades: Best and worst performers vs. 49ers in Week 8

[theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams PFF grades: Best and worst performers vs. 49ers in Week 8


Cameron DaSilva
October 31, 2022 11:15 am PT


The rams lost their fourth game of the season on Sunday and their second to the 49ers. Los Angeles was embarrassed on their home field, 31-14, failing to make any sort of improvements after their bye.

Pro Football Focus graded every Rams player who took the field and we broke them down by the best and worst from each side of the ball. There were two real standouts, but the rest of the team was average or below.

Top 5 offense
RT Rob Havenstein: 88.5
WR Cooper Kupp: 77.8
QB Matthew Stafford: 74.9
C Brian Allen: 67.9
WR Allen Robinson: 66.2
Havenstein was the standout player on offense this week, allowing only two pressures and zero sacks against the 49ers. Kupp was also productive with eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown, helping Stafford put together one of his better performances of the season.

Allen was impressive in his return from injury, allowing zero pressures. And Robinson had another solid performance.


Top 5 defense
OLB Leonard Floyd: 85.2
CB Jalen Ramsey: 70.6
NT Greg Gaines: 70.2
OLB Justin Hollins: 64.6
DT Aaron Donald: 64.5
Finally, Floyd broke through with his first (and second) sack of the season, dominating up front with nine tackles and three QB hits.

Ramsey and Gaines were the next-highest players on defense, a positive development for Gaines after a slow start. It’s good to see Hollins playing well against San Francisco, too.

Donald had three pressures but zero sacks or QB hits.

Bottom 5 offense
TE Brycen Hopkins: 54.4
WR Van Jefferson: 50.3
TE Tyler Higbee: 47.5
RB Malcolm Brown: 44.0
LG Bobby Evans: 42.3
The tight ends did not have a good day against the 49ers, with Higbee dropping one pass and Hopkins earning a pass-blocking grade of 49.3. Van Jefferson wasn’t targeted a single time in his 2022 debut, and Brown and Evans both struggled, as well. Evans had a pass-blocking grade of 15.5.

Bottom 5 defense
DL Marquise Copeland: 52.1
CB Derion Kendrick: 49.6
LB Bobby Wagner: 43.3
CB Troy Hill: 42.9
OLB Terrell Lewis: 41.6
It’s surprising to see Wagner among the Rams’ five lowest-graded defenders but he was exploited in coverage by allowing five catches for 65 yards on just five targets.

Kendrick gave up 73 yards on four targets but did make six tackles. Hill somehow had a coverage grade of only 41.7 despite allowing only 7 yards on two targets.

Lewis and Copeland were both ineffective rushing the passer.

Other notables
RB Ronnie Rivers: 63.2
RG Oday Aboushi: 61.4
RB Darrell Henderson Jr.: 57.3
LB Ernest Jones: 53.7
Rivers was the Rams’ top-graded running back, slightly ahead of Henderson. Aboushi didn’t allow a single pressure in pass protection and played relatively well overall. Jones missed one tackle and gave up three receptions.