Studs and Duds from Rams narrow win over Packers...

Studs and duds from Rams' narrow win over Packers

Cameron DaSilva

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

It wasn’t always pretty or easy by any means, but the Los Angeles Rams got the job done on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. With their 29-27 win, they moved their record to a perfect 8-0, just the second time they’ve reached that mark in franchise history.

There were some outstanding performances and some not-so-great ones, which we call studs and duds.

Studs

Todd Gurley

Gurley was an absolute stud on Sunday, both as a runner and a receiver. He touched the ball 32 times and racked up 195 yards, helping the Rams to a narrow two-point win. He had 25 carries for 114 yards and should’ve had a rushing touchdown, but he put the team first and went down at the 4-yard line with a clear path the end zone.

Gurley had a long run of 23 yards and a 32-yard reception, ripping off big chunk gains from start to finish. He did have one drop, but his play down the stretch far outweighed that blemish.

Cory Littleton

Outside of Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh, Littleton might be the Rams’ best defensive player – something no one predicted before the season. He was once again all over the field, leading the team with eight tackles, one sack, a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss. In coverage, he was solid and better yet as a pass rusher.

In the first half, the Packers ran it on third-and-5 and likely would’ve picked up the first down if not for a perfect form tackle by Littleton on the edge.

Johnny Hekker

Hekker hasn’t been called upon very much this season but he had a heavy workload Sunday. He punted it seven times for 316 yards, pinning the Packers inside the 20 three times. His best of the day was downed by Sam Shields at the 1-yard line, which resulted in a sack on the very next play.

His fake punt didn’t lead to a touchdown or any points for Los Angeles, but it did provide a spark and was perfectly executed by the quarterback punter.

Aaron Donald

Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL right now, recording another two sacks Sunday – his sixth in the past two games. Against the Packers, he hit Aaron Rodgers four times, made two tackles for loss, had two sacks and three total tackles. Although he didn’t draw any holding penalties, Donald was held multiple times despite the infractions going uncalled.

Ramik Wilson

If not for Wilson’s strip on Ty Montgomery’s kickoff return, Aaron Rodgers would’ve had two minutes to lead the Packers down the field for a potential game-winning field goal or touchdown. It’s the only reason he’s on this list, but it’s a very important reason. We might be talking about the Rams’ first loss of 2018 if not for his forced fumble and recovery.

Greg Zuerlein

Zuerlein gets the nod here for making a game-winning field goal with 2:05 left in the game. He was perfect on his two field goal attempts and made his only extra point try, as well. Zuerlein was clutch down the stretch.

Josh Reynolds

With Cooper Kupp out, Reynolds stepped up in a big way. He had three catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns, looking every bit like a starting-caliber wide receiver. His route running was sharp, his hands were reliable and he built trust in Goff.

Duds


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Marcus Peters and Troy Hill

Aqib Talib’s return can’t come soon enough. Peters was good the past two weeks, but on Sunday against Green Bay, he was a real weak link. Davante Adams beat him twice for big plays, while Equanimeous St. Brown also beat him for a 23-yard catch over the middle after a stutter-move.

Troy Hill was nearly the goat of this one after allowing a 40-yard touchdown to Marquez Valdes-Scantling with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter, whiffing on a jam at the line of scrimmage.

John Sullivan

This certainly wasn’t Sullivan’s best performance of the season, or of his Rams tenure, for that matter. It may have been his worst, actually. There were missed blitz pickups and overall poor protection from the interior, starting with Sullivan.

He’ll bounce back and continue to be a key part of the Rams’ offense, starting with cohesiveness between himself and Goff.

Tyler Higbee

Higbee hasn’t been much of a focal point on offense and has struggled as both a receiver and blocker, which really showed Sunday. He allowed pressure when asked to protect Goff and only had one reception for 6 yards, seeing just one pass come his way.

Gerald Everett is clearly the more dynamic player at tight end, but he has to improve as a blocker.