Rams midseason report card: Grading every position after 8 games
Cameron DaSilva
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Even though Sean McVay will say things haven’t been perfect, changes need to be made and improvements are a must, the Los Angeles Rams couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. They’re 8-0 midway through the 2018 campaign, ranking third in points scored and sixth in points allowed.
It’s been a complete team effort from top to bottom as all position groups have contributed to their perfect record in some way. You don’t win eight straight games by accident.
With eight weeks in the books, we’ve graded every position for the Rams thus far. It’s our midseason report card:
Quarterback
So much for that fluke season in 2017, huh? After putting up big numbers last year and earning his first Pro Bowl bid, Jared Goff came back in 2018 and has played even better. He’s thrown 17 touchdown passes and just five interceptions, totaling 2,425 yards passing with a rating of 112.5.
He ranks in the top 10 in just about every statistical category, performing at the highest level of his career. He’s a huge reason for the Rams’ success, not only taking care of the football, but also making eye-popping throws on a weekly basis.
Grade: A
Running back
It’s a quarterback-driven league, but for the second straight season, Todd Gurley has put himself at the forefront of the MVP conversation. He leads the NFL in touches, rushing yards, total yards and total touchdowns, putting himself on pace for 2,302 yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns. If he’s not the MVP right now, there aren’t many players ahead of him.
Malcolm Brown has contributed some, too, averaging a stellar 5.1 yards per carry (189 yards). He’s trusted by the coaching staff to protect Jared Goff in passing situations, which has kept John Kelly and Justin Davis on the sideline.
Grade: A+
Wide receiver
Even after the Sammy Watkins experiment failed in 2017, the Rams remained aggressive and added Brandin Cooks to an already strong receiving corps. Cooks, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods all have at least 438 yards and 30 catches this season, and that’s with Kupp missing nearly three full games due to injury. The wide receivers have been outstanding for Goff and can be relied upon at any moment to make a big play.
Josh Reynolds has added seven catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns, filling in nicely while Cooper Kupp was injured. The Rams don’t go very far beyond their top three receivers, but Reynolds gives some valuable depth.
Grade: A
Tight end
If there’s a position on offense that has been lacking, it’s tight end. Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee have combined to catch just 16 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown in eight games, or an average of two catches and 21 yards per game. It’s not as though McVay is keeping them on the bench, either. No team uses 11 personnel (one tight end, three receivers, one running back) more than the Rams, so one of the two is almost always on the field. Higbee’s blocking has been good enough, but that’s an area Everett must improve.
Grade: C-
Offensive line
While there have been some issues in recent weeks with Goff being sacked five times in two of the last three games (11 total sacks), the offensive line has been outstanding. It’s one of the best units in the league right now, opening up gaping holes for Gurley and protecting Goff from some of the top pass rushers. John Sullivan has been the weak link, but Austin Blythe’s emergence at right guard has been a pleasant surprise.
Grade: A
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Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive line
If you just took the sacks by Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers and Ethan Westbrooks, the Rams would have more sacks than five teams. That may not seem like much, but their 15 sacks have accounted for 68 percent of the team’s 22 on the year. Donald has 10 by himself, which is why the group earns an A on this report card. He’s being double-teamed 70 percent of the time, too, which means everyone else on the defensive line is getting one-on-one matchups frequently. The run defense has been suspect at times, which is why this isn’t an A+.
Grade: A
Inside linebacker
Cory Littleton has been an X-factor for the Rams this season, both on defense and special teams with two blocked punts. He leads the team with 66 tackles, is second with three sacks and five tackles for loss, while also picking off a pass. He may not get Pro Bowl recognition, but Littleton has been a stud.
Ramik Wilson played fairly well in the first four games, but Mark Barron quickly supplanted him as a starter. Since then, Barron has been working his way back to 100 percent but still isn’t playing at a high level. Hopefully he’ll continue improving, but it’s been a tough go of it through four games.
Grade: B+
Outside linebacker
The outside linebacker position was bad enough in the first eight games that the coaching staff and front office felt it necessary to acquire Dante Fowler Jr. for two draft picks. It wasn’t a huge risk, but parting ways with a third- and fifth-round pick for a potential rental player carries some weight. Samson Ebukam has just one sack but showed flashes of potential, Matt Longacre has been nowhere to be found and the rest of the group has either been injured or ineffective. If Fowler can become a starter and impact player quickly, the tide will turn for L.A.’s defense.
Grade: C
Cornerback
After adding Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Sam Shields, you’d probably expect a higher grade from the cornerbacks. However, Talib’s injury has caused major problems in the secondary, Peters has been one of the worst corners in football and neither Shields nor Troy Hill has done much to warrant a starting job. Nickell Robey-Coleman has been the best of the bunch, but he’s limited to the slot.
Grade: C+
Safety
The Rams had two elite-level safeties last season in John Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner, but only one of them has continued to get better. Johnson has been outstanding through eight games despite struggling in Week 1, while Joyner is just now finding his groove. Joyner still needs to get much better as the season goes on, especially with free agency pending, but Johnson’s play has lifted this tandem in a big way. His three interceptions rank second in the NFL.
Grade: B
Special teams
It’s been a wild ride for John Fassel’s group thus far. They’ve used three kickers (excluding Johnny Hekker), have been decimated in the return game with injuries to Pharoh Cooper, Mike Thomas, Cooper Kupp and JoJo Natson and still have one of the best units in the league. Greg Zuerlein hasn’t missed a beat, Hekker is effective when called upon and their 495 kick return yards are third in the NFL. The Rams also rank second in punt return yards, so there’s been almost no drop-off since Cooper went down.
Grade: A
