Rams week 10 report card: Grading every position group vs the Seahawks...

Rams Week 10 report card: Grading every position vs. Seahawks

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva


The Rams held on to beat the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon, winning their Week 10 tilt by a score of 23-16. It was closer than it should’ve been, considering the Rams put up 275 yards on offense in the first half and held Seattle to just three points in the final 30 minutes.

The defense was especially good on Sunday, as it has been all season long. The offense only committed one turnover, improving after a disastrous performance against the Dolphins in Week 8.

Here’s how we graded every position group against the Seahawks in Week 10.

Quarterback: B+

Goff didn’t have a touchdown against Seattle, but he was highly efficient. He completed 27-of-37 passes for 302 yards with a passer rating of 96.9. His lost fumble was once again concerning, and he held the ball too long at times, but it was still a good performance by the Rams quarterback.

His 31-yarder to Cooper Kupp over the middle and 39-yard toss to Tyler Higbee were among the highlights, as were a few tight-window throws to Josh Reynolds. He’s played better, but also far worse.

Running back: B

The Rams distributed the workload at running back this week, giving Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers all at least six carries. Akers led the way with 38 yards on 10 attempts, while Brown had 33 yards and Henderson 28.

They did find the end zone a combined three times, but their average of 4.3 was somewhat disappointing considering they had runs of 13, 16 and 17 yards. Their other 20 carries went for just 53 yards.

Wide receiver: B+

This week was Josh Reynolds’ time to shine. He caught a career-high eight passes for 94 yards on 10 targets, consistently picking up first downs for the offense. Cooper Kupp seemed hindered by a wrist injury, but he still managed to catch five passes for 50 yards. Robert Woods was relatively quiet compared to what we’re used to, hauling in five catches for just 33 yards with a long of 8 yards.

Reynolds had a drop and was called for holding, which negated a long run by Darrell Henderson, but it was still a solid day by the wideouts. Van Jefferson also had a 15-yard reception.

Tight end: B

Tyler Higbee led the way with three catches for 60 yards, and it could’ve been even more if Goff didn’t overthrow him by mere inches. Gerald Everett hauled in two of his three targets for 27 yards, but he did drop a pass, too.

A combined 87 yards is hard to complain about, but they could’ve had an even better performance if opportunities weren’t missed.

Offensive line: A-

Considering Andrew Whitworth missed half the game with a knee injury, the offensive line still held up well. Joe Noteboom allowed a pressure to Carlos Dunlap, which led to a sack by Poona Ford, but Goff was holding the ball too long on that play.

Rob Havenstein and David Edwards both received good grades from Pro Football Focus – 82.9 and 77.2, respectively – while Noteboom earned a respectable 70.3. Goff was sacked three times, but the line shouldn’t be blamed for all of them.

Defensive line: B+

In total, the defensive line had eight tackles, none of which were by Aaron Donald. Michael Brockers had a key sack late in the game, but Donald was blanked in that department. Sebastian Joseph-Day led the group with three total tackles and also batted a pass at the line.

The Seahawks’ ground game was mostly held in check with Alex Collins only rushing for 43 yards, which was encouraging. It was neither a great nor bad performance by the defensive line, but just about average for this unit.

Inside linebacker: C+

The inside linebacker group remains one of the biggest weaknesses of this team. It’s not that Micah Kiser and Kenny Young were terrible in this one, but they simply didn’t make much of an impact. Kiser was out of position on Greg Olsen’s 22-yard reception up the seam, and on another pass into the flat on the opening drive, there was no linebacker in coverage.

Young only made one single tackle and didn’t do much in coverage, either. It’s hard to be completely impressed with this tandem, but the Rams don’t have any better options.

Outside linebacker: A

Leonard Floyd continues to shine for the Rams. He had three sacks, a career-high five QB hits and a fumble recovery, consistently getting to Wilson in the pocket. Terrell Lewis also had two sacks, though one of them was a layup after going unblocked.

Justin Hollins had a QB hit, too, while Lewis and Floyd added three total tackles for loss. The outside linebacker group is finally coming together with this being one of their best performances of the year.

Cornerback: A+

It simply doesn’t get any better than this. Darious Williams had two interceptions and three total passes defensed, Jalen Ramsey was outstanding in coverage against DK Metcalf and the Seahawks’ leading receiver had just 66 yards (Tyler Lockett).

Considering the opponent, the Rams’ cornerbacks were phenomenal on Sunday, with Troy Hill also holding up well in coverage. There was a ton to like with this position group, led by Williams and Ramsey outside.

Safety: B+

John Johnson made eight tackles, consistently coming up and making nice stops in the open field immediately after a reception was made. Jordan Fuller had just three tackles and was out of position on Tyler Lockett’s 39-yard reception, but that was his only glaring mistake.

Taylor Rapp left the game early with a knee injury, making one tackle before exiting. He did miss on Alex Collins’ 13-yard touchdown run, which allowed the running back into the end zone.

Special teams: C

Another week, another miss by a Rams kicker. Kai Forbath pulled his final extra point attempt wide left, marking the second straight game he’s missed a kick. He did make a 23-yarder and two other PATs, but he simply hasn’t been good enough.

Johnny Hekker pinned three of his four punts inside the 20, and Nsimba Webster had a 15-yard punt return. But the Rams also allowed a 49-yard kickoff return, and another for 33 yards.