Rams week 11 report card: Grading every position against the Buccaneers...

Rams Week 11 report card: Grading every position vs. Buccaneers

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva


The Rams didn’t play their best game of the season against the Buccaneers, but they were unquestionably the better team and still played well enough to win. They left Tampa Bay with a 27-24 win and a 7-3 record, standing at the top of the NFC West through Week 11.

The offense was productive against a quality defense, while the defense of the Rams helped keep one of the best receiver groups in check for 60 minutes.

Here’s how we graded out each position group from the game, beginning with the quarterback spot.

Quarterback: B+

Jared Goff did throw two interceptions, but those were really his only mistakes against the Buccaneers – and the first one was simply a miscommunication between him and Darrell Henderson. He racked up 376 yards on 51 attempts, completing 39 of those passes with three touchdowns, too. It wasn’t his best game of the season, but Goff was plenty good enough to win this game.

Running back: C-

This was by far the worst game for the Rams’ running backs all year. Malcolm Brown led the way with 20 yards on three carries, 14 of which came on one third-and-16 play. Cam Akers had an 11-yard run, but his other four attempts went for 4 yards. And Darrell Henderson averaged less than 1 yard per carry, gaining 5 yards on eight attempts. This came against the No. 1 rush defense in the NFL, but the Rams’ running backs could get nothing going themselves.

Wide receiver: A

Monday night was the Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods show. Kupp went off for 145 yards on 11 catches, while Woods kept pace with 12 catches, 130 yards and a touchdown himself. Josh Reynolds caught three of his six targets for 32 yards. Van Jefferson didn’t play much, but he contributed with a 70-yard touchdown. It was a great night for the Rams’ wideouts, helping carry the offense in a game where the rushing attack did very little.

Tight end: B-

With Kupp and Woods receiving most of the targets, there wasn’t much left for Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett. They were targeted a combined nine times, catching eight passes for 46 total yards. It was a quiet night for them, but they were also good in pass protection, helping keep Goff upright in the pocket.

Offensive line: A-

Goff dropped back to throw 51 times and wasn’t sacked a single time. He was hit three times, but that’s not exactly a huge number relative to the number of times he threw the ball. Joe Noteboom did an excellent job at left tackle, Austin Corbett was a stud at right guard and Rob Havenstein continues to do a good job at right tackle.

Defensive line: A-

Aaron Donald was shut out for the second week, but he was still disruptive and drew constant double-teams up front. Michael Brockers was great in this one, making six tackles and earning a PFF grade of 85.1. A’Shawn Robinson did a nice job clogging up running lanes, as did Sebastian Joseph-Day, who had three tackles. In total, the Bucs rushed for 42 yards on 18 attempts.

Inside linebacker: B

The inside linebackers weren’t exposed on Monday night, stepping up against the run. The Bucs don’t involve their running backs much as receivers, so that wasn’t a huge concern, and Rob Gronkowski caught just two passes for 25 yards – an indication of solid coverage by Micah Kiser and Kenny Young (as well as the safeties). Kiser made six tackles and Young made four with no noticeable whiffs on ball carriers.

Outside linebacker: B-

Samson Ebukam had three tackles and a sack, but he also struggled to set the edge a couple of times in the running game. Leonard Floyd didn’t get home for a sack and made just two assisted tackles, while none of the other outside linebackers didn’t record any tackles. Brady was under pressure, but the pass rush didn’t get home enough against the Bucs’ quick passing attack.

Cornerback: A

The Rams went up against arguably the best receiving corps in the NFL and held Tom Brady to just 216 yards passing. Antonio Brown caught eight passes, but it was just for 57 yards. Chris Godwin added 53 yards on seven catches, and Mike Evans’ five receptions went for 49 yards. Darious Williams made a great play to break up a pass intended for Brown, while Jalen Ramsey didn’t give up much to Evans despite being called for two ticky-tack pass interference penalties.

Safety: A

Jordan Fuller picked off Brady twice, the last of which sealed the win for L.A. Those weren’t his only good plays, either. He made four tackles in the game, providing a solid final line of defense. John Johnson also had a great night, making six tackles and breaking up one pass. Nick Scott got some playing time, too, making three tackles in limited action. The Rams did a nice job against Gronk and Cameron Brate, who combined for five catches and 48 yards on 10 targets.

Special teams: B

Matt Gay provided a spark for the Rams at kicker, drilling a game-winning 40-yard field goal after missing a 44-yarder earlier in the game. He also converted all three of his extra point attempts and made a 38-yard field goal, looking good in just about all of his tries. Johnny Hekker punted five times and although he only downed one inside the 20, he still helped flip the field.