6 crazy stats from Rams' Week 2 win vs. Colts

[theramswire.usatoday.com]
6 crazy stats from Rams' Week 2 win vs. Colts


Cameron DaSilva
September 20, 2021 12:06 pm PT
The Rams enjoyed another victory on Sunday afternoon, moving their record to 2-0 after beating the Colts on the road. They’re one of seven unbeaten teams still remaining in the NFL, looking like the contenders everyone thought they’d be this season.

It took some strong play from Matthew Stafford down the stretch to pull out the win over the Colts, as well as some remarkable goal line stands from the defense.


We combed through the numbers from Sunday’s victory and found six crazy stats you should know.

1
Kupp ranks fifth in average YAC over expectation for Week 2
Cooper Kupp had one of the best games of his career against the Colts, catching nine passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He was especially dangerous after the catch, picking up big yardage in that area.

According to Next Gen Stats, he averaged 3.7 yards after the catch over expectation, which is fifth-best in the NFL this week. That means he gained 3.7 more yards after the catch than he was expected to, which is a high number.

Through two games he has 190 yards after the catch to lead the NFL, 35 more than any other player. He had 525 yards after the catch last season, ranking third among all WRs.


2
Rams have started 2-0 in 4 straight seasons for first time in over 50 years
The Rams earned their fourth straight 2-0 start with the win on Sunday, continuing Sean McVay’s trend of beginning seasons on the right foot. Prior to 2018, the last time they started a season 2-0 was in 2001.

And it’s extremely rare for this franchise to go 2-0 in four straight years. The last time that happened was in 1967-1970, more than 50 years ago.



3
Ramsey allowed a passer rating of 0.0 in coverage
Quarterbacks who are thinking about targeting Jalen Ramsey in coverage should probably reconsider. Carson Wentz and Jacob Eason combined to target Ramsey four times, and the All-Pro corner allowed just one reception for 7 yards.

He also had a game-sealing interception along the sideline, thwarting any attempt of a comeback by the Colts. He allowed a passer rating of 0.0 on Sunday, lowering his season total to 25.6.


4
Stafford already matched Goff’s 15-yard TD total from 2020
Matthew Stafford threw two 50-plus-yard touchdown passes in the season opener against the Bears, which matched Jared Goff’s total from the season prior. He added another 16-yard touchdown pass on Sunday against the Colts, bringing his season total of touchdown passes that traveled at least 15 yards to three.

Incredibly, that tied the same number of such touchdown throws that Goff had in 2020. It just goes to show how much more aggressive the Rams are being under Stafford.



5
Rams held Colts to 0 points on first two trips inside 5-yard line
In the first half of Sunday’s game, the Colts made it all the way inside the Rams’ 5-yard line on two separate drives. They even had first-and-goal from the 1-yard line on their opening possession.

Yet, the Rams held the Colts to zero points on both of those drives, causing them to go 0-for-7 on their first seven goal-to-go plays. The first drive ended with a Leonard Floyd sack on fourth down, while the second trip inside the 5 resulted in an interception by Troy Reeder.

On the Colts’ third trip inside the 10, the Rams nearly stopped them again, but they allowed an 8-yard touchdown to Zach Pascal.

Needless to say, the Rams’ red zone defense was outstanding and the difference in this game.


6
Rams had 23.3% chance to win after special teams blunder
The Rams had a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter and were preparing to punt the ball away to the Colts. Unfortunately, the snap hit Nick Scott’s arm and bounced into the end zone, resulting in an easy touchdown for the Colts and giving them a 21-17 lead.

After that play, the Rams only had a 23.3% chance to win the game, according to ESPN. That didn’t last long, though because within the next two minutes and three seconds, the Rams got back into the end zone to take the 24-21 lead. At that point, they had a 58.8% chance to win.

It wasn’t the prettiest win, but it was a gritty one led by Stafford in the fourth quarter.