3 Rams who’ve been underrated stars already this season

[www.turfshowtimes.com]
3 Rams who’ve been underrated stars already this season
Which Rams have stood out that aren't getting the recognition they deserve?

By HoldenCantor Updated Sep 22, 2021, 12:57pm CDT

NFL: SEP 19 Rams at Colts
Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Los Angeles Rams have gotten off to a hot 2-0 start after beating the Chicago Bears at SoFi stadium and the Indianapolis Colts on the road. We know who has been under the spotlight performing well — Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, and Jalen Ramsey.

But who are some underrated performers who have performed well but aren’t necessarily getting the credit they deserve?

The team is playing well on all three phases, hence why they were able to come out victorious through the first two weeks and these players were a big reason why. We’ll start with the defensive tackle who plays next to Donald that’s been making significant progress every season:

#1 - Sebastian Joseph-Day
Los Angeles Rams v Indianapolis Colts
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
In Week 2 against the Colts, Joseph-Day stacked up an impressive performance with nine total tackles, six run stops, one sack, three pressures, and two QB hits. We know that he is a key piece to the defense in the run game, but he was getting to the QB this past Sunday against arguably the best offensive line in football. Coach Sean McVay joined J.B Long and Demarco Farr on the coach McVay show and stated:

“I thought that was one of Sebastian Joseph-Day’s best games as a Ram in all phases, we got to eliminate the one jump offsides but I thought he really impacted the game in a positive way.”

It’s been fun to watch his progression through his years in the NFL as he went from being a question mark his first few years to being a staple on this Rams defensive line and one of the best run-stopping defensive tackles in the game. Huge credit to him for all the hard work he has put in but also Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson, and his personal defensive line development coach Eddy McGilvra.

#2 - Matt Gay
NFL: SEP 19 Rams at Colts
Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The kicker position was a huge issue for the LA Rams in the early portion of the 2020 season until punter Johnny Hekker put in a word for his friend Matt Gay to be on the team. Gay came in and went 14-16 in his field goal attempts in 2020, with a FG percentage of 87.5. He was also perfect on his extra-point attempts which we know is difficult to come by in today’s NFL with all the kicker issues throughout the league.

There were questions in the preseason as he had some misses, would he be able to emulate his performance from 2020? And so far he’s been a perfect 4/4 on his FG attempts and 7/7 on his extra points made. He also came up clutch with his go-ahead FG in a hostile environment to essentially win the game against the Colts. I think he’s proving that he is the long-term answer at kicker for the team.


#3 - Troy Reeder
NFL: SEP 19 Rams at Colts
Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Reeder, an undrafted free agent out of Delaware in 2019, is making a name for himself on this Rams defense. He registered his first career interception against Carson Wentz this past game and tallied 4 tackles plus 1 QB hit. He also posted a career-best 90.0 PFF grade and was the only Ram on defense besides Aaron Donald to earn a 90+ grade for Week 2.

He joined the Rams revealed podcast with Rams broadcaster J.B Long and had this to say:

“As soon as I got to the NFL and made the roster, I've just always thought of myself as one of 53. I wanted to be a starter, be a every down guy, wanted to be someone that contributed to this team that has all our goals out front of us. I really have felt that way for the past 3 years so what I do individually first and foremost, I want to help the team win.”

He’s earning the right to be a starter here in Los Angeles and I expect him to continue to stack performances like this one week after week.

These were my three underrated performers from the past two weeks, who stood out to you that you think deserves more credit?