Rams Week 3 report card: Grading every position vs. Bucs

[theramswire.usatoday.com]
Rams Week 3 report card: Grading every position vs. Bucs


Cameron DaSilva
September 29, 2021 6:26 am PT

With the defending Super Bowl champions visiting, the Los Angeles Rams put together one of their cleanest, most impressive performances of the season. They knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium, winning 34-24 to improve their record to 3-0.

There weren’t any glaring weaknesses or mistakes made by any one position group or player, which led to a solid report card all the way around. Here’s how we graded each unit in the team’s win over the Bucs.

Quarterback: B+
Matthew Stafford put up great numbers against Tampa Bay’s defense, throwing for 343 yards and four touchdowns. Statistically, it was his best performance based on yardage and scores. However, he missed two deep throws to DeSean Jackson and was inaccurate to open the game – perhaps because of the adrenaline of playing in such a big matchup.

He was still impressive, but outside of his deep shot to Jackson for a 75-yard touchdown, he essentially did what he was supposed to, primarily throwing underneath with a handful of quality throws toward the sideline mixed in.

Running back: C+
Sony Michel got a healthy number of carries for the Rams with Darrell Henderson Jr. out, toting the ball 20 times and gaining 67 yards. He had a nice 15-yard run late as the Rams were trying to kill the clock, as well as another 11-yarder, but for the most part, he was gaining a handful of yards at a time.

Where he did impress was in pass protection, stepping up and picking up blitzers a few times with strong blocks.

Wide receiver: A-
What more can be said about Cooper Kupp? He added another nine catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns, continuing his outstanding start to the year. He’s tied for the league lead in catches and is first in yards and touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the best wideouts in football.

DeSean Jackson caught a 75-yard touchdown pass and had another 40-yard reception, finally breaking through with a couple of big plays with his new team. Robert Woods continues to put up underwhelming numbers with only three catches for 33 yards, while Van Jefferson caught four passes for 42 yards.

Tight end: B
On the Rams’ first touchdown drive, Higbee caught four passes for 29 yards, including his 6-yard score. Three of those receptions were on screens, but he did fumble it once. He remains the Rams’ top tight end and an important part of the offense, whether it’s as a blocker or in the passing game.

Offensive line: A
What a performance by the offensive line this game was. Against a defensive front that features Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea and Shaquil Barrett, the Rams allowed just three hits on Stafford despite him being pressured 12 times. Brian Allen continues to impress, allowing only one pressure all game long – and that’s with having to block Vea the majority of the time.

They gave Stafford time to attempt those deep throws, as they have all season. As good as the QB has been, the offensive line is one of the most valuable units on this team.

Defensive line: A
Aaron Donald was once again Aaron Donald, recording five pressures with one sack and two run stops. He hasn’t lost anything as a pass rusher since hitting 30 years old, once again earning an elite grade from Pro Football Focus.

A’Shawn Robinson had six tackles in only 19 snaps played – seven snaps against the run – an incredible rate for the defensive lineman. Sebastian Joseph-Day had four pressures on the day, too, maintaining his high level of play for the third week in a row.

Inside linebacker: B+
Kenny Young bounced back nicely from a tough Week 2 when he was ejected in the second half against the Colts, playing well this week both against the run and as a blitzer. He sacked Tom Brady once and had a team-high 10 tackles, forcing a fumble and making three stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Troy Reeder added one tackle in his limited playing time, primarily because the Rams were in dime packages often to counter the Bucs’ pass-heavy attack.

Outside linebacker: B+
Leonard Floyd was a non-factor in Week 1 but he’s played well in the two games since. He generated five pressures to tie Donald for the team-high, sacking Brady once and making a tackle for a loss in the win.

Terrell Lewis earned his biggest role yet with 34 snaps played, generating two pressures and hitting Brady once. He also laid a big hit on Rob Gronkowski for a short gain, which left the tight end shaken up. Justin Hollins only made two tackles and had no pressures before injuring his pec.

Cornerback: B
Jalen Ramsey somehow allowed eight catches on 10 targets , though they only went for 75 yards. He and the rest of the cornerbacks were playing off-coverage a lot against the Bucs, limiting big plays down the field. Darious Williams had his share of struggles against Mike Evans, but David Long Jr. was solid in allowing only two catches on four targets.

Safety: C
Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp once again played every snap, but Nick Scott still managed to get on the field for 31 plays as the dime defender. Fuller was decent and made five tackles, but Rapp and Scott weren’t all that impressive. Rapp struggled in coverage and allowed 85 yards on five catches, an area where Scott had some trouble, too. The Rams need better play from their safeties moving forward.

Special teams: A-
Finally, a good performance from the special teams unit. Johnny Hekker downed all three of his punts inside the 20-yard line, Matt Gay made all of his six kicks (two FGs, four PATs) and there were no glaring mistakes in the return game, limiting the Bucs to just 48 yards on kick returns.