5 Rams to watch in week 2 vs Falcons…

5 Rams to watch in Week 2 vs. Falcons

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Skyler Carlin

In the words of Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Rams were “humbled” in their season opener versus the Buffalo Bills. Following the 31-10 loss at home against the Bills in Week 1, the Rams will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 this Sunday.

The Falcons are coming off a narrow 27-26 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. Atlanta possessed a 16-point lead to begin the fourth quarter, only for New Orleans to score 17 unanswered points with Will Lutz capping it off with a game-winning field goal.

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Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Falcons, here are five players on the Rams to watch in Week 2.

1

RB Cam Akers

One of the most surprising developments in Week 1 for the Rams was the fact that Darrell Henderson Jr. was the clear No. 1 running back. McVay deployed Henderson as the starter to begin the game and he proceeded to play in 82 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.

Meanwhile, Cam Akers didn’t receive his first offensive snap until the third drive of the game and he would play on only 18 percent of the offensive snaps. After the embarrassing loss to the Bills, McVay stated that he wants to see Akers have an increased sense of urgency when he’s on the field.

It’s clear that Akers is going to have to work his way back to having a prominent role in the offense again this season. Even though Henderson will be the starter in the backfield, McVay said Akers will get more opportunities this week, so the third-year back will need to make the most of them.

2

WR Allen Robinson

Allen Robinson made his debut for the Rams in last Thursday’s loss to the Bills, but it was an extremely forgettable outing. The veteran wideout caught only one pass for 12 yards on two targets despite Los Angeles playing from behind for the majority of the contest.

Amid all of the negative in his debut, Robinson only saw two fewer snaps than Cooper Kupp in Week 1. On top of that, Robinson ran 42 routes to Kupp’s 47 and McVay has stated that the Penn State product will be more involved in the aerial attack this week.

While it wasn’t an ideal start to the season, the Bills run zone-heavy coverage schemes that limit what Robinson does best. This week, the Pro Bowl wide receiver will face a secondary of the Falcons that plays more man-coverage, putting him in a prime position to bounce back in Week 2.

3

C Coleman Shelton

The Rams’ offensive line was dominated by the Bills’ front seven in Week 1, allowing seven sacks. Fast forward a day after the game and it was revealed that Brian Allen suffered a knee injury and would need to undergo a knee procedure that would keep him sidelined for a minimum of two weeks.

With Allen inactive, the Rams are moving Coleman Shelton from right guard to center, and Tremayne Anchrum will start at right guard. Even though none of the offensive linemen on the Rams had a strong showing in Week 1, this is an opportunity for Shelton to show off his versatility in the interior.

While the Falcons don’t have a premier pass rush, Shelton and the interior offensive line of the Rams will have their hands full with Grady Jarrett.

4

OLB Justin Hollins

You’ve got to give credit where it’s due and the Bills did a fantastic job preventing the Rams pass rush from being a factor in last Thursday’s matchup. Josh Allen averaged 2.47 seconds on each throw, which helped Buffalo limit Los Angeles to only two sacks.

At the same time, the pass rush of the Rams looked lackluster in the season opener as they failed to create consistent pressure on Allen. If the defense of the Rams wants to be one of the best units in 2022, they’ll need someone like Justin Hollins to step up as an edge rusher opposite Leonard Floyd.

With the Falcons occupied with trying to slow down Aaron Donald, this is a perfect time for Hollins to have a productive game in the pass-rushing department.

5

S Nick Scott

Among all the shaky performances on the Rams in Week 1, Nick Scott was one of the few bright spots. The fourth-year safety would draw the start alongside Taylor Rapp on the backend of the secondary and he didn’t disappoint versus the Bills.

Scott would tally seven combined tackles, one pass breakup, and a forced fumble in just the seventh start of his career. McVay has raved about Scott this week and he is expected to make a second straight start on Sunday against the Falcons.

Atlanta doesn’t have an extremely lethal group of weapons on offense, but guys like Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Cordarrelle Patterson could present some challenges. Look for Scott to have another noteworthy performance in Week 2, solidifying himself as a key contributor on the defense moving forward.