The Los Angeles Rams are peeling themselves off the turf after getting steamrolled by the Buffalo Bills in Thursday night’s opener, 31-10. And so here we are on this fine Overreaction Monday Friday, with Rams fans panicking about several aspects of the team.
From Matthew Stafford’s elbow to the offensive line’s inability to block, there are plenty of things fans are worried about. I’m here to throw some water on the fire and remind everyone that it’s only Week 1, and the sky isn’t falling – even if it feels like it is.
Here are six overreactions from the Rams’ season-opening loss.
1
Matthew Stafford’s elbow is the reason he played poorly
Let’s not get too worked up about Stafford’s performance. Obviously, he played poorly, throwing three interceptions and only racking up 240 yards on 41 attempts. But the offensive line also gave up seven sacks and 15 hits on Stafford. That’s not the quarterback’s fault.
And while he didn’t really throw the ball down the field, how was he supposed to when he had very little time for deep shots to develop? He did complete 2 of his 5 throws at least 20 yards down the field, and his interception intended for Cooper Kupp was a matter of him trying to make a tough no-look throw when it wasn’t necessary.
It’s possible his elbow is still bothering him, but that’s not the reason he struggled. It was a combination of poor protection, inaccurate throws and a great defense on the other side.
2
Cam Akers is barely going to help the offense
Akers shockingly only played 12 snaps compared to 55 for Darrell Henderson Jr. He carried it just three times for zero yards, proving to be a complete non-factor for the Rams with each of his three runs going for no gain.
There’s also no chance he’s going to be a backup who plays 18% of the snaps every week. That’s simply not going to happen – not unless Henderson averages 150 yards a game. There isn’t a big enough talent gap between Akers and Henderson for that to be the case, and when both are fully healthy, many would argue Akers is the better all-around back.
Now, he’ll need to earn his snaps and opportunities, but Akers is going to be a player the Rams rely on as the season goes on. Perhaps he isn’t 100% healed from his recent soft-tissue injury suffered during camp.
3
Allen Robinson was a bust signing
Another player who was nowhere to be found Thursday was Robinson. He played all but two snaps in the game, ran 47 routes and was only targeted twice – with his second target coming on the final play of the game for the Rams offense.
Stafford barely looked his way, despite Robinson appearing to get open a bunch. He flashed on a couple of crossing routes, and he would’ve been open on this hitch had Stafford gotten some time.
For those wondering where Arob was, he was open a lot ex. here, however, the Bills DL was beating the play clock, ALOT!
No receiver is even looking at Stafford or close to breaking there route but the time Miller gets home.
Give him time Arob will be fine#FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/4AHs6v3bzo
— Jeremy (@PopesFFH) September 9, 2022
It’s wildly disappointing that Robinson only had one catch for 12 yards in his debut, but Stafford and McVay will find ways to get him more involved. And it’s not every week that the Rams will be facing a pass rush and overall defense as good as the Bills’.
Let’s not bury No. 12 yet. He’ll still be a factor this year and I fully expect him to have a 1,000-yard season.
4
Jalen Ramsey is no longer an elite cornerback
Is it concerning that Ramsey has given up a deep touchdown pass in four of his last six games (including the postseason)? It sure is. But that doesn’t mean he suddenly forgot how to cover receivers.
He was certainly off against the Bills on Thursday night, allowing a perfect passer rating in coverage for only the second time in his career. It was also the first time that he gave up 100-plus yards and two touchdowns in a game, according to Next Gen Stats.
This was the only game in Jalen Ramsey's career that he's allowed 100+ yards and 2+ TDs, per @NextGenStats
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) September 9, 2022
He went up against Stefon Diggs, one of the best receivers in football. That’s no excuse for Ramsey’s poor play because he’s shut down top-tier pass catchers before, but he looked rusty and wasn’t in his best form with how heavily the Rams called zone coverage.
5
The offensive line is going to be a mess all year
Coming out of this 21-point loss, the offensive line is definitely the biggest concern. Joe Noteboom gave up three sacks, David Edwards couldn’t block Jordan Phillips and there was poor pass protection across the board.
However, it was one game for an offensive line that started for the first time together as a group. There was no preseason action for them this year, and Shelton and Noteboom are newcomers to a line that was great last season.
Plus, the Bills have one of the best defensive fronts in football, if not the best. You never want to give up seven sacks, but let’s give this group some time to build chemistry and find its footing.
6
The pass rush is non-existent
Unlike Stafford, Josh Allen was hardly under any pressure. The Rams had two sacks, but one was by Aaron Donald and the second was on a blitz by Bobby Wagner. Those were the only two times the Rams hit Allen on a dropback, too.
Leonard Floyd hardly had his name called, Justin Hollins had no success on the other side and while Greg Gaines won some of his matchups, the Rams simply didn’t get enough pressure on the quarterback.
Granted, the Bills used a quick passing game for the most part against the Rams’ zone coverage, but the pass rush can still be better – and I think it will be.
