Very little is working for the Los Angeles Rams right now. The offense is one of the worst in the NFL and the defense, as star-studded as it is, has struggled to overcome the tough spots the offense is putting it in.
It’s translated to a 3-6 record and a spot in last place in the NFC West. Cooper Kupp is out, Matthew Stafford is dealing with a concussion, the running game is terrible and the secondary has been inconsistent outside of Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill.
The Rams aren’t out of it yet, but the outlook of their season is getting increasingly bleak by the week. With Kupp sidelined, it’s time for the Rams to give their younger players a longer look so they can get a better sense of who might have some potential as future starters.
Let’s make one thing clear: I’m not advocating for the Rams to tank and bench their starters. But there is a way for them to give their younger, less proven players a chance to contribute more than they have. And there are five specific players who should get more playing time in the coming weeks, especially if the Rams can’t beat the Saints on Sunday.
The players I’m looking at are Tutu Atwell, Lance McCutcheon, Kyren Williams, Cobie Durant and Robert Rochell.
Tutu Atwell and Lance McCutcheon
In the case of Atwell and McCutcheon, this is mostly about Kupp being injured. The receiving corps looks painfully weak without No. 10 leading the way, even with Allen Robinson the roster. Without Kupp, the Rams have Robinson, Ben Skowronek and Van Jefferson at wideout. They’ve combined for 58 catches, 564 yards and three touchdowns. That’s 17 fewer catches, 248 fewer yards and half as many touchdowns as Kupp has himself.
The Rams don’t seem very high on Jefferson anymore, either. Since he returned from a knee injury, his snap share has decreased each week: 53%, 35%, 28%. Skowronek is still playing a majority of the snaps, but the Rams more or less know what he is as an NFL player. And Robinson should be a No. 1 receiver in this offense without Kupp, but he’s failed to step up as their big free agent signing.
Atwell hasn’t played a single offensive snap since Week 6. He’s never played more than nine snaps in a game since he came into the NFL as a second-round pick last year. The Rams know better than anyone what Atwell is capable of because they see him every day in practice, but at some point, they need to play him more.
They can’t go into Year 3 without knowing whether Atwell is even an NFL player, let alone someone who can get on the field for 20-plus snaps a week.
McCutcheon showed plenty of promise in the preseason and looked like an NFL receiver with his size and wide catch radius. He made his debut on Sunday against the Cardinals so the Rams are on the verge of giving him some chances, but if they’re not confident in Jefferson right now, McCutcheon should be able to play some snaps as the No. 3 receiver behind Robinson and Skowronek.
Kyren Williams
At running back, nothing is working. The Rams are the only team in the NFL without a single player who has had at least 65 yards rushing in a game this season. They rank last in the league in rushing yards per game (68.1) and 31st in yards per carry (3.2). It’s terrible every way you look at it.
Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. clearly aren’t getting the job done and it’s been nine games. Ronnie Rivers isn’t the answer, either, nor is Malcolm Brown. Williams was just activated last week after missing eight games with an ankle injury, so he could be eased back into action, but he needs to be the starting running back sometime soon.
It was a tiny sample size, but he showed some juice at the end of the Cardinals game. He had 39 yards on four touches during the final drive, albeit against a soft, prevent defense. The Rams have been high on him since the draft, so why not give him a look as the starting running back?
Worst-case scenario, the running game doesn’t get better. But it really can’t get any worse! Give the kid a shot.
Cobie Durant and Robert Rochell
Ramsey and Hill are going to remain the starting cornerbacks. The Rams shouldn’t change that because it’s one of the strengths of this team. But they’ve yet to find a great third option at corner.
David Long Jr. gave up three big plays against the Cardinals on Sunday, missing a tackle on third-and-17, allowing a deep pass on fourth down and then missing a tackle that resulted in a touchdown. He wasn’t playing terribly before then, but he also wasn’t lighting it up.
The same can be said about Derion Kendrick, who had a really rough game against the Buccaneers and has had just one PFF coverage grade above 60 this season. He’s a young player who the Rams will need in the years to come, but what makes him different than Durant and Rochell (to an extent) is he’s already gotten plenty of playing time this season. He’s played 347 snaps on defense compared to 23 for Durant and 18 for Rochell.
Strangely, Durant seemed to play relatively well in his debut against the Falcons in Week 2, but he hasn’t played since then. He was injured from Week 3-6, but he was healthy after the bye and still hasn’t seen the field in the last three games.
Rochell dealt with injuries as a rookie in 2021 but has been healthy enough to play special teams each week this season. He’s just not getting any looks on defense, which is surprising after the Rams gave him some playing time last year.
