The Los Angeles Rams got the job done on Sunday afternoon, beating the Washington Commanders, 28-20. It put the Rams in possession of the No. 7 seed in the NFC, something few analysts and experts saw coming before the start of the season.
The offense was firing on all cylinders aside from some red zone struggles and two fumbles by Kyren Williams, while the defense shut down Sam Howell and Washington’s passing attack until Jacoby Brissett stepped in.
Below is a look at the Rams’ highest- and lowest-graded players on offense and defense, according to Pro Football Focus (min. 10 snaps).
Top 5 offense
- QB Matthew Stafford: 90.4
- LT Alaric Jackson: 82.0
- C Coleman Shelton: 76.6
- WR Cooper Kupp: 73.2
- RT Joe Noteboom: 71.0
For the third time this season, Stafford finished with an overall grade of at least 90.0, improving his season grade to 85.2. He had three big-time throws and zero turnover-worthy plays in the win Sunday.
Jackson earned a stellar 89.3 pass-blocking grade on Sunday, allowing zero pressures.
Shelton was equally good as a run blocker as he was in pass protection, earning a run-blocking grade of 75.0 and pass-blocking mark of 75.5. He only allowed one pressure.
Kupp went over 100 yards receiving for the second straight week, also scoring a touchdown for the third game in a row.
Noteboom filled in for Rob Havenstein at right tackle and played pretty well, allowing only two pressures and one sack.
Top 5 defense
- LB Ernest Jones: 87.8
- NT Bobby Brown III: 83.7
- S John Johnson III: 77.9
- LB Christian Rozeboom: 75.8
- DB Quentin Lake: 74.2
Jones was everywhere on Sunday, so it’s not surprising that he had the highest grade on defense. He led the team with seven tackles and also added one sack.
Brown finished with four tackles and though he didn’t have any pressures, he earned a pass-rush grade of 83.8.
Johnson pulled in his second interception of the season off a deflection by Terry McLaurin and Christian Rozeboom.
Speaking of Rozeboom, he missed one tackle and allowed just one catch for 4 yards in coverage.
Lake returned from a three-week absence and didn’t miss a beat as the slot defender, allowing only four catches for 23 yards on seven targets. He had a key third-down pass breakup on the opening drive, too.
Bottom 5 offense
- WR Demarcus Robinson: 61.6
- WR Puka Nacua: 60.0
- TE Davis Allen: 57.0
- RB Royce Freeman: 43.6
- LG Steve Avila: 40.7
Robinson stepped up again with 67 total yards on only three touches, scoring a touchdown in his third straight game.
Nacua had one bad drop over the middle, which has been an issue for the rookie this season, but he still finished with 50 yards on five catches.
Allen turned a quick screen into a 14-yard gain and had a pass-blocking grade of 70.2.
Freeman spelled Kyren Williams on 17 plays and carried it six times for 16 yards.
Avila has struggled three weeks in a row now, posting a career-low 40.7 overall grade, largely because of his 35.7 run-blocking grade — also his lowest of the season.
Bottom 5 defense
- OLB Nick Hampton: 62.1
- OLB Keir Thomas: 59.8
- DE Jonah Williams: 56.5
- DT Larrell Murchison: 53.7
- CB Derion Kendrick: 31.0
Hampton didn’t play much but he did break up a fourth-down pass to keep the Commanders from scoring points on that drive.
Thomas had one pressure on seven pass-rushing snaps, also recording one tackle.
Williams rushed the quarterback 13 times but he failed to record a single pressure, thus his lower grade.
The same goes for Murchison, who had zero pressures on 11 pass-rushing snaps.
Kendrick allowed a season-high 153 yards in coverage, giving up catches on seven of his eight targets. He allowed two touchdowns and easily could’ve given up a third if McLaurin wasn’t ruled down at the 1-yard line. To make matters worse, he committed pass interference in the end zone on fourth down late in the game.
Other notables
- CB Ahkello Witherspoon: 73.8
- DT Kobie Turner: 72.5
- DT Aaron Donald: 64.2
- RB Kyren Williams: 62.9
Witherspoon only allowed one catch on seven targets before leaving with a groin injury, playing well once again.
Turner added three more pressures to his season total, earning a pass-rushing grade of 77.0
It’s safe to wonder how much Donald’s groin tightness affected him. He recorded just four pressures and no sacks.
Williams’ two fumbles lowered his grade but he forced four missed tackles and had five runs of 10-plus yards.
