Pro Football Focus released grades for each player from Thursday night’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders, including new quarterback Baker Mayfield. He probably didn’t grade out as well as many expected him to, but he still played an excellent game.
Here’s a look at some of the best and worst performers from the Rams’ 17-16 win over Las Vegas on Thursday.
Top 5 offense
- RG Coleman Shelton: 82.2
- WR Ben Skowronek: 75.3
- WR Tutu Atwell: 74.5
- LT Ty Nsekhe: 73.6
- WR Austin Trammell: 68.5
It was not a good performance from the Rams’ offensive line, particularly for their tackles. But Shelton actually did a good job on the interior, according to PFF, by allowing zero pressures. He did cost the Rams three points with a post-whistle penalty, though.
Skowronek was a stud at wide receiver, leading the team with seven catches for 89 yards – both career-highs.
Atwell also had a huge impact, catching five passes for 50 yards on nine targets.
Nsekhe was only pinned with allowing two pressures in the win, but it seemed like Chandler Jones was beating him more often than not.
Trammell didn’t play a ton and only caught one pass for 5 yards.
Top 5 defense
- NT Greg Gaines: 87.3
- S Taylor Rapp: 84.9
- CB Troy Hill: 83.2
- LB Bobby Wagner: 79.3
- NT Bobby Brown III: 73.0
Gaines was having an up-and-down season before this game, but he was dominant against the Raiders with two pressures and four stops.
Rapp had just three tackles but he also came down with the game-sealing interception and didn’t miss a tackle, allowing just one catch for 4 yards.
Hill was only targeted once and didn’t allow a reception in coverage.
Wagner finished with a game-high 14 tackles and five stops, but his one missed tackle certainly hurt his overall grade.
Brown only played 12 snaps and made one tackle, so his grade was a little higher than expected.
Bottom 5 offense
- RB Malcolm Brown: 58.6
- RB Cam Akers: 55.2
- WR Brandon Powell: 53.7
- TE Tyler Higbee: 53.1
- RT Rob Havenstein: 49.6
Brown and Akers were both in the bottom five, though Brown didn’t touch the ball very much (just three times). Akers averaged 3.5 yards per carry on 12 attempts.
Powell wasn’t involved very much after last week’s stellar performance, failing to even touch the ball. He was targeted twice.
Higbee caught two passes for 11 yards, contributing minimally as a receiver, but he was better as a blocker.
Havenstein got absolutely worked by Maxx Crosby all game long, allowing five pressures, one sack and committing three penalties. Crosby made him look like a practice squad player.
Bottom 5 defense
- CB Cobie Durant: 57.2
- DL Marquise Copeland: 56.5
- CB Jalen Ramsey: 54.2
- OLB Michael Hoecht: 48.6
- DL Jonah Williams: 42.3
Durant got the start at cornerback but he didn’t have the best game. He overpursued a screen pass and allowed a big gain, also giving up a 13-yard reception in coverage.
Copeland and Williams combined for five pressures as a pairing, which is pretty good for two interior defensive linemen, but their tackling grades were both below 40.
Ramsey was targeted a game-high seven times and allowed four receptions for 93 yards, most of which went to Davante Adams – who is admittedly an impossible player to cover.
Hoecht was exposed as a defensive tackle playing edge rusher, showing a lack of quickness and awareness on the edge when the Raiders used jet sweeps or play action.
Other notables
- WR Van Jefferson: 66.4
- RB Kyren Williams: 65.2
- LB Ernest Jones: 65.3
- OLB Leonard Floyd: 62.2
- QB Baker Mayfield: 61.9
Jefferson only caught two passes in the game, but they were the first and last of Mayfield’s night, including the game-winning touchdown.
Williams broke off runs of 9 and 8 yards on his first two carries but he would finish with just 19 yards on three total carries.
Jones picked off Carr in the end zone before halftime, which was a huge play, and finished with five tackles.
Floyd had four pressures but only two assisted tackles, with a run defense grade of 59.6.
Mayfield’s grade was helped by his final game-winning drive, which included a handful of excellent throws: a 32-yarder to Skowronek and the 23-yard touchdown to Jefferson. He played well even before then, though.
