With Week 1 in the rearview mirror, it’s time for our first report card of the season for the Los Angeles Rams. It’s hard to be any bit disappointed with the way they played on Sunday against the Seahawks considering they won 30-13, but there is always room for improvement.
Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Aaron Donald were all standouts in the win, but a few position groups could use work moving forward.
Buy Rams TicketsHere’s our initial report card of 2023, grading each position group in the victory.
Quarterback: A
Casual fans might point to the fact that Matthew Stafford didn’t have a touchdown pass and question why he earned an A. Well, despite finishing without a touchdown, Stafford still played really well, and you’d know that by watching him zip it around the field on short, intermediate and deep passes.
He didn’t have a turnover and didn’t miss many throws, with the exception of a dig to Puka Nacua over the middle. And he also had a bad drop by Van Jefferson that could’ve gained 35-plus yards on a deep ball. Still, 24-for-38 with 334 yards and no turnovers is a great statline for Week 1.
Running back: C+
Kyren Williams was pretty good in this one, rushing for 52 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns. Cam Akers found the end zone, as well, but he was highly inefficient with just 29 yards on 22 carries.
Neither player contributed in the passing game and neither was particularly explosive, but there were signs of promise from Williams, who showed good burst through the line.
Wide receiver: A-
Even without Cooper Kupp, the Rams’ receivers played great, and it was primarily two guys doing the damage: Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. With 119 yards each and 16 combined receptions, both Nacua and Atwell were key players in the win.
Van Jefferson, not so much. He had just 24 yards and that aforementioned drop, which hit him right in the hands with no defender contesting the catch. Ben Skowronek didn’t do much as the fourth receiver, failing to record a catch, but Atwell and Nacua took care of business.
Tight end: B+
Tyler Higbee had an all-around solid game. He only caught three passes, but they went for 49 yards – including a big 30-yarder where he beat Julian Love in man coverage deep down the field. He was also great as a blocker, helping clear the way on one of Kyren Williams’ touchdown runs.
Brycen Hopkins caught a 21-yard pass in the win, as well.
Offensive line: A-
It was only one game but the Rams’ offensive line looked great against Seattle. They allowed just five pressures in pass protection, keeping Stafford clean throughout the game. The Seahawks only landed two hits on Stafford all afternoon, evidence of just how good the O-line was.
It could use work in the running game, but this was an excellent start for the Rams’ new-look offensive line.
Defensive line: B-
The defensive line had some early trouble against the run on Sunday, allowing 53 yards on Kenneth Walker’s first nine carries, but the group settled in and put together a decent day.
Aaron Donald and Kobie Turner each had a half-sack, with Donald tying for the team-high by recording five pressures. The rest of the D-line didn’t produce much but with Donald and Turner, the Rams had a solid day up front, particularly in the second half.
Inside linebacker: C+
While Ernest Jones had a decent game, Christian Rozeboom did not. In addition to Jones’ one missed tackle, Rozeboom missed three tackles himself and finished with a PFF grade of 31.8.
The Rams played Rozeboom much more than anticipated but that could change against an offense that’s more pass-heavy against Los Angeles.
Outside linebacker: C
On one hand, Michael Hoecht and Byron Young combined for eight pressures, five of which were by the rookie Young. On the other, Hoecht was terrible against the run and missed two tackles. Zach VanValkenburg wasn’t much better as the third edge rusher, either.
This is still a position of concern for the Rams because Hoecht has trouble against the run when it comes to setting edges. That led to a couple of big gains on the ground.
Cornerback: B+
Derion Kendrick, Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant were the Rams’ primary cornerbacks in this one and it’s hard to fault any of them for their play. Kendrick did give up a touchdown to DK Metcalf and Durant committed an unnecessary pass interference penalty, but otherwise, the cornerbacks were solid.
While Seattle may not have looked very good, their receiving corps is one of the best in the NFL and the Rams’ corners held their own.
Safety: B
Welcome to the starting lineup, Russ Yeast. He finished with the highest defensive grade on the Rams at 79.0, making two tackles and allowing zero receptions in coverage. Most importantly, he didn’t miss any tackles.
Jordan Fuller was also reliable on the back end, making eight tackles with zero missed tackles. He also was not targeted in coverage.
Special teams: C-
There’s plenty of work to be done on special teams. The Rams had one field goal blocked, Brett Maher missed another attempt from 56 yards and the coverage units weren’t very good on punts or kickoffs, allowing returns of 18 and 34 yards, respectively.
