Sean McVay has talked often about the adversity and endless changes the Rams have had to go through in their first nine games of the season. That continued in Week 10 when they hosted the Cardinals.
With Matthew Stafford, Greg Gaines and Alaric Jackson all out against Arizona, the Rams started three new players. They also made further tweaks to the receiving corps and at cornerback in hopes that it would lead to some improvement. It didn’t.
Here’s a look at the snap counts from Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Cardinals, breaking down how much each player played.
Offense
The only players who were on the field for every snap on Sunday were the five offensive linemen, which is painfully ironic given the injuries the Rams have suffered up front all year.
John Wolford and Bryce Perkins both played, but Perkins was more of a situational player, getting on the field for just five snaps. He had three carries and one pass attempt in those five snaps.
Ben Skowronek and Allen Robinson played the most of the Rams’ receivers, only because Cooper Kupp suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. Shockingly, Van Jefferson barely played. His snap share has decreased from 53% to 35% to 28% in his first three games back, so his role is shrinking.
Darrell Henderson Jr. once again led the running backs with 34 snaps played, followed by rookie Kyren Williams, who played 16 snaps. However, the majority of Williams’ snaps were in garbage time on the final 11-play drive. Cam Akers only played 10 snaps but got six carries and was targeted once in that limited playing time.
Tyler Higbee played 80% of the snaps and Brycen Perkins mixed in on 22% of them. They were the only two tight ends to play.
Lance McCutcheon made his debut on offense by playing three snaps, but he wasn’t targeted on any of them. That’s three more snaps than Tutu Atwell played, however. Atwell hasn’t played a snap since Week 6.
Defense
Nick Scott and Bobby Wagner were the only defenders to play every snap, though Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill played 99%. Taylor Rapp missed a few plays but was still on the field for 65 of the 68 snaps. Aaron Donald hardly came off the field, either, playing 96% of the snaps.
David Long Jr. has ascended back to his spot as the No. 3 cornerback, overtaking Derion Kendrick. Long has been working his way back from injury and now that he’s fully healthy, he’s CB3 again. Kendrick played just 2 snaps compared to 60 for Long.
Leonard Floyd and Terrell Lewis were once again the top two edge rushers, playing 56 and 42 snaps, respectively. Justin Hollins was third with 35 snaps played.
A’Shawn Robinson played a bunch of snaps (81%) and Marquise Copeland was out there for 28 snaps in place of Greg Gaines.
Ernest Jones played 75% of the snaps as the No. 2 inside linebacker, leading the team with 10 total tackles.
Robert Rochell played just one snap and Cobie Durant failed to get on the field again despite being healthy. He hasn’t played on defense since Week 2.
