The Rams never had a losing record under Sean McVay before this season. Not only have they fallen below .500, but they’re now three games under as they head into Week 11.
Buy Rams TicketsIt’s been as painful a season as the Rams and their fans could have imagined, from the three-game losing streak to the ever-growing list of injuries – which now includes Cooper Kupp, who suffered an ankle injury on Sunday.
Once again, there wasn’t much to like from the Rams’ loss this week, which has become a common theme this year. Here are our studs and duds.
Stud: Bobby Wagner
Wagner is the highest-graded linebacker in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, and he played like it on Sunday. He made nine tackles and had one sack, helping slow down the Cardinals’ ground game; the Rams limited James Conner to 69 yards on 21 carries.
There weren’t many bright spots in this game, but Wagner certainly was one of them. He cleans up everything that gets to the second level of the defense.
Stud: Tyler Higbee
Higbee had been quiet for several weeks but he erupted for a big game with John Wolford at quarterback. He caught eight passes for 73 yards, which tied a season-high for him. He still doesn’t have a touchdown, but Higbee was productive with his opportunities. He was targeted eight times, so he caught all of the passes that were thrown his way.
Dud: John Wolford
Wolford does not look like an NFL-caliber quarterback. He’s always been viewed as a limited passer because of his lack of arm strength, but this game really showed he can’t keep the Rams afloat for an extended period of time. He threw way too high several times, which resulted in Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson both getting hurt – though Jefferson was able to return.
He also threw an ugly interception late and a good portion of his completions were on designed rollouts where he wasn’t in the pocket. The Rams need to invest in the backup quarterback spot because Wolford and Perkins aren’t it.
Dud: David Long Jr.
There was a sequence in the fourth quarter that essentially ended any chance of a comeback for the Rams. The Cardinals had third-and-17 and completed a pass to Rondale Moore, who broke away from Long for a 14-yard gain. On fourth-and-3, Moore then caught a 26-yard pass with Long in coverage. On the very next play, Long failed to set the edge on an outside run by Conner, resulting in a touchdown and a 24-10 lead.
Long was in coverage on A.J. Green’s touchdown reception, and though he had good coverage on a deep incompletion for Moore earlier in the game, there was far more bad than good.
Dud: Rob Havenstein
J.J. Watt was in the Rams’ backfield all afternoon disrupting the offense, and Havenstein was usually the guy blocking him – or trying to. Watt made two tackles, had one sack and a tackle for a loss, hitting the quarterback a whopping five times. Havenstein really struggled in this one and he’s supposed to be the guy who keeps this decimated offensive line on the right path.
Dud: Troy Hill
None of the Rams’ cornerbacks really had a good game, including Jalen Ramsey, but Hill was beat in coverage a lot by the Cardinals’ receivers. He gave up a 4-yard catch to Green on fourth-and-2 early in the game and was also beat by Zach Ertz over the middle on third down on the same drive.
Dud: Sean McVay
McVay deserves a lot of blame for this one. Sure, he didn’t have his star quarterback, but neither did the Cardinals. And the Rams offense looked way worse than Arizona’s. The opening drive, which is usually scripted, resulted in 57 yards and a field goal. The running game looked effective and there were few mistakes.
On the next drive, McVay called three straight passes, resulting in a three-and-out. The Rams actually went three-and-out on three straight possessions after their opening field goal, and had a four-play drive that gained 10 yards on their fifth possession.
In the second half, Wolford seemed to be getting into a rhythm with designed rollouts and play action, so McVay decided to put in Bryce Perkins on a designed run that lost 4 yards in the red zone. The Rams scored two plays later, but only thanks to two penalties by the Cardinals.
McVay deserves a lot of blame for the Rams’ ice cold start to the season, especially on Sunday.
