It seemed like everything that could go wrong for the Rams in 2022 did go wrong. It was a frustrating post-Super Bowl season, limping to a 5-12 record and a third-place finish in the NFC West.
No one predicted the Rams to fall off a cliff the way they did, but no one also could’ve seen the injuries that they suffered coming.
As frustrating and disappointing as the season was, there were still some positives to take away. Bobby Wagner shined, the run defense was great and Cam Akers capped off the year strong.
Here’s what went right and wrong for Los Angeles in 2022.
What went right: The run defense
Based on PFF’s grading system, no team had a better run defense than the Rams this season. They earned a grade of 87.0 in that area, helped by their 88.0 tackling grade – which was the second-best in football. Aaron Donald, Bobby Wagner, Jalen Ramsey and Taylor Rapp were all big parts of the run defense’s dominance, each grading above 75.0 individually.
As a team, the Rams allowed just 4.3 yards per carry this season, 11th-best in the league. It was the strength of the defense.
What went right: Bobby Wagner’s first season in LA
Wagner had one of his best seasons ever in his first year with the Rams. He was snubbed from the Pro Bowl, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t one of the best linebackers in football – because he was. He led the team with 140 tackles, finished second with six sacks and tied for third with two interceptions.
He did it all for Los Angeles, finishing the season as PFF’s top-graded linebacker in the NFL. Very rarely did he have a poor game, making few mistakes in the middle of the Rams defense.
What went right: Matt Gay’s performance
Gay was close to perfect in 2022. He just didn’t get much attention because of how ineffective the Rams offense was. He made 28 of his 30 field goal attempts, with the only misses coming from 50-plus yards. He also missed just one of his 32 PATs and delivered touchbacks on 79% of his kickoffs.
Gay deserves to be ranked among the best kickers in the game right now and had the Rams moved the ball better on offense, he would’ve had more opportunities to drill field goals and PATs.
What went right: Cam Akers’ finish to the season
For most of the season, it looked like Akers was either going to ride the bench or get cut/traded. The Rams stuck with him and made him the starter for the final seven games, and he delivered.
Akers rushed for 549 yards and six touchdowns in the last seven games, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He’s given himself a chance to be the starter again in 2023, finishing the year with some of the best numbers of any running back in the last seven games.
What went right: Cooper Kupp’s first half
In his first eight games of the season, Kupp caught 72 passes for 813 yards and six touchdowns. He was on pace for 153 catches and 1,728 yards before getting hurt in Week 10, a game in which he had three catches for minus-1 yard before injuring his ankle.
Kupp picked up right where he left off last season and was poised for another Pro Bowl season if not for his injury. Kupp should be in for another big season in 2023.
What went wrong: Injuries
No team could have overcome the injuries the Rams suffered. They lost their starting quarterback, top three receivers, four starting offensive linemen, their All-Pro defensive tackle and several other players at various points due to injury, causing the Rams to constantly promote players from the practice squad and sign outside free agents to fill in week to week.
Even Sean McVay was in awe of how much roster churn the Rams endured this season, never experiencing anything like it.
The Rams weren’t playing well before Matthew Stafford and Kupp got hurt, but their injuries didn’t make life any easier.
What went wrong: Pass protection
The Rams’ pass blocking grade of 62.0 ranked 24th in the NFL, per PFF. That doesn’t tell the full story of how poor the pass protection was, however. Stafford was under constant duress when he was healthy, and it didn’t change for John Wolford, Bryce Perkins or Baker Mayfield. There were a few strong performances toward the end of the season against the Packers and Broncos, but far too often, the O-line couldn’t protect its quarterback.
The lack of time Mayfield and Stafford had in the pocket was a big reason the passing attack struggled so painfully.
What went wrong: OLB production
Leonard Floyd finished the year with nine sacks, coming on strong in the second half. But the Rams got very little out of their other edge rushers. Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins each had one sack before getting cut, which combined is the same number of sacks as Larrell Murchison had in one game.
The Rams never truly replaced Von Miller and their pass rush suffered as a result. Michael Hoecht was the only somewhat capable No. 2 option, recording 4.5 sacks on the year after moving to outside linebacker.
What went wrong: Most contracts given out by the Rams
It was not a good year for players who signed new contracts or extensions with the Rams in 2022. Joe Noteboom, Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton all got new deals in free agency, and they all got hurt. Allen Robinson signed as a free agent, too, but he also landed on injured reserve. Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford all received well-deserved raised, but they all got hurt, too.
Wagner was really the only player who signed a deal with the Rams in the offseason and had a meaningful impact during the season. Again, injuries aren’t the team’s fault, but those contracts did not work out in 2022.
What went wrong: Running back committee
The Rams came into the season without a clear-cut starter at running back. They tried a committee, giving Darrell Henderson Jr., Akers, Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers and Malcolm Brown opportunities throughout the year. It didn’t work.
Henderson wasn’t playing that bad before getting cut, but he also wasn’t commanding a heavy workload with the numbers he put up. Akers finally emerged in the second half of the year but it was too late by then. The Rams need more of a workhorse back in 2023.
