Quarterbacks
Jared Goff lands himself a great grade for not throwing any turnover worthy throws, cracking 300 yards passing for the first time, and getting his first NFL win. He looked confident, in command, and for the most part was very accurate and decisive. This is what we all hoped for when Sean McVay signed the dotted line.
Running Backs
The RB’s didn’t do much of anything great on Sunday. Todd Gurley once again managed a paltry 2.1 YPC, with 40 total rushing yards. Malcolm Brown hardly did any better totaling 16 rushing yards. The RB’s saving grace is the performance Gurley had through the air, where he snagged five receptions for 56 yards. Outside of that, this running game is going to need a ton of work.
Wide Receivers
Cooper Kupp, Sammy Watkins, and Robert Woods all had catches of over 20 yards. The group combined for 12 receptions, 187 yards, and one TD. Watkins looks to be fully integrated into the offense, and looks like an extremely dangerous weapon. Robert Woods seems to be exactly what the Rams hoped he would be: a strong-handed intermediate WR with savvy route running skills. And the rookie phenom Cooper Kupp? Well, he had the best day of the bunch, securing three beautiful grabs, one of which went for a TD.
Tight Ends
Rookie TE Gerald Everett continues to make plays, and though he didn’t have many chances, he shined on a catch that netted 39 yards and was an explosive play to set the Rams up in scoring position. Tyler Higbee chipped in with two receptions for 17 yards, and new TE Derek Carrier also registered one reception for 12 yards.
Offensive Line
If I remember correctly, Jared Goff was sacked once and hit twice. In terms of pass pro, I’m not sure if this group could have done any better. The line was solid for basically the entire game though there was one slip-up that comes to mind off a tackle/end stunt that left Jamon Brown in a daze, allowing a pressure and a holding penalty. The running game was abysmal, as lead-back Todd Gurley averaged 2.1 YPC, and things didn’t fare much better with the rest of the ground game.
Defensive Line
Somehow, someway, it’s 2017, and Frank Gore is still giving the Rams fits. Sure, he only had 42 rushing yards, but it came on 4.2 YPC, and the Rams DL can’t allow that with a QB as incompetent as Scott Tolzein. Tyrunn Walker played great, and registered a sack, as did Ethan Westbrooks who had a fantastic game. The best defensive line performance of the day goes to NT Michael Brockers who had five tackles on the day, and looks primed for a big year.
Linebackers
The OLB’s fared much better than the ILB’s in week one. Robert Quinn looked effective off the edge and notched his first sack of the season. Backup Matt Longacre also registered a sack in the game. As for Alec Ogeltree and Mark Barron, they both need to be better. Tree is already piling up the missed tackles, and both got burned consecutively by Colts TE Jack Doyle, which ultimately lead to a Indianapolis scoring drive. Backup Cory Littleton also got some game time, and actually forced a fumble and safety.
Defensive Backs
Anytime your secondary scores two TD’s, you’ve done a great job. Trumaine Johnson had one FF, one FR, one INT, one TD, and allowed only two receptions for 25 yards. Lamarcus Joyner allowed one reception, had a beautiful pass deflection, and his own pick-six to boot. Both look primed for great seasons in the secondary. Nickel CB Nickell Robey-Coleman also would have chipped in with his own pick-six if not for a face-mask penalty by Colts WR Donte Moncrief. The bus drivers are off to a great start.
Special Teams
Johnny Hekker, who recently signed a contract extension, had five punts for a 43.6-yard average. The Colts netted zero punt return yards, resulting in an elite day for the punting unit as a whole. As for kicking, GZ went three-for-three on FG’s, and five-for-five on XP’s. Great day for both, and for long snapper Jake McQuaide as well.
Coaching
The Rams for once, did not play down to their competition. That ladies and gents, is how we know for sure that Jeff Fisher is out of power. Maybe the only place to knock the coaching staff (which is questionable regardless) is the seven penalties for 50 yards that the Rams racked up, but still. These guys were prepared with a great game-plan, and it’s evident that this is a new team with far superior coaching.