The Rams played very well as a team in Week 2, getting strong performances from the likes of Jared Goff, Jalen Ramsey and Andrew Whitworth. However, there were also some underwhelming games by players such as Aaron Donald, Joe Noteboom and Leonard Floyd.
We went through every position group and handed out grades for each one, with most earning passing marks in Sunday’s win.
Here’s our Week 2 report card.
Quarterback: A
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It’s hard to find any faults in Jared Goff’s performance on Sunday, except for maybe the miss to Darrell Henderson in the end zone. But even on that play, Goff’s arm was hit slightly by Brandon Graham to affect the throw.
He was accurate throwing to all areas of the field and put the ball in spots where his receivers could gain yardage after the catch – with the exception of a throw that was slightly behind Robert Woods, leading to a big (and illegal) hit from Nickell Robey-Coleman. It was one of Goff’s better performances in recent years.
Running back: B+
(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
This was Darrell Henderson’s coming-out party as he erupted for 121 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 touches. He had a 40-yard run, a 28-yard catch and nearly had a second touchdown on the aforementioned play where Goff’s arm was hit.
Malcolm Brown gained 47 yards on 11 carries, while Cam Akers looked good before getting hurt (13 yards on three carries). It was a good game by the running backs despite the group being without its starter.
Wide receiver: B
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Cooper Kupp led the way with 81 yards on five catches, while also adding 19 yards on two carries. Robert Woods had more rushing yards (19) than he did receiving (14), and also had three carries compared to only two catches on five targets.
Goff did a good job spreading the ball around to hit all four of his top receivers, but there wasn’t a huge outing by any one player. It was merely a solid game by a consistent and reliable group of players.
Tight end: A-
(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Tyler Higbee was the only tight end to catch a pass for the Rams this week, hauling in five receptions (on five targets) for 54 yards, with three of those catches going for touchdowns. He and Gerald Everett did a good job blocking, too, helping keep Goff relatively clean in the pocket.
Higbee’s route running and awareness have really taken him to new heights as a tight end and it showed on Sunday.
Offensive line: B
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Goff was only sacked once and hit twice, but the offensive line allowed too many defenders to penetrate and make plays in the backfield. The Eagles had five tackles for loss and disrupted runs up the middle by closing down running lanes against the guards and center.
Joe Noteboom, in particular, struggled with Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson on the interior before getting hurt. Andrew Whitworth was once again a bright spot, though.
Defensive line: C-
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A week after the Eagles allowed eight sacks to Washington, the Rams failed to record a single tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Aaron Donald was neutralized, while Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Morgan Fox had minimal impact on the game.
The defensive line was undoubtedly the weak link on that side of the ball for the Rams in what was otherwise a strong showing by the defense as a whole.
Inside linebacker: A-
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Micah Kiser led the way with 16 tackles, a pass defensed and a forced fumble, making 11 solo stops along the way. Kenny Young also chipped in four tackles and a big shot on Carson Wentz when he blitzed the QB.
Those are the only two inside linebackers who have contributed for the Rams this season and they were all over the field on Sunday in Philly.
Outside linebacker: C
The Rams simply have not gotten enough out of their edge rushers this season, and that was certainly the case on Sunday. Leonard Floyd and Samson Ebukam combined for one tackle, while Ogbonnia Okoronkwo had three tackles in limited action. Floyd hit the quarterback once but he didn’t put much pressure on Wentz throughout the game.
This position has been a weakness in the early going but there’s still time for the edge rushers to turn things around and make an impact up front.
Cornerback: A-
(AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Once again, the cornerback group played extremely well. Even on a day where Troy Hill missed tackles and gave up two big third-down receptions to DeSean Jackson, he had an interception late in the game. Darious Williams also picked off a pass in the end zone, while Jalen Ramsey didn’t allow a catch on his only two targets in coverage.
This is a strength of the team and will remain such as long as the top three players can stay healthy.
Safety: A
John Johnson and Jordan Fuller were everywhere in Week 2, combining for 17 tackles and two passes defensed; both breakups were by Johnson. Taylor Rapp also had two tackles on defense in limited playing time.
Given the competition these safeties faced with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, they stepped up in a big way and didn’t get beat many times at all. Johnson and Fuller look good as starters, and Rapp is a heck of a backup to have behind them.
Special teams: C
The special teams unit has had its share of issues this season. Samuel Sloman had one of his extra point attempts blocked, Kupp fumbled a punt return and the Rams gave up a 25-yard kick return to Boston Scott that set up the Eagles with good field position after Sloman failed to boot the ball into the end zone.
