There was a lot at stake for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. A win would give them first place in the NFC conference. They got off to a fast start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (taking an early 21-0 lead) and never looked back. The final score of 34-7 extends Los Angeles’ winning streak to six games and moved them to 9-2 so far this year.
This was a total team effort. It seems nitpicking to point out any negative performances from this game; However, considering Los Angeles just lost three starters for at least four games, it’s worth reaching out and wondering if the Rams will feel these losses going forward.
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Who helped lead the Rams to victory and which players should we worry about going forward?
Winners
Matthew Stafford, quarterback
NFL purse races are won and lost in primetime games, and Matthew Stafford made the most of his opportunity in Week 12. He threw two early touchdown passes to effectively end the game in the first half. It was a master class, although not much was demanded of him in the last two quarters. In some ways, it feels like we were robbed of a classic game because the Buccaneers weren’t even remotely competitive.
Stafford completed 25 of 35 passes (71%) for 273 yards and three touchdowns. He never put the ball in danger, although he did receive a sack and made an intentional ground ball play on fourth down.
Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes, CB
The Rams have gone from having serious doubts at outside corner to deploying a formidable playmaking duo in Durant and Forbes. Durant started the defensive feast by stealing the ball from Cade Otton and returning 50 yards for a touchdown. Forbes also had an interception on a Hail Mary attempt just before the half, although even more impressive were his four (!) pass deflections that night. Forbes has made the most of his long arms over the past few weeks and has a knack for fighting back into the play and forcing incomplete passes.
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If Durant and Forbes can maintain this level of play, it will be a huge improvement over where the Rams started the year and will make the defense very difficult to play against in the latter part of the season.
Warren McClendon
Not too surprising, but Warren McClendon was stingy on the right side of the line replacing Rob Havenstein. McClendon has performed better than Havenstein when given the opportunity, and it’s possible that if Havenstein returns from injured reserve, that will be McClendon’s job for the foreseeable future.
Do the Bucs have a discouraging pass rush, especially considering Haason Reddick missed this game? Not precisely. Still, McClendon is far from a weak link.
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Kobie Turner, DT and Jared Verse, EDGE
It seemed like almost everyone on defense made a great play at some point. Kobie Turner and Jared Verse, while not enjoying high sack totals this year, lived in Tampa Bay’s backfield and each recorded two sacks (each with one on fourth down).
Verse faced a tough matchup against Tristan Wirfs and was still consistently effective on Sunday night. There are few defenders who give Wirfs any problems, but he certainly had his hands full with Verse.
Harrison Mevis, K.
While this was Harrison Mevis’ third game with the Rams, it marked the first time we saw him attempt a field goal. The “biggest kicker” made all four of his extra point attempts and converted his first two field goals with a long kick from 52 yards. All attempts ended right in the middle of the posts. The Rams should have confidence in Mevis moving forward.
Losers
Josh Wallace
It’s clear and obvious that Quentin Lake was a key player for this defense, and his value was even more evident in the team’s first game without him. Josh Wallace mainly filled in as captain and there were some challenging moments.
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While Wallace didn’t appear to have any significant breakdowns in coverages that the Buccaneers were able to take advantage of, he was penalized twice. A flag ended with a sack by Byron Young.
This was not a game-losing effort for the Rams; However, it raises questions about how steep the drop is from Lake to Wallace.
Roger McCreary, C.B.
By my calculations, Roger McCreary played just one defensive snap before suffering a hip injury and not returning. The Rams acquired McCreary from the Tennessee Titans in a trade, and he was a potential option to replace Lake. Wallace was the preferred candidate to start the game. If the Rams need to see McCreary perform well in practice before getting more involved in the rotation, then this injury could cloud his status going forward.
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Terrance Ferguson, TE
Terrance Ferguson was on the field often replacing Tyler Higbee, although he didn’t have much of an impact in the air. The rookie was targeted just once and dropped a pass incredibly well from Stafford.
The first indication of Higbee’s absence is that we will see more of Davis Allen and Colby Parkinson.
Josh Karty
The Rams reject releasing Josh Karty because they believe he still has NFL potential. It’s a fair thought process because we often see kickers cut at the first sign of trouble in the league, and then find success elsewhere. Still, I have to wonder if the sunk cost fallacy plays a role in keeping Karty around. The team spent draft capital on a kicker who simply didn’t work out, and now they have a real alternative in Mevis.
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There’s no good reason to keep Karty on the roster after watching Mevis nail six kicks in prime time.