Welcome back Rams fans. It’s with a heavy heart that I have to write this article after the absolutely mind-numbing experience of watching back last week’s game against the Eagles. But begrudgingly, we’re back with some tape takeaways from this past weekend. With the Rams first (puke-inducing) loss in the books, it’s time to check out the All-22 to see where this team had some notable (and not so notable) performances. Five takeaways from a game that was a tale of two halves – let’s get into it.
I’ll still be providing some player matchup analysis for every Sunday matchup that can be used for fantasy football/betting on my X page (https://x.com/PlusMoneyPost), but the main focus of this site will be all #RamsHouse.
Without further ado, let’s get to the tape.
Five Takeaways from Week 3 vs Philadelphia Eagles
1. Some Areas of Special Teams Excel – While Others Falter
I’d be remiss if this wasn’t the first thing I covered in this breakdown. We all saw the 4th quarter play out this last week, where the Rams inexplicably had not one, but two field goal attempts blocked while trying to seal this game. I mean, no need to pull the tape on this one – as it’s been covered enough all over social media.
The thing is – after going through the tape – this was a notable issue earlier on in the game (and even going back to last week when the Rams had an extra point blocked by TEN).
You’ll see this field goal attempt on the second drive of the game, where Karty nailed a beauty from 51 yards. The prime suspect: backup OG Beaux Limmer. He was the primary issue on the final field goal attempt of the game, but on this earlier one, he gets absolutely blown up at the line to the point where he almost gets pushed into Karty’s path.
I don’t want to harp too hard on Limmer here, as it can clearly be tough coming into a game when you haven’t had a snap and need to stonewall 300 lb+ Defensive Linemen. But this has to be better, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it was this rep that keyed Philly in to the fact that the FG block was there to be had.
There was another tough rep not too long after that one, where on the 4th drive of the game, the Rams got stuffed in the redzone. This one’s not as egregious (and Allen gets kinda worked on the outside as well), but Limmer has to be stronger here.
This isn’t about putting it all on Limmer. After all, it was Dotson who got pushed back when Jalen Carter leapt up to block the first FG attempt in the 4th quarter. The Rams have to figure this out as a group, where I’m sure there’s an intense focus during this week’s practice so as to prevent any further heartbreak later in the season.
Now – on to the positives for special teams: Karty’s knuckleball. It was time, after time, after time, watching the Rams kickoff where this stood out. It seems as though Karty has figured out the new kickoff rules – and it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Rams top the board when it comes to the opponent’s average field position after kickoffs.
I’ll leave a few examples here, as it seemed like Karty was putting Metchie + Tank Bigsby in hell on a regular basis with the way he was floating these balls in the landing zone.
That second one is an absolutely dialed coffin-corner kickoff (terminology usually reserved for punts, but it works). The difference between allowing your opponent to start most drives at their 35 yard line and sending a knuckler in the landing zone that returners can’t catch (with the possibility of a fumble) is huge – and the kickoff coverage unit is doing a great job tackling when necessary.
So while the Rams’ special teams had issues – they also had moments that are very encouraging for any Rams fan going into future weeks. They get this field goal protection unit sorted out – and we might have one of the best special teams units in the NFL on our hands.
2. Stafford Had His Patented Excellent Throws – But This Was a Bad Game For Him
It can’t be easy working behind this below average Rams OLine (when it comes to pass protection). And I certainly get that Stafford might be somewhat limited with his lingering back injury and missing most of training camp. But the fact still remains: this was not a good game for Stafford based on the expectations he’s set. That’s not just my assessment – he said the same thing postgame.
That’s not to say he didn’t hit some absolutely nails throws. The 1st and 10 bomb over the top of Blankenship was evidence enough that Staffshow still has it in him. In one of his only clean pockets of this game, he steps up and uncorks a rocket 44 yards downfield to Davante, who gains a tad bit of separation at the top of his route (legally, of course).
And to those Eagles fans who get mad about this tiny push off not getting called as offensive PI, I have two things to point out: (i) Blankenship grabs Davante first, so a little bit of hand fighting is justified, and (ii) this is practically the same thing as what happened on the AJ Brown TD where he was matched up with CB Darious Williams on the outside. I don’t think either of those should be called – so let’s just keep the game going here.
Then, there was a clutch 3rd and 7 with Davante on the outside matched up with Quinyon Mitchell. Stafford starts off looking left, feels the pressure coming off his right side, and rips a pass to the right over the second level defender in a spot where Davante would have been had Mitchell not interfered with him. Elite ability to know where his guys are on the field and where he has to put the ball to avoid an interception.
But the bad from Stafford – specifically in the 2nd half – definitely outweighed the good. Here’s a play action pass at the end of the first half, where the Rams are 3rd and 2 and looking to pick up a first down near the redzone. It’s play-action, and the coverage is exactly what the Rams were looking for on a Puka underneath crosser. Pooks has 2-3 yards of separation on his defender, and nothing but green grass in front of him on the way to a possible TD. Stafford sees him – but misses one of his easier throws of the day, leaving points on the board at a critical point in the field.
This next one was a missed opportunity that hurt my soul. It’s 3rd and 1, and the Rams could basically put the Eagles to bed with a TD on this drive. They hit the play action, Stafford has time, and Puka + Davante cross to leave Davante as the long-bomb target, wide open on the far side of the field. Stafford sees it, lets it go, and … misses Adams for what would have been a huge gain.
That one killed me, because after that, the Rams went for it on 4th and 1 and got stuffed (with a pretty bad situational playcall, running down the middle behind a backup OLineman in Limmer who hadn’t played most of the game to that point).
These were just a couple of examples of the missed throws he put on tape – as there were other missed reads and open receivers that I saw throughout my watchback. Obviously, it’s much easier for me to play Monday Morning Quarterback and point out these tough moments/missed opportunities. But that’s why I don’t make the big bucks – and why Stafford does. I have no doubt he’ll come out sharper this week – but this was tough to see in such a huge game against a team that’s clearly the class of the NFC.
3. What a Show These Two Rams RBs Put On – New Thunder and Lightning?
I touched on the need for more Corum touches in my last article – but I stressed that those touches shouldn’t come at the expense of Kyren. Well, in this game, the Rams put that into action against a usually stout Philly run defence.
The proof is on the statsheet: 28 rush attempts for Rams RBs (20 for Kyren, 8 for Corum), 147 rush yards combined (94 for Kyren, 53 for Corum), over 5 yards-per-carry, and over a 70 PFF rushing grade for both guys. However, what really stood out was the usage and efficiency for these two when it came to different run concepts, where Kyren did well between the tackles and Corum destroyed the edge.
You’ll see a great one from Kyren here. He had two solid rushes just prior to this 1st and 10 run, where the run starts off to the left behind Dedich and Alaric Jackson. Kyren keeps the run going there, but sees the cutback lane open on the right behind Dotson. He immediately hits that lane, finds some space between tacklers, breaks a Quinyon Mitchell tackle, and picks up 11 for a new set of downs.
That was nasty work, and that vision is a far-cry from how Kyren was running to start the season when I was somewhat critical. Here’s another great rep, where the Rams are 1st and 10 near midfield and call a run to the left (again) behind Dedich and Jackson. Dedich gets absolutely worked off the line, but Kyren sees that PHI DT Jordan Davis has committed to the outside, reads the inside lane well, and hits a double cut with a broken Zack Baun tackle to pick up 12 yards.
That’s some absurd juke-cut ability with the strength to get out of a sure tackle by one of the best LBs in the League in Baun. Just a stellar performance by Kyren.
Which leads us to Corum. What a revelation this guy has been thus far. For a guy who barely got any work last year, Corum looks like he should’ve been a big part of the offence since the moment he got drafted. Check this one out here, where the Rams are near the redzone and call a run to the outside of LT Alaric Jackson. Corum starts the run out wide, but immediately sees the cutback with Shelton doing a good job sealing on the inside. Great vision – great result.
Then, later on in the game, they run an almost identical play to the outside of Jackson again. The blocking is pretty darn good in this one, and Corum sees the cutback lane open up again, hitting it with explosiveness and to the complete opposite side of the field for a 12 yard gain.
If there was one positive takeaway that really had me feeling good season-long – it was this run game. Hopefully they can follow this one up with a similar performance against Indy this week.
4. Quentin Lake Had His Best Game in a Rams Uniform
That’s right – the de facto slot corner for this Rams team had a hell of a game this past weekend. In fact – it is the best game I can remember from a still young, blossoming DB in this defence. And his PFF grade for this game backs that up – a cool 91.2 defensive grade (leading all Rams players), ranking as the top grade of his career.
Lake was legitimately flying out there, making good decision after good decision to keep the Eagles contained most of the day. Here’s a nasty play near the end of the first half, where it was 3rd and 7 for the Eagles deep in their own territory. Hurts drops back, has some time, and is looking to hit an intermediate outbreaker between zone defenders. Lake starts off underneath, makes the read, darts back to make up for space between the zones, and breaks up a would-be 20+ yard gain with insane instincts. He actually almost picks off Hurts, all because of his football IQ.
What a play. But Lake came up with some even bigger plays later in the game, when the score started getting tight and the Rams defence really needed to get off the field. The drive after the Rams had their first field goal blocked, the Eagles dropped back to pass on 1st and 10. Rams bring a five-man pressure with zone coverage, so Hurts is looking to dump it off early on an underneath hook route to Dallas Goedert. Lake is watching Hurts’ eyes the whole time, staying on his toes, and jumps the route before the ball gets out of Hurts hands. The result – an easy pass break-up, and a great response right after losing momentum on the blocked field goal.
And his next highlight came on the next play. Hurts is again dropping back on 2nd and 10, with the Rams in man coverage and Lake lined up over Devonta Smith in the slot. Smith runs a good in-breaking route to the intermediate part of the field, and Hurts has to throw when Smith is coming out of his break due to the pressure put on by Josiah Stewart (looking like a draft gem for the Rams to this point). Lake stays sticky in coverage, sees the ball come out, and gets his hands in between Smith’s to break up the pass.
This shows how good his coverage was, but he also did great in the open field, making key tackles to get the Rams defence off the field. All-in-all, this guy has been a stud thus far, and I really hope the Rams can get an extension done with him at some point this season, seeing as he’s turning into a leader in this secondary and on this defence.
5. The Run Defence Was Spectacular – And Poona Ford Really Showed Up
Who would have thought this would be the case after last year. It was a Saquon highlight reel incoming whenever the Rams went up against the Eagles in 2024, where in the two games these two matched up, Barkley went for at least 200 rushing yards and 2 TDs each time. In this game: 46 rush yards on 18 attempts, good for a measly 2.6 yards-per-carry. In fact, this was Barkley’s lowest rushing yard total in a game since joining the Eagles. So – what changed?
Well, looking at the tape, it was clear that Poona Ford has brought a new presence to this LAR run defence. Here’s a play early in the game where the Eagles are in the red zone. They run a classic read-option and Hurts gives the ball to Barkley to the right. Poona is lined up between the RT and RG, right at the point of attack for the Eagles run game. Poona has a great get-off, gets up on the Center blocking over, and pushes him back a yard or two right into Barkley’s running lane. This forced Barkley to cut back, leading him right into the waiting arms of Jared Verse on the backside.
That one might not show up in the box score – but it’s instrumental in stopping Barkley from getting going early. Nonetheless, Poona didn’t just show up in the run game, as he also got some good interior pressure which was key to forcing Hurts into quick throws. This one happened on the Eagles next drive, where DC Schula dials up a nasty blitz design with Kinchens coming off the edge late. His pressure around the edge forces Hurts to step up in the pocket, where Poona hits a great rip move past All-Pro Guard Landon Dickerson to bring down Hurts for an 8 yard loss.
Talk about impact plays. But I should also give some credit to FA LB Nate Landman, as he followed up his amazing Week 1 performance with a good game here (72.7 PFF defensive grade, 3rd best of Rams defensive players that played over 35 of defensive snaps). Here was one I really loved, where Hurts takes off to the left on a designed run after some misdirection to the right. Landman reads the play, gets up on Eagles’ Center Cam Jurgens, and sheds the block to the outside to keep contain on Hurts. This made Hurts have to stick to the inside, getting dragged down for a minimal gain (which was actually negated, as they called Jurgens for a hold on Landman).
That was a similar play to the back-breaker in last years’ Divisional Playoff game, where Hurts took it 44 yards for a house call. With Landman and Poona driving this Rams defence downhill – fans must be feeling a whole lot better about a potential playoff matchup against this team come January.
Well, that’s all she wrote for this week – throw that tape in the trash and move on to a 3-0 Indy fraud check in Week 4. I believe in Daniel Jones being a good NFL QB at this point – but I believe in this Rams defence more. Can’t wait to see how it plays out.