Rams tweets etc. … 10/15 – 10/18

from PFF Grades: Who have been Rams’ top performers so far? — https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/10/15/24270474/rams-pff-grades-jared-verse-jordan-whittington?utm_medium=social&utm_content=turfshowtimes&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=socialflow

Top five grades on offense

1 – Jordan Whittington, WR: 76.8
Whittington had only five targets through the first three games, but over the last two games he was thrown 18 passes—catching 13 for 151 yards. He has 18 receptions for 201 yards on the season and should have a larger role as the season progresses.

2 – Alaric Jackson, LT: 75.2
After missing the first two games due to suspension, Jackson has been a stable presence on the offensive line. Perhaps a coincidence, the running game with Kyren Williams instantly got better upon Jackson’s return. He has a run blocking grade of 79.6 that is third behind only Puka Nacua and Joe Noteboom. In pass protection Jackson has surrendered only two pressures despite tough matchups versus the Bears, 49ers, and Packers.

3 – Ronnie Rivers, RB: 74.6
Rivers has 51 yards on 10 carries, though Blake Corum seemed to seize the backup role to Williams in the latest game versus Green Bay. The rotation in the backfield is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

4 – Hunter Long, TE: 72.0
LA’s backup tight end has been oft-maligned since the team acquired his as part of the trade that sent Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, though he’s been a useful utility player when healthy. Long is fourth in run blocking grade. The Rams heavily deployed two-TE sets against the 49ers and Long had his best game of the season with a 85.2 run blocking mark.

5 – Cooper Kupp, WR: 71.7
Despite playing in only two games, Kupp is fifth on the Rams in receiving yards with 147. He also has only one of two touchdowns caught by receivers with the other belonging to Demarcus Robinson. Tutu Atwell was sixth in offensive grading and leads LA with 281 yards on 17 catches.

Kupp could return as soon as this weekend’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Something work keeping an eye on is his average depth of target of 7.2 yards. This is even shorter than his down season in 2022 at 7.5. His average target came at a depth at 8.8 yards during his triple crown season in 2021.

Top five grades on defense

1 – John Johnson, DB: 90.7
We were seeing a resurgent performance from Johnson before he injured his shoulder in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. The safety posted an impressive 90.2 coverage grade during the opener in Detroit and recorded an interception of QB Jared Goff. Johnson could return as early as the Week 8 Thursday Night Football game and provide a much-needed veteran presence against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

2 – Jared Verse, OLB: 79.1
Verse is breaking through the “good for a rookie” chatter and is on the verge of earning status amongst the NFL’s top EDGE rushers. He’s posted an impressive 26.9% win rate and already recorded 20 through five games. Also encouraging is Verse’s 74.2 run defense grade that is tops for LA. We could talk about his tackling issues that date back to college, but I’ll instead choose to celebrate his early efforts.

3 – Jaylen McCollough, DB: 77.8
The rookie UDFA has one of the defense’s top individual plays so far on the season with his pick-six of Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love. This play was, of course, started by pressure from Byron Young, but McCollough deserves credit for the heady play and ability to convert on a mistake by the offense.

The rookie safety played 15 snaps in the most recent game against Green Bay and could have a larger role in store after the bye week. He’s someone to keep an eye on.

4 – Desjuan Johnson, DI: 74.2
Johnson has only made appearances against the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, though he’s seemed to make the most of his limited opportunities. The second-year lineman has played 27 snaps, though it’s noteworthy 23 of those have come against the run versus only four passing plays.

5 – Kobie Turner, DI: 73.3
Turner hasn’t been as effective as he was as a rookie, though he just had his two best games of the season against the Chicago Bears and Packers where he posted defensive grades of 89.4 and 90.2. His run defense is trending upward after a shaky start to the year.

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Cooper Kupp doing individual drills pic.twitter.com/6aTNV62TrN

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) October 16, 2024

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/10/18/24273110/rams-special-teams-ranking-xavier-smith-josh-karty?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=turfshowtimes
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The Rams stuck by rookie punter Ethan Evans in year two and that decision so far has paid off. Evans ranks 10th in average net yards and ranks fifth in hang time. Whereas Evans consistently out-kicked in coverage last year, that hasn’t been the case in 2024. Evans averaged a hangtime of 4.34 seconds in 2023 and that is up to 4.57 this season. Additionally, only 50 percent of his punts are being returned. He’s still among the lowest in fair catches, but the improvement has been noticeable. The punter and the coverage unit are working better together.

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However, it’s not just Evans’ impact as a punter. On 25 kickoffs this season, Evans has had just one get returned. His four percent return percentage is the lowest in the NFL. Teams are starting at the 30, but there isn’t the risk of a big return which is something that was a concern coming in with the new kickoff rules.