Ross Tucker Podcast@RossTuckerPod
@FezzikSports with an interesting fact going into Week 2:
“If you start the NFL year 0-1 and you’re playing a team that’s fat and happy 1-0, if you did nothing but bet the 0-1 team going back 20 years you’re 54-40 against the spread.”

from NFL power rankings roundup: Where are the Rams after Week 1?: https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2025/09/09/nfl-power-rankings-where-are-the-rams-after-week-1/86057151007/?taid=68c04cda55530a000116e2e7&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

USA Today: No. 5

Week 1 win is great, though it’s more important that QB Matthew Stafford survived it … especially given he’s now on an early pace to endure 51 sacks this season.

Sports Illustrated: No. 10

Beating the Texans with Matthew Stafford taking three sacks amid a back injury and none of the Rams backs having an explosive rush (10 yards or more) is a testament to the depth of this defense and the problems it can cause.

CBS Sports: No. 13

The defense impressed in the victory over the Texans. The offense didn’t do a lot, but Matt Stafford started and finished the game with his bad back, which was a good thing.

The Athletic: No. 7

The Rams signed Landman, a linebacker, to a veteran minimum contract this summer. Then he played like one of the best linebackers in the NFL on Sunday. The Rams keep finding hidden gems, and Landman may be next as part of a defense that looked legit against C.J. Stroud and the Texans.

ESPN: No. 7

The Rams’ free agent signing provided a game-changing play late in the fourth quarter. In a one-score game, Landman punched the ball out from Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale. Landman was voted a team captain and wears the green dot as the team’s defensive signal-caller.

Yahoo Sports: No. 12

Nate Landman is already a fan favorite after one game. The linebacker had 10 tackles and a massive forced fumble in the final two minutes to seal the win. The Rams got Landman on a one-year, $1.1 million deal, which might end up being the best value in the NFL this season.

FOX Sports: No. 13

I am still concerned about Matthew Stafford being 37 with a bad back, but he was good on Sunday (21 of 29, 245 yards, 1 TD) and the Rams have plenty of offensive weapons. Their defense looked great, too. I just wish the Rams had scored more than 14 points. They used to be explosive.

The Sporting News: No. 9

The Rams didn’t get many style points at home against the Texans with their offense not producing much despite some OK stats and their defense coming through via sacks and turnovers. But they still keep playing strong situational winning football with Sean McVay.

NFL.com: No. 10

Let’s start with the really good: The Rams’ defense held the Texans to 265 yards, 4.6 yards per play, three field goals and zero points after halftime. They forced two Houston turnovers — a brilliant INT by Cobie Durant and an insane punchout by Nate Landman in the closing minutes, with the Texans threatening to take the lead. Houston hurt itself with penalties, putting the team in a lot of long-yardage situations, but the Rams took care of business. In fact, Los Angeles’ offense was a little crisper than Houston’s. This was no presumption, considering Matthew Stafford’s back issues and the fact that Puka Nacua required stitches above his right eye early in the game. Puka returned to slice up Houston for several big catches. Given their slow starts the past two seasons, the Rams will gladly celebrate this victory.

Bleacher Report: No. 7

There’s isn’t a ton to take away from the Rams’ Week 1 win over Houston. Wide receiver Puka Nacua had a big game, and the front seven gave C.J. Stroud fits much of the game.

In many respects, though, it was a preseason contest that counts.

However, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford did something that only nine other NFL players have: In the fourth quarter, he surpassed 60,000 passing yards for his career.

By year’s end, the 37-year-old could also become just the ninth quarterback in league history with 400 career touchdowns.

So long as Stafford is healthy, the Rams are the NFC West’s best team.

The Ringer: No. 6

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked or knocked down on one out every five dropbacks against the Texans on Sunday. I held my breath every time he hit the turf. But Stafford picked himself up and continued to push the ball deep downfield, aggressively looking for the holes in Houston’s zone coverage. The Rams offense repeatedly stalled out in the red zone and put Stafford in some tough third-down situations, but this Week 1 performance was a reminder of how good Stafford is when he’s healthy.

Lance Zierlein@LanceZierlein
Jordan Whittington was all over the freaking place [Sunday] for the Rams.

Stafford's really like that. pic.twitter.com/FGd8e9y8nz

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 8, 2025

Jim Youngblood 53@53_jim70721
Quick note: Witherspoon was the boundary corner when he was in the game. When he missed a couple of series, yes, Forbes was the boundary guy. Mostly Forbes was the field CB.

But yes, Witherspoon and Forbes are the starters at CB

Richard Sherman@RSherman_25
Ok @ahkello!! 🔒🔒🔒

JAKE OLIVER ELLENBOGEN@JKBOGEN
Ahkello Witherspoon vs. WRs since reclaiming CB1 role for the #Rams:

Nico Collins – 1 REC, 4 YDs
AJ Brown – 1 REC, 5 YDs
DeVonta Smith – 1 REC, 7 YDs
Justin Jefferson – 1 REC, 1 YDs
Jordan Addison – 1 REC, 7 YDs
DK Metcalf – 2 REC, 31 YDs, TD
Marvin Harrison Jr. – 3 REC, 38 YDs
Zay Jones – 1 catch, 19 YDs
Davante Adams – 2 REC, 21 YDs
Garrett Wilson – 2 REC, 18 YDs
Jauan Jennings – 2 REC, 31 YDs
Ricky Pearsall – 1 REC, 16 YDs

Blaine Grisak@bgrisakTST
Rams EDGE Jared Verse…was the 3rd-highest graded EDGE yesterday via PFF with a grade of 90.6. Second-highest graded EDGE against the run with a grade of 81.4.

Finished with four pressures.

Lmao. Jared Verse blocked by 3 guys. pic.twitter.com/bQomunhusv

— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) September 8, 2025

Wyatt Miller@wymill07
When @NateAtkins_ asked Cobie Durant this morning how the defense was able to take away Nico Collins (3 catches for 25 yards), he credited the defensive line:

“Our defensive line putting pressure on the quarterback allowed us to play sticky (coverage).”

I love it when the Stars show out but sometimes it’s even more exciting when the lesser expected men make the play!

All around involvement in the win yesterday

Xavier Smith and Davis Allen made two spectacular plays, on two outstanding balls from Matthew Stafford pic.twitter.com/uMU6f2XCV6

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) September 8, 2025

wv wrote:

Derrick Henry 18 carries 170 yards.

MLFootball@_MLFootball
#Ravens RB Derrick Henry was so dominant in high school that if his team went up by 21 points, the principal made a rule that he couldn’t play in the game anymore…

The principal did not want Henry to embarrass the other schools.

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Rams defensive snap counts:

– 81% of snaps for Ahkello Witherspoon after his knee scare
– 79% for Emmanuel Forbes at CB
– Nate Landman played all but 1 snap in first Rams game
– Career-high 90% for Jared Verse; Cobie Durant credited the DL for keeping the ball from Nico Collins

Wyatt Miller@wymill07
The Rams’ third down execution was very impressive yesterday and showed improvement.

2024 Regular Season:
Conversion rate: 38% (19th)
Conversion rate with 7+ yards to go: 23.6% (21st)

2025 Week 1:
Conversion rate: 53.8% (T-5th)
Conversion rate with 7+ yards to go: 42.9% (8th)

from Rams PFF grades… vs. Texans in Week 1: https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2025/09/08/rams-pff-grades-week-1-texans-best-worst-players/86042862007/?taid=68bf0a9afaadfc0001d21169&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

Top 5 defense

LB Nate Landman: 90.7
OLB Jared Verse: 90.6
CB Cobie Durant: 87.7
OLB Byron Young: 78.5
S Kamren Kinchens: 66.4

Landman’s Rams debut couldn’t have gone any better than it did. He made 10 tackles, six stops, had zero missed tackles and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that saved the game.

Verse didn’t have a sack but he led the team with four pressures and also drew a holding penalty on the Texans’ first offensive snap.

Durant allowed three catches on four targets for 33 yards but also had a terrific interception.

Young was a real star of this game, making nine tackles with three pressures and a sack.

Kinchens nearly had an interception on a play where Kobie Turner was called for roughing the passer, breaking up one pass in the win.

First sack of the season! CLOCK IT!

📺 @NFLonCBS | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/JHUJdXW1sh

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 7, 2025

That throw was a thing of beauty. Sheesh https://t.co/Q1yQkQU2Xo

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) September 7, 2025