5 interesting stats that define the Rams’ 5-2 start to the 2025 season: All-around defensive success, Matthew Stafford’s big plays

Wyatt Miller

https://www.therams.com/news/5-interesting-stats-that-define-the-rams-5-2-start-to-2025-season-all-around-defensive-excellence-third-downs-matthew-stafford-big-plays

The Rams’ 5-2 start has been fueled by consistency and impact plays on both sides of the ball. Matthew Stafford has successfully attacked downfield more than he has in recent years and the defense has aggressively pursued ball-carriers and quarterbacks without risking explosives.

Here are five interesting stats that have defined the Rams’ strong start to the season.

Stafford leads the league in big time throws with 19 after having just 23 all of last season, according to Pro Football Focus

A big time throw is defined as, “A pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.” That pretty much describes what Stafford does on a weekly basis, especially when it matters most. And the stats back that up, as he’s registered at least one big time throw in every game this season.

Stafford has been one of the best passers in football through seven weeks. His 17 touchdown passes lead the league, while his 1,866 yards and 109.3 passer rating rank third and fourth, respectively. In his 17th pro season, Stafford’s 17-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio would be the best of his career, and 17.2% of his passes have gone for at least 15 yards (maybe 17 is his lucky number).

The Rams lead the league in defensive expected points added (EPA) with -68.4, according to Next Gen Stats

This means the Rams’ defensive playmaking has kept 68.4 expected points off the scoreboard compared to what the average defense would have achieved. That’s largely a product of their 10 takeaways (tied for fifth in the league) and timely stops that have kept opponents out of the end zone. They are also the only team that has yet to allow a run of 20 or more yards.

As a result, the Rams’ 16.7 points per game allowed ranks second in the NFL. Only the Texans (14.7) have allowed fewer points per game so far this season.

The Rams’ 7.7 third-and-longs (seven-plus yards) forced per game and 8.2 average yards to the marker on third downs both lead the league, via nflverse data

Head coach Sean McVay always says the Rams need to “earn the right” to rush the passer, and they have done just that with stout defense on early downs. Rams opponents have averaged a league-low 4.3 yards per play on first and second downs, putting them in third-and-long situations consistently and giving the defensive line opportunities to rush the passer in true pass sets. No play-action, no gadgets, just dropping back to throw downfield because everyone knows they have to.

L.A. has forced the second-most third downs per game (14.3) and ranks fourth in the NFL in opponent third down conversion rate at just 34%.

Despite missing nearly two whole games, Puka Nacua ranks first in the NFL in reception EPA (45.5), according to Next Gen Stats

Nacua’s 2025 performance has been second to none in terms of adding expected point value to an offense. Whenever the Rams need a big play, they turn to Nacua, and those 45.5 expected points added to the Rams’ offense don’t even include the 5.0 that he’s added on the ground this season, which are also the most among receivers.

Even Jaxson Smith-Njigba, whose accumulated over 200 more yards than Nacua for the Seahawks, hasn’t produced as much EPA as Nacua. That’s likely because Nacau’s caught a higher percentage of his targets, many of which have come at critical junctures.

He also ranks top 10 in the NFL in receptions (54, second), receiving yards (616, third), yards per route run (3.5, second), first downs (33, second), yards after catch (244, third), contested catches (eight, tied-fifth), catch rate (83.1%, fourth) and catch rate over expected (13.4%, eighth) among qualified receivers, according to Next Gen Stats and PFF.

The Rams’ 50 big plays (10-plus-yard rushes or 20-plus-yard passes) lead the league, via nflverse data

The Rams have 20 big runs (11th) and 30 big passes (first) through seven weeks. Last season, the Rams produced 88 big plays all year, tying for 25th in the league.

A split backfield between running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum has given the run game more juice, and wide receiver Davante Adams has opened up the passing game to take advantage of more downfield shots.

Zooey wrote:

Atlanta and San Francisco lost.

I’ll take it.

KyTheRamsGuy@kytheramsguy
The #Falcons currently own the 12th overall pick with matchups against the #Patriots and #Colts ahead.

Texans and Falcons both win.

And in recent years anyway the Rams are always better coming out of a bye. The improvement this time won’t be as dramatic cause they’re already purty good, but it could be a good enough difference to matter.

…

Albert Breer@AlbertBreer
Atlanta’s the hardest team in the NFL to get a read on.

Zooey wrote:

49ers very seriously on the ropes.

McCaffrey is limited with another calf injury. 8 carries for 25 yards.

Zooey wrote:

And Atlanta down 24-3 to the Dolphins.

Now 31-3.

Atlanta apparently realized how unfair it was to give the Rams a less valuable 2026 first rounder, and are making up for it.

…

wv wrote:

A lunk-head view by Greg Olson.

After he started going, I couldn’t bear to watch. Does anyone respond to him. Like, with facts?

The NFL fined #Rams TE Tyler Higbee $14,491 for unsportsmanlike conduct (violent gesture) — the banned “nose wipe” celebration last week in London. pic.twitter.com/WwlJjvIdDl

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 25, 2025

THROWBACK: Old footage of #Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has resurfaced and gone viral.

Stafford was interviewed by a British reporter from the Travel Channel, who knew nothing about the game of football.

😭😭😭
pic.twitter.com/0GSg56jyne

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 25, 2025

Rams’ OL Star Quietly Putting Together Stellar Campaign
Los Angeles Rams guard Kevin Dotson continues to be worth his lofty price tag

Brock Vierra

https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/los-angeles-sean-mcvay-matthew-stafford-kevin-dotson-pff-jeffrey-simmons

Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Kevin Dotson has quickly established himself as one of the best guards in football, and as he continues to perform in year three with the organization, the numbers paint a clear narrative on Dotson’s dominance.

Dotson’s Strong Start

“Kevin Dotson ranks 2nd in offensive grade (78.1) and run blocking grade (79.5) among all NFL guards that have played at least 50% of their team’s offensive snaps, according to @PFF,” stated the Rams PR team. “Among all NFL OL, his run blocking grade ranks 7th while his offensive grade ranks 13th (min 50% snaps).

McVay Praises Dotson

Rams head coach Sean McVay has continually praised Dotson, mentioning back at training camp that Dotson’s attitude and energy have been infectious, while his veteran leadership is a pillar of the organization.

“Yeah, he’s just got this enjoyment for coming out here and he’s got a great vibe,” stated McVay. “I mean whether it’s shooting jump shots on air after we score, but he’s got this great energy about himself. He’s obviously a really productive player, but I think as he’s gotten more and more comfortable… When we traded for him in the 23’ season, he comes in late in the part of training camp where getting comfortable starts to make himself and his presence felt in the Indianapolis game.”

“And he’s just gotten more and more comfortable. Guys love him. When you’re around a guy that’s got that kind of vibe and then there’s that physical toughness, his ability to do some special things. We love ‘K-Dot’ and all his teammates love him as well.”

McVay again spoke about Dotson before the Rams’ week two matchup against Tennessee, mentioning how critical Dotson is at stopping Jeffrey Simmons.

“He’s a great player and [Titans Defensive Tackle T’Vondre] Sweat is too,” stated McVay. “They’re excellent across the board. This is a defense that there’s a style of play and this team is tough as a whole. We have a lot of respect.”

“We have our work cut out for us. When you talk about how deep and the caliber of players that they have on the interior parts of their defensive line, it’s a big deal. Kevin Dotson brings so much to us.”

Dotson has been the most reliable and, quite frankly the best offensive lineman the Rams have had since he was acquired via trade.

Reviewing the Rams offense at the break

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-angeles-rams-depth-chart/128873/reviewing-the-rams-offense-at-the-break?utm_campaign=dhtwitter&utm_content=%3Cmedia_url%3E&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

After a start that could best be described as hot and cold, the Los Angeles Rams offense showed the Jacksonville Jaguars (and the rest of the NFL) that they were capable of an efficient four-quarter effort. The finishing stats weren’t gaudy, but the Rams, for the first time this season, controlled the flow of the game from start to finish in a 35-7 win.

The bye week offers a good time to review and discuss, not only where the Rams have been, but also where they’re going. Using the snap chart as guide, I’ll offer my thoughts on the offense and members of the forum community can set me straight, agree, or expand on the first seven games.

Quarterback
With Matthew Stafford (450, 99.3%) playing so well, the debate over who will succeed him has cooled. After all, he’s under contract for 2026 and there’s little room for contract drama about guaranteed money. According to overthecap.com, he will have $40 mil vested on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. How well has Staff played? Sparkling, to say the least. He’s in the Top 10 of almost all statistical passing categories and more importantly, his 17 : 2 touchdown to interception ratio signifies how well he’s protecting the ball. Jimmy Garappolo (3, .66%) had a couple of mop up snaps vs Jacksonville, his only action of the season.

Running back
Not much difference from the past two years in this unit. Kyren Williams (337, 74.4%) is the lead dog and will handle 60-70 percent of the carries as well. His vision and toughness between the tackles make him a fit into the McVay run scheme Where there is some difference is how the Rams are using him as a receiver. KWill is on pace for 50 catches, highest for an L.A. back since the heyday of Todd Gurley (2017-18). Still mostly check downs and short circle routes, but a departure from the past just the same.

Rookie Jarquez Hunter (0, 0%) has only been activated for five of the seven games and last week, Ronnie Rivers (0, 0%) was elevated off the practice squad to be RB#3. Neither have seen any action on offense and limited to a handful of special teams reps. With Rivers, that’s not a surprise, it’s what his career has been built on, but the preseason/camp love that the Rams coaching was heaping on Hunter was obviously just a fleeting summer romance.

That leaves Blake Corum (108, 23.8%). He shown some flashes of potential, looking particularly strong off tackle and out in space, but appears to lack some of the “A gap” toughness that Rams run scheme demands. He’s already at his snap count from last year and the offensive braintrust seems confident in his use. As the season progresses, Corum is on a pace to run for 500 yards, if he can show consistency catching the ball as well, he’ll be a solid RB#2.

Wide receiver
As the stat and metric numbers show, Puka Nacua (291, 64%) is arguably the best receiver in the NFL when on the field. That’s the rub, isn’t it. Even though you really can’t tell by production (#1 on a per game basis), he’s now missed one game in 2025, there may well be another, and been limited in three others. That’s on top of missing six games last year. The one plus about Nacua being out of last Sunday’s game was that it forced Matthew Stafford to rely on the complete corps of receivers. No one wants to see it on a regular basis, but certainly nice to have as a backup plan.

The jury is still out on how much Davante Adams (363, 80%) really has remaining in the tank long term, but on the short, his guile can hide a lot of shortcomings. He still has the chops to create separation on routes and has learned over the years just how much he can push off in tight coverage. A master class. Now it’s about some cleanup work with those hands. The Rams are doing a good job of managing his workload to keep him fresh over the course of the year.

Jordan Whittington (280, 62%) has taken over as WR#3 snap-wise, playing twice as much as his rookie campaign, but has yet to post much production. Konata Mumpfield (78, 12%) caught his first NFL touchdown vs the Jags and may get more looks if Nacua is out awhile.

Tutu Atwell (152, 33.6%) looked to be on the rise. Against the 49ers, he had his biggest workload of the year (45 reps, 4tgt, 2rec, 72 yds), then strained a hamstring in practice and not only missed Week 6, but was limited to 10 reps in London. The Rams seem content to use him clear outs and deep over patterns, but his use is actually less multiple than before he was paid the $10mil. Xavier Smith (56, 12%) received the Tutu treatment last Sunday with 33 of his season reps on the pitch at Wembley and only garnering four targets.

Tight end
The future is Terrance Ferguson (34, 7.5%) and the Rams need to keep upping his time on the field. L.A. did in fact double his reps from Week 6. Here’s the deal, none of the other three tight ends are particularly good blockers, are limited to short routes, and they tend to be lumbering (but not powerful) with the ball in their hands. TFerg needs the blocking work and can press the defense downfield, whether inline or from the slot. Tyler Higbee (219, 48.3%) had three catches, but two others clanked off his hands, his drop rate near 10% over his last three seasons. Colby Parkinson (129, 28.5%) continues to be a poor blocker. If you watch the replays, he misses way too many on a weekly basis. Davis Allen (192, 42.4) has improved as a blocker over his career, only getting one short target per game.

Center
To remedy what the Rams called a “communication” issue, they re-signed Coleman Shelton (453, 100%) in March 2025 and quickly named him as the starting pivot. For L.A., he was the known quantity to best stabilize the position. He had five pervious seasons, including 32 start before slipping away as a free agent for the 2024 season. Shelton is on the small side and has always had problems setting an anchor against the bull rush and that hasn’t changed with more experience. Pass blocking is always an adventure, but he can win in the run game. What he does well is move, smoothly getting to the second level, whether off a double team in duo, getting out in front of screens, or hustling to cut off blocks.

Beaux Limmer (52, 11.5%) has become the forgotten man, down from 14 starts and 917 reps last year. He hasn’t played since Week 3 and recently has been found on the Rams game day inactive list.

Guard
When talking about the Rams best free agent additions, Kevin Dotson (427, 94.3%) has to be towards the top. Adept vs both the run and pass, Dotson is rated #2 overall, and #7 in run blocking. Pass blocking is a bit of a conundrum, while he has been excellent in sacks and pressures allowed, when he gets beat, it’s right off the snap and his time to pressure numbers don’t match the rest of his stellar play.

Steve Avila (154, 34%) is back at left guard after missing most of four games. Injuries have limited Avila in 11 of his last 24 games. Justin Dedich (273, 60.3%) filled in with Avila out and was serviceable. Much like Coleman Shelton, he’s a smaller specimen and has a similar playstyle, better on the move.

Tackle
One decision that lingers over the bye week is who will play right tackle against New Orleans on November 2? It becomes particularly difficult if 11-year vet Rob Havenstein’s (252, 57.8%) balky ankle has healed. Hav has missed all of October after missing six games last year. Warren McClendon (188, 41.5%) has stepped in and stepped up in Havenstein’s absence, allowing just two pressures and nary a sack.

On the other bookend, Alaric Jackson (450, 99.3%) has put the blood clot issues behind him and turned in solid work. Not a dominator, AJax has instead laid down consistent work in both the pass and run games. The two vets that L.A. added, DJ Humphries and David Quessenberry, as possible replacements in case Jackson’s health shut him down, have three mop up reps apiece.

Year to date
Scoring is up, 25 points per game, L.A.’s highest number since the 2021 Super Bowl run (27.1). Quarterback Matthew Stafford is showing a veteran’s steady hand and the Rams are letting him sling it, at about a 60-40 pass/run ratio. Explosive pass plays are up as Staff is averaging 8.8 air yards per attempt, his best since 2021.

Sean McVay and the offensive brain trust are stretching out, ready to pressure opposing defenses with a non-stop array of formations, motions, and QB placements to create mismatches. The Rams are not only using 11, 12, and 13 formations, but a myriad of players to man them, making the possibilities almost endless. The offensive line, admittedly out of sorts early, is getting healthy starting to gel. You can see the improvement over the last couple of games.

Here at the break, standing at 5-2, we fans should put away the pair of woulda, coulda, shoulda losses. November will be epic. Five games in total, two very winnable (Saints and Panthers), dispensing retribution to the 49ers, and a pair of tough home games with the Seahawks and Buccaneers.

Zooey wrote:

And yet… it really appears that when a coach emphasizes tackling, teams improve in that area. It’s just that… how did you make your varsity team in high school if you can’t get after the ball carrier.

Fundy mentals.

I know what you mean but I guess it just turns out that hoomens being hoomens we need to work on things.

When I see a lot of missed tackles, I don’t see flat out aims-but-misses complete fluffs, it’s more a matter of poor technique, or aiming at a big kill hit but not controlling it enough (which is just one version of poor technique). Technique has to be honed and re-emphasized and drilled.

In high school, when I did sports before quitting that for marijuana, I did wrestling and football. In football I was a slow and undersized ILB. But I could tackle, and earned a starting spot. I have big shoulders which is probably why they put me at LB, but that aside, tackling was all technique. We drilled it endlessly. In fact, there was only one thing in sports that was more satisfying than getting a right proper diabolically impactful hit-and-stop as a tackler (the only thing higher was a pin in wrestling).

Anyway. It’s scheme too I think.

I think Shula worked on a lot of things at once. Notice that this year, short passes are stopped sooner than they were last year. Last year, they were 26th in yards allowed per catch. Now they’re 4th. So both the scheme changed, and the tackling is more effective. It’s probably a combination of things.

Now, they are still a bend but don’t break defense, but there’s less “bend” in it than there was last year. I am no all-22 studying “analyst” type but I think Shula not only found his ILBs, he is using the safeties more effectively.

Sean McVay talking about making scheme and personnel work together 🤝🏼

Tailor your scheme to your players, and maximize your players strengths in your scheme! pic.twitter.com/VMQx1HuVnt

— Jake Franklin Football (@JakeFranklinFB) October 23, 2025

Famously, the previous 2 seasons, the Rams improved after the bye.

In 2023, they started 3-6. After the bye they were 7-1.

In 2024, they started 1-4. After the bye they were 9-3.

Both times, it’s not just that they used to bye to get healthy and get injured players back. The Rams had a knack for using the bye to adjust what they were doing on offense and defense. So there were changes to coaching–IE. how coaches schemed and who they used and didn’t use among players. The Rams re-assess in a bye and then actually implement changes. This makes the Rams a kind of crazy thing, where they are both slow starters and yet also good fixers.

Well if the bye adjustments are a real thing, what if you have a decent start instead of a slow start? Do you still improve after the bye? So like if we grade a team 1 through 10, and the 2024 Rams were a “3” team before the bye and an “8” team after the bye, does that continue if you start out okay? So is this possible–the pre-bye Rams are a “7” but then the post-bye Rams jump to being a “9.”

And there are things to fix and figure out. Among the most obvious:

* Special teams (no need to describe this, it cost em 2 games)
* OL issues (minor compared to previous years but still there–EG. is Hav done, if so is McClendon a player?)
* WR issues (as the Jagz game shows, they can maybe scheme in getting the ball to more guys, which thereby of course increases the effectiveness of the top guys)
* Redzone (they had RZ issues again, or still…but is learning to use Adams in the RZ fixing this?)
* Run game (Rams rank 20th in yards rushing & 19th in yards per rush, which is better than last year but still)
* Defense (Rams are 12th in yards & 2nd in points allowed, but will give up explosive passes now n then. Can that be fixed?)

I don’t know if that list covers it. Cause in both 23 and 24, after the bye they came up with solutions/new approaches that no one outside the team anticipated. That is, of course, cause they see and know things we don’t. So there is possible that something like this happens too–the Rams implement something after the bye that will be completely unanticipated.

As always in these long posts, I know I haven’t covered it. What else is there to this whole issue?
….