The Rams definitely did NOT own the trenches in our last game with S.F.
The Rams crumbled in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers, resulting in lower individual PFF grades for several players
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Rams PFF grades: Best and worst performers vs. 49ers in Week 18
Week 18 wasn’t pretty for the Rams.
They blew a 17-0 leadand lost to the 49ers in overtime, costing them the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Fortunately, they still hung on to the
NFC West title, but this is no way for the Rams to head into the playoffs. Their grades from
Pro Football Focus reflect just how bad of a performance this was, particularly on defense.
The Rams missed 19 tackles as a team and allowed 22 total pressures on offense, which was the story of the game. Here’s how some of the best worst players were graded by PFF in the 27-24 loss.
Top 3 offense
- TE Tyler Higbee: 89.9
- WR Cooper Kupp: 87.2
- QB Matthew Stafford: 81.0
Stafford threw two bad interceptions, but only one of them was truly costly – and it was the one that came in overtime. Otherwise, he was the Rams’ sole source of offense. The running game did nothing and his offensive line couldn’t protect him, putting everything on the quarterback. All things considered, he played well.
Higbee had his best game of the season, catching six passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn’t great as a run blocker, but as a receiver, Higbee was outstanding – especially on his second touchdown grab.
As for Kupp, his grade is about what you’d expect. He caught all seven of his targets for 118 yards and a touchdown, which was quite impressive given the circumstances and the tight coverage from two defenders.
Top 3 defense
- OLB Von Miller: 79.6
- DE A’Shawn Robinson: 70.7
- S Jordan Fuller: 69.6
The Rams had two players on defense with grades above 70. That’s it. Miller played relatively well with four pressures and five stops, but he also missed one tackle and wasn’t great as a pass rusher considering the 49ers had a backup in at left tackle.
Robinson impressed with a 70.7 grade despite missing four tackles, which hurt his overall grade considerably. He had two pressures and two stops, with a great strip-sack on an interior rush.
Fuller missed just one tackle and made six total tackles, and he was missed at the end of the game after he suffered an ankle injury. His coverage grade was just 58.1, however.
Bottom 3 offense
- RB Cam Akers: 51.2
- OL Joe Noteboom: 48.5
- RB Sony Michel: 47.1
It’s kind of unfair to put Akers among the Rams’ lowest-graded players considering he’s less than six months removed from tearing his Achilles. But he gained 13 yards on his eight touches, so he wasn’t terribly effective.
Michel wasn’t either, gaining only 49 yards on his 22 touches. He forced just one missed tackle on those touches and only had a couple of runs that went for more than a few yards.
Noteboom played 10 snaps as the sixth offensive lineman and the Rams weren’t very effective on those plays, as evidenced by his poor run-blocking grade of 51.5.
Bottom 3 defense
- CB Dont’e Deayon: 39.7
- S Nick Scott: 37.3
- OLB Leonard Floyd: 31.8
This is where things got ugly. The Rams had six players with a grade below 50, headlined by three key contributors. Deayon allowed 88 yards on five targets (four catches) in coverage and missed two tackles.
Scott didn’t give up a reception but he did miss three tackles and was out of position more than once in the secondary.
Floyd was a complete non-factor in this one, pulling one of his disappearing acts again. He had just one pressure and made one total tackle, also missing a tackle, too. This was his lowest grade of the season.
Other notables
- LT Andrew Whitworth: 78.6
- CB Jalen Ramsey: 64.7
- WR Odell Beckham Jr.: 63.9
- DT Aaron Donald: 55.5
- RG Austin Corbett: 52.7
- NT Greg Gaines: 40.8
The offensive line gave up 22 total pressures, yet none of them were graded below 50, which is shocking. Whitworth led the group with a 78.6 grade, but he didn’t play that well.
Corbett was the lowest-graded starting offensive lineman, allowing seven pressures and one sack. His pass-blocking grade was an atrocious 13.1.
Beckham caught just two passes for 18 yards against the 49ers and was the target on Stafford’s overtime interception, doing little to contribute on offense as he continues to build chemistry with Stafford.
Ramsey wasn’t good nor great, allowing three catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on six targets. The touchdown came on the 49ers’ trick play, while he also gave up a 43-yard reception to Samuel late in the fourth.
Donald was given by far his lowest grade of the season, almost 16 points lower than any other game. He had just two pressures and missed two tackles.
Gaines continues to get very little credit from PFF, though a lower grade was warranted in this game. He missed one tackle and had two stops but didn’t pressure Garoppolo once.
