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By: Cameron DaSilva | 1 hour ago
In the last two weeks, the Los Angeles Rams have been forced to make several changes to their depth chart. Clay Matthews, John Johnson and Aqib Talib all suffered significant injuries, while Marcus Peters was traded to the Ravens.
As a result, several players are receiving more playing time against the Falcons than they’re used to. The biggest changes have come on defense with Jalen Ramsey, Samson Ebukam, Marqui Christian and Troy Hill being elevated to starting roles.
How exactly did the playing time shake out on Sunday in the first game with these big changes? We’ll take a look at the snap counts on defense, but first, let’s start with the offense.
Offense
The Rams used a lot of 12 personnel in this game, frequently getting both Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett on the field together. They played 49 and 56 snaps, respectively, while Johnny Mundt also chipped in 16 snaps of his own. The game was a blowout, so the Rams were able to experiment a bit more in the second half.
Cooper Kupp’s playing time took a hit as a result of the greater tight end usage, as he played just 62% of the snaps. Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods played less than normal, too, with 59 and 58 snaps, respectively. Josh Reynolds got on the field for 19 snaps but didn’t catch his only target, which was a pass in the end zone.
David Edwards played every snap in his first NFL start, and he performed well in a big spot. Fellow rookies Bobby Evans and Coleman Shelton took over for Andrew Whitworth and Brian Allen on the final possession in garbage time when the backups came in.
Todd Gurley played just 61% of the snaps, but that’s partly because of the lopsided score. Yes, Darrell Henderson contributed even when the game was close, but Gurley didn’t play as much late and even John Kelly chipped in with four snaps.
Defense
Sean McVay initially said Marqui Christian would replace John Johnson in the starting lineup if the safety missed extended time, but that wasn’t the approach on Sunday. Yes, Christian played a lot (80% of the snaps) and had a good game, but it was Taylor Rapp who saw his role grow more. He played nearly every snap, leading the defense at 98%. Christian played 80%, while Eric Weddle was out there for 84% of the plays – essentially every meaningful snap on defense.
Part of the reason Rapp and Christian played so much is because of the Rams’ usage of three-safety sets. Troy Reeder only played 19 snaps on Sunday, because Wade Phillips opted to use Christian and Rapp in the box as hybrid linebackers often. It was a great game plan as the Falcons only had three points until the Rams’ backups came in, but it’ll be interesting to see if this trend continues next week.
Many of the reserves came into the game late when the score was out of hand, as David Long finally got his first taste of NFL action. He played nine snaps and even had to cover Julio Jones, which was a good (albeit short) test for the rookie.
Jalen Ramsey made his debut with the Rams and he wasn’t expected to play every snap. With limited knowledge of the playbook and only two days of practice, the Rams managed his playing time, keeping him to just 65% of the snaps. He was impactful when he did play, but he wasn’t out there for every snap, understandably.
Rams Week 7 snap counts: Big shakeup on defense and more 2-TE sets
The Rams made several changes on defense after suffering multiple injuries.
theramswire.usatoday.com
