Rams Winners and Losers: Kyren Williams, Defense Save the Day in Comeback Win

The Los Angeles Rams won in dramatic fashion on Sunday as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-20, coming back from 10 points in the fourth quarter. To say the least, it was an inconsistent performance. For much of the game, the Rams were beating themselves and continued giving a short-handed Eagles team opportunities. Let’s look at this week’s winners and losers.

Winner: Kyren Williams

While Kyren Williams may not be the perfect running back, he’s the perfect running back for the Rams. Needing a third option in the passing game, the Rams relied on Williams and he delivered. Williams had 18 carries for 80 yards and added 10 receptions. He became the first Rams running back since Todd Gurley in 2018 to have at least 10 receptions in a game. Williams played a key role in the Rams’ comeback, scoring both touchdowns in the fourth quarter. On the game-winning touchdown, he broke three tackles before finding the end zone from seven yards out.

Winner: Byron Young

Without Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett, there was a lot of pressure on the defense and Byron Young to produce. The defense got consistent pressure on Jalen Hurts and on the final drive, Young sacked Hurts twice and forced a fumble. He finished with five pressures and three quarterback hits. If there was any doubt that Young can be a No. 1 pass rusher, he showed that he can be that on Sunday.

Loser: Matthew Stafford

There are two parts of Matthew Stafford’s performance. There are the first three quarters of the game, when he appeared unsettled and threw two interceptions. Then there’s the final two drives when Stafford went 12-for-15 for 140 yards. He’s the first quarterback since Jameis Winston in 2018 to win a game with over 50 pass attempts, more than 300 passing yards, at least two interceptions and no touchdown passes and win. Teams were previously 1-27. At the end of the day, the Rams need Stafford to be better.

Winner: WR Puka Nacua

Over the last two weeks, the Rams have been without wide receiver Puka Nacua as he dealt with a groin injury. In his return, Nacua looked like his old self as he finished with nine receptions for 125 yards. When the offense was at its best, it was usually when Nacua got involved. He also had a touchdown run on a jet sweep. At the very least, it was good to see Nacua back.

Winner: Rams’ Defense

Let’s be clear, the Rams don’t even have an opportunity to come back if it’s not for the defense. The defense was put in bad positions throughout the entire first half. However, they didn’t let that get to them. They completely shut out the Eagles in the second half. The Rams defense held the Eagles to 0-for-12 on third down and 1-for-16 on third- and-fourth down conversions combined. Their fourth-down stop at the two-yard line in the fourth quarter saved the game. Chris Shula blitzed Hurts at a 60.6 percent rate, allowing just five completions on 16 pass attempts. While this group has earned some criticism, it deserves a lot of credit for their performance on Sunday.

Loser: Special Teams

It’s another week in the NFL, which means we are here to talk about the Rams’ special teams. It’s clear more changes are needed. Xavier Smith wasn’t the answer on the punt return unit, but neither is Alex Bachman. Harrison Mevis is solid inside of 45 yards, but in today’s NFL, being inconsistent outside of that is a liability. Mevis also had a kickoff go out of bounds. Last week was a start, but more changes are clearly needed.

Winner: The Rams’ Season

An argument can be made that the Rams saved their season with their comeback win against the Eagles.Had they lost, the Rams would have been sitting at 1-3 with a game against the Buffalo Bills on deck next week. Another loss would have dropped them to 1-4. At 2-2, the Rams are in a much better spot. Even if they lose to the Bills, it’s possible that the Rams get to 7-3 at their bye week.

Loser: Pass Catcher Depth

On Sunday, the Rams were without Terrance Ferguson, forcing them to operate out of 11 personnel and three wide receiver sets.Outside of Nacua and Adams, the Rams struggled to find other options in the passing game. Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, and Konata Mumpfield combined for four receptions on six targets. None of them had over 10 yards receiving. Tight end Davis Allen also had zero receptions on two targets. This is one area where the Rams could use some help.

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