Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams fell to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football 24-27. LA looked disjointed from the job and was upset by a talented but inconsistent Atlanta team.
While the loss is painful to fans—causing us to take a step back and reassess the Rams’ prospects into the playoffs—it does not impact the standings or the NFC playoff picture in a major way. We can take solace in this fact.
These are the Pro Football Focus (PFF) game grades and data from the primetime clash.
On the surface this wasn’t Nacua’s most productive evening; however, he had two long interceptions negated by penalties on DJ Humphries (replaced injured Alaric Jackson at LT). Nacua also had what seemed to be an outstanding catch along the sideline in the game’s final moments that was reversed upon review (I disagree).
All-in-all, Nacua finished with five catches on 10 targets for 47 yards and a touchdown. More than half of his yards (26) came after the catch point. He finished with an elite run blocking grade of 90.4 which led the team.
Terrance Ferguson is growing into a potent offensive weapon for Los Angeles, especially in Davante Adams’ extended absence. Ferguson secured his third touchdown of the season, though he’s had another few reversed by reviews or penalties. He caught two passes on four targets that each went for 27 yards. One of Matthew Stafford’s three interceptions came on a target to Ferguson.
Surprisingly, one of the bright spots offensively was how often Xavier Smith got open down the field. Smith has usurped Tutu Atwell as the team’s designated deep threat, and he is rewarding the team with increased playing time. Smith was targeted six times and caught four passes for 67 yards, though the biggest play on the night—a potential game-winner—was left on the field because of a disconnect with Stafford.
McClendon has been the Rams’ second-best lineman consistently since taking over for Rob Havenstein. Without Kevin Dotson in the lineup, the third-year tackle became the best lineman on the team. It’s a big positive that the Rams were able to replace their weak link (Havenstein) with someone who consistently produces at a high level.
McClendon’s performance this year is like finding a $100 bill in the laundry.
Blake Corum left the game with an injury during the first half and did not return.
The bulk of the carries went to Kyren Williams, who had one of his most productive games in a while. Williams rushed 13 times for 92 yards, of which 78 came after contact (6.0 avg). He forced three missed tackles and notched three runs of more than 10 yards. That is a hell of a game in spite of the offensive line not creating rushing room....
