Turf Show Times
Still shocked and stung by the Los Angeles Rams’ 37-38 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football? It might take some time for the wounds to heal.
The Rams are in danger of losing the NFC West division race and losing their grip on first place in the NFC conference, though they still have time to take both accolades.
Let’s take a step back and look at the game through an objective, data-driven lens. These are the Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades and metrics from the game.
Puka Nacua was a one-man show on offense. He was the engine that tore through a very good Seattle defense.
Nacua caught 12 of 16 targets for 225 yards and two scores. He was busy on Thursday in light of Davante Adams’ absence.
There’s simply not much more to say about the Rams’ star receiver.
The production Matthew Stafford had against Seattle was eye-popping. He threw for 457 yards and three scores.
According to PFF, this was a below average game for the veteran QB in terms of his output this season. This was his second outing with five big-time throws (season-high of six) and he managed only one turnover-worthy play.
But even after adjusting for four drops by pass catchers, Stafford’s adjusted completion rate was just 71.7. He’s at 74.3% on the season. Three percent doesn’t sound like much, except for Stafford threw 49 passes.
There were a few big plays missed in the passing game that ultimately could have turned this into a win for the Rams, especially in the fourth quarter. Did Stafford leave meat on the bone, even with his monster production in mind?
Whittington was only targeted one time and he caught the pass for 19 yards. His positive receiving grade of 73.0 tells us he was separating. He didn’t make too strong of a mark in the run game with a blocking grade of 56.4.
Do the Rams win if Kevin Doston doesn’t get hurt? We’ll never know the answer but it’s a worthwhile question to contemplate. We watched Justin Dedich negate a Terrance Ferguson touchdown shortly after replacing Doston, though he mostly held his own for the remainder of the game.
Dotson is one of the best guards in the NFL. Let’s hope he doesn’t miss extended time into the playoffs.
Smith caught both of his targets for 57 yards. He was wide open and could have possibly scored a touchdown on his 48-yard reception with a better throw. Smith has effectively replaced Tutu Atwell (who was healthy and occasionally on the field) in this offense. He also contributed with a couple longer punt returns.
Related to leaving meat on the bone offensively, Rams receivers were guilty of...
