Turf Show Times
There is nothing like starting the season 1-0. While it was far from a dominant effort, the Los Angeles Rams must be pleased to leave Week 1 on the right side of the standings after drawing a formidable foe in the opener. The Rams defeated the Houston Texans 14-9.
Let’s dive into the individual efforts that led to the encouraging performance in the team’s first game.
LA’s free agent linebacker addition—Nate Landman—was all over the field on Sunday. He tied with Kam Curl for a team-leading 10 total tackles. Most importantly he punched the ball loose on the Texans’ last offensive possession amidst their comeback attempt, securing the Week 1 victory for LA.
We’ve watched pedestrian linebackers come and go for the Rams. Things are starting to feel different now that Landman is in town.
For most of the game, Puka Nacua was the engine of the Rams’ offense. The star receiver left briefly after taking a hit to the head and suffering a laceration above his eye, and the offense stalled in his absence. All-in-all, Nacua hauled in 10 of 11 targets for 130 yards. He individually accounted for 53% of the passing production.
Matthew Stafford was a major question coming into this game. While he didn’t fully look like himself—he seemed overeager to take sacks to avoid hits and often dirted balls at the first sign of pressure—the big-time throws were present and he made them look easy.
An offensive outing with a 14-point scoring total won’t grab headlines. Still, Stafford performed admirably against one of the NFL’s better defenses. This is a positive sign for LA’s hopes for the rest of the season.
Stafford completed 21 of 29 passes (72%) for 245 yards and a touchdown. He kept the ball out of harm’s way.
Cobie Durant stole the ball away from Jayden Higgins, a much larger player, to secure an interception along the sideline. It was one of the most important plays of the second half.
Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Forbes were the starting corners. Durant made an argument that he deserves to be above Witherspoon on the depth chart moving forward.
Jared Verse did not make his usual impact in this game. If the Texans were giving him extra attention, Byron Young took advantage. He consistently pressured CJ Stroud—sacking him once—and was all over the field in the running game. The Rams have uncertainties at EDGE behind Young and Verse, but if Young can contribute at this level with frequency they will form one of the most dynamic duos in the league.
Colby Parkinson was on the field often mostly as a blocker. Signing him as a free agent a year ago proved to be a failed experiment on the Rams’ part. Parkinson simply has not contributed as a receiver. In this game he caught two passes for...
