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Rams PFF grades: Best and worst performers in Week 2 win vs. Colts

Cameron DaSilva
·4 min read
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The Los Angeles Rams notched their second win of the season on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, their first road victory of 2021. They escaped Lucas Oil Stadium with a 27-24 win after overcoming a special teams blunder that resulted in a Colts touchdown, largely thanks to Matthew Stafford’s play down the stretch.

Pro Football Focus handed out player grades for everyone who took a snap in the Rams’ win and we broke them down by offense and defense, analyzing the three highest- and lowest-graded players on each side.

The top performers aren’t particularly surprising, but there was a defender who was graded lower than expected.

Top 3 offense

Kupp was unstoppable on Sunday afternoon, catching nine passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He got a ton of separation, made plays after the catch and forced two missed tackles with the ball in his hands. It’s no surprise he was the highest-graded player on offense, and by a wide margin. Stafford played relatively well, even if he wasn’t as mistake-free as he was in the season opener. Allen continues to be a pleasant surprise, getting off to a great start in 2021. He didn’t allow a single pressure on 32 pass-blocking opportunities and was the highest-graded offensive lineman in the passing game.

Top 3 defense

Another week, another elite grade for Donald. Despite facing a two-time All-Pro guard in Quenton Nelson and being double-teamed frequently, Donald still had eight total pressures and three QB hits. He didn’t have a sack, but the Colts had no answer for Donald on Sunday afternoon, be it in the run game or in pass protection. Reeder played 64% of the defensive snaps and was a stud when he was out there, stepping up when the Rams needed him. He made the biggest play of the game by picking off Carson Wentz in the red zone, being in perfect position to intercept the shovel pass. Ramsey didn’t have his name called very often against the Colts, and that’s because he was targeted just four times. He allowed one catch for 7 yards, and had a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter. Just another day at the office for No. 5.

Bottom 3 offense

After playing relatively well in Week 1, Corbett struggled against the Colts. He allowed two of the Colts’ four total pressures in this game and wasn’t very effective in the running game, earning a 49.8 run-block grade from PFF. He had a tough matchup with DeForest Buckner throughout the afternoon, but more is expected of Corbett. Tyler Higbee wasn’t involved much in Week 2, catching his only target for an 8-yard gain. What hurt his grade was his 46.9 run-blocking grade, doing a subpar job of sealing off the edge when the Rams tried to run outside. Jefferson wasn’t very effective against the Colts, either. He was targeted three times, had one drop and one reception for 14 yards. He didn’t seem to generate much separation, and Stafford chose not to look his way very much.

Bottom 3 defense

Despite recording his first sack of the season and generating three total pressures, Joseph-Day was given a surprisingly low defensive grade. He had nine tackles, two QB hits and a tackle for a loss, too, making six run stops. I wouldn’t buy too much into his low grade here. Lewis and Hoecht didn’t play much against the Colts, with Lewis playing 14 snaps and Hoecht five. Neither had a pressure in the running game and they each made one tackle, making for a quiet afternoon.

Other notables

Floyd bounced back from a quiet season opener by playing well against the Colts. He had seven pressures and one sack, making six total tackles and landing three hits on the quarterback. He was a force off the edge against Julien Davenport, which was good to see. Williams allowed seven catches for 57 yards on a team-high 11 targets, holding up relatively well in coverage – especially in a tough matchup with Michael Pittman Jr. Whitworth and Havenstein weren’t far apart in terms of their overall grade and they allowed just one total pressure combined. Whitworth gave up the Colts’ only sack to Al-Quadin Muhammad. Henderson was playing relatively well before he got hurt, gaining 82 total yards on 16 touches. Hopefully his rib injury isn't too serious because he’s gotten off to a good start.

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