It’s good to see the Rams bounce back with a solid win over Kyler Murray and the Cardinals after getting pulverized by the Bills in Week 1 and a sketchy Week 2 victory over the Falcons. The Rams are feeling the effects of losing some key players in the offseason, most notably to the offensive line, especially after losing center Brian Allen to injury. The Rams have also struggled to get Allen Robinson more involved in the offense. Brandon Powell and Ben Skowronek seem to connect more with Stafford at this point. The defense for the Rams didn’t get off to a strong start, as they failed to force the Bills to punt the ball one time and gave up a 28-3 lead to the Falcons, who had a chance to win the game at the end. However, the defense played well in Week 3, as they shut down Murray by allowing no touchdowns from the redbirds. Sean McVay and staff have done well to fill in gaps due to injuries to the o-line and secondary, as the Rams are now leading the NFC west with their 2-1 record.
Takeaway #1: Rams continue to hit on late draft picks as Derion Kendrick and Terrell Burgess fill in for the banged-up Secondary.
Coming into this game, the Rams were without Troy Hill, Jordan Fuller, David Long, and Decobie Durant (rookie). The young Ram DBs were thrown into the fire on Sunday, and they did not disappoint. 6th-round draft pick in 2022, Derion Kendrick, played 75 snaps finishing with nine tackles and a huge pass deflection in the 4th. third-year safety Terrell Burgess played 26 snaps, playing in place of Fuller, and had himself a solo tackle. The Rams’ secondary exceeded expectations and may have found a couple of new rotational pieces to help with the banged-up secondary going forward.
Takeaway #2: The Rams need to get the run game going.
The offense could have looked better to start the season, as they try to involve Robinson more and patch up the offensive line. For all the big plays we love to see from Stafford and Cooper Kupp, the Rams’ identity comes from their run zone scheme and setting up play action. Coming into this game, Los Angeles ranked dead last in rushing, averaging only 2.7 yards per attempt. In this game, McVay got the run game going, as the Rams as a team rushed for 100 total yards on 20 carries with 2 TDs. McVay let Cam Akers loose in this one after challenging the young back to run with more urgency after Week 1, where Akers only had three rush attempts. The significant change in the run game was the new Skowronek fullback package that helped with some of the bigger gains in the game. The Rams’ offense looked more effective in that formation. They will also need to continue this momentum from the run game going forward if the team looks to keep the lead in the division, especially with a date with the 49ers on Monday Night Football.
Takeaway #3: Ben Skowronek is the key to unlocking the Rams’ offense.
Ben Skowronek laid out JJ Watt and caught a pass on the same play 😮
via @RamsNFL pic.twitter.com/RswWShCItA
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 27, 2022
As crazy as it sounds, the Rams may have found a gem at the wideout position that may bring more value to the offense, even more than prized offseason addition — Allen Robinson. McVay utilized Skowronek in many packages by lining him up as a receiver, tight end, and even at fullback. The Rams love a wideout who can block and also make plays downfield, and Skowronek is starting to immerse himself as a primary part of the offense due to these traits. He made ample plays from the fullback spot and helped improve the run game tremendously, even catching the ball from that position. In one play, in particular, Skowronek put J.J Watt on his behind with a mean right shoulder block, then immediately followed it up with a catch that went for five yards. The second-year pro has the trust of McVay and is expected to be a massive part of the offense in the future if he continues to play at this level by opening things up for everyone else.
It was a good showing for the Rams in Week 3, as they are moving in the right direction, with the defense starting to tighten up while the offense continues to find itself. Seeing the defense hold Murray and the Cardinals to 12 points, all coming via field goal, was a strong showing, especially when you’re missing four critical pieces in the secondary. With the Niners on deck for Monday night, the Rams look to take down another divisional opponent to take a commanding lead in the NFC West.
