By Josh Waitsman

Quarterback

This game was business as usual for quarterback Jared Goff. He racked up 295 yards, and three touchdowns without turning the ball over. Despite some early struggles, Goff was able to regain his composure as the game went on, and he went on to make clutch throws on third down. Even with pressure coming on almost every snap he still manages to put up good numbers.

Grade: B+

Offensive LIne

The offensive line struggled in pass protection, and Goff was under constant pressure almost every time he dropped back. As a group they allowed an unusually high five sacks, and were one of the reasons the Rams were forced to punt on their first four drives. However, their run blocking was very effective, and running back Todd Gurley had huge holes to run through throughout the entire game.

Grade: B-

Receivers

Gurley actually gained the most receiving yards in this game, but that doesn’t show lack of skill for this receiving unit. Wide receivers Brandin Cooks, and Robert Woods were both still vital to the offense with Cooks averaging an astounding 24.7 yards per catch. Wide reicever Josh Reynolds has filled in nicely in relief of the injured Cooper Kupp. Reynolds had two touchdowns, and is becoming a good option in the red zone.  

Grade: B-

Running Backs

Todd Gurley is easily the best running back in the NFL right now. Not only did he rush for 114 yards to the tune of 4.6 yards per carry, but he also added 81 yards in the air along with a touchdown. He even purposely stopped short of the endzone at the end of the game just to ensure the team’s victory.

Grade: A

Tight Ends

This was the best game of the season so far for the Rams tight ends which isn’t saying much. Tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett combined for just 28 yards on two catches, but the main reason this was their best game was Everrett’s big catch on an important down. Once again as the season progresses if these tight ends can start to step up their game this already dangerous offense could be even more lethal.

Grade: D+

Defensive Line

Let this sink in- Defensive end Aaron Donald has 10 sacks, even while being doubled teamed 70 percent of the time. Next best is Houston’s J.J. Watt, who only has eight sacks while being double teamed 46 percent of the time. Unfortunately for the Rams, Donald is not the only member of the defensive line. Other than Donald, the line struggled to generate pressure, and force Rodgers to make quicker throws.

Grade: C+

Linebackers:

It is not only the job of the defensive line to force pressure on the quarterback. The linebackers also had trouble getting to Rodgers. In addition, Green Bay’s Aaron Jones was able to run all over these linebackers. This unit is definitely going to benefit from their trade for Jacksonville Jaguars’ linebacker Dante Fowler on Tuesday.

Grade: C

Secondary

Blown coverage. Big plays. Missed opportunities. These three statement perfectly sum up how the Rams secondary played against the Packers. Cornerback Marcus Peters is clearly in a slump, and Troy Hill is not a good replacement for cornerback Aqib Talib. The safeties did play well at least, and were usually able to stop the Packers receivers before they could break away for a touchdown.

Grade: C+

Special Teams

The Rams clearly have on of the best coached special teams units in the entire league. Punter Johnny Hekker completed a pass on a fake punt that went for a first down, and Ramik Wilson recovered a fumble on a kickoff late in the game that helped to seal the Rams victory. The only negative was that the Rams struggles to get good field position on kickoffs.

Grade: B

Overall
This game finally showed that the Rams offense can be vulnerable, especially if you can put Goff under pressure. The team still played well as a whole with many outstanding individual performances. A win is still a win, but this one was closer than Rams fans would have liked. Grade: B-

Edited by Garrett Jones | gcjh23@mail.missouri.edu