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After a pair of resounding victories over the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders, the Rams came back down to earth, with disappointing back-to-back losses to the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. Penalties, turnovers, and big plays have plagued the Rams all season. They once again contributed to the Rams' undoing in losses to both Arizona and New York.
My observations from the Rams' loss to the Cardinals:
"In a close game, turnovers, big plays, and penalties can ultimately decide the outcome. They turned out to be keys in the Rams' loss to the Cardinals. Tre Mason's fumble in the first quarter, deep in Rams territory, led to a game-tying Arizona field goal. Michael Floyd's 49-yard reception in the second quarter led to a field goal, and a 6-3 Cardinals lead. A 36-yard pass interference call against Janoris Jenkins in the third quarter led to yet another Cardinals field goal, and a 9-3 lead. The Rams are 4-0 this season in games without a turnover/giveaway, and are 0-4 in games where they've had a negative turnover differential."
"The less-than-stellar play of both QB Shaun Hill and the offensive line loomed large in the loss to the Cardinals. Scoring three points in an NFL game - no matter how well your defense is playing - virtually guarantees a loss. Upgrading the offensive line (particularly the center and guard positions), and quarterback position (a quality backup plus an early round draft prospect behind Sam Bradford) will be right at the top of the Rams' shopping list in the off-season."
Throughout the 2014 season, I'll be tracking five key team statistical measures, and their affect on the outcome of every Rams game: Turnover Differential, Big Play Differential, Points Per Drive Differential, Team Penalty Yards Differential, and the score of the game at half-time. When combined, Turnover Differential and Big Play Differential creates a statistic commonly referred to as "Toxic Differential".
Why were these 5 particular metrics selected for tracking throughout the 2014 season? Turnovers and Big Plays have proven to be influential in determining the outcome of a game. There's a historically strong correlation between Points Per Drive Differential and a teams regular season record. The score at half-time and Team Penalty Yards Differential were selected specifically with the Rams in mind. There appears to be a strong correlation between the score at half-time and the Rams' win/loss record. The Rams - under Jeff Fisher - have been among the league leaders in penalties, to their detriment.
Turnover Differential
It's a widely held belief that winning the turnover battle is important to a teams success on the field. The Rams finished with 7 wins in 2013. The team had a positive turnover differential in 6 of those wins, and a zero differential in the other victory. Overall, the Rams finished 9'th in Turnover Differential (plus +8) last season. In 2013, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks led the NFL in this key statistic.
In the game against the Giants, the Rams lost the turnover battle, with no takeaways and 3 giveaways, a minus -3 turnover differential. Benny Cunningham's fumble on a kickoff in the first quarter was critical to the outcome of the game. It led to a Giants touchdown and a 10-0 early lead.
The Rams are currently tied for 18'th in the league in Turnover Differential (-1).
Team | Takeaways | Giveaways | Turnover Differential | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Green Bay Packers | 26 | 11 | 15 |
2 | Houston Texans | 34 | 20 | 14 |
3 | New England Patriots | 24 | 13 | 11 |
4 | Arizona Cardinals | 25 | 14 | 11 |
5 | Seattle Seahawks | 21 | 12 | 9 |
6 | Atlanta Falcons | 28 | 20 | 8 |
7 | Cleveland Browns | 29 | 21 | 8 |
8 | Buffalo Bills | 30 | 22 | 8 |
9 | Denver Broncos | 21 | 15 | 6 |
10 | Detroit Lions | 25 | 19 | 6 |
11 | San Francisco 49ers | 26 | 22 | 4 |
12 | Dallas Cowboys | 27 | 24 | 3 |
13 | Miami Dolphins | 24 | 22 | 2 |
14 | Minnesota Vikings | 19 | 19 | 0 |
15 | Baltimore Ravens | 20 | 20 | 0 |
16 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 18 | 18 | 0 |
17 | Carolina Panthers | 23 | 23 | 0 |
18 | St. Louis Rams | 23 | 24 | -1 |
19 | New York Giants | 25 | 27 | -2 |
20 | Cincinnati Bengals | 19 | 21 | -2 |
21 | San Diego Chargers | 18 | 20 | -2 |
22 | Chicago Bears | 23 | 29 | -6 |
23 | Indianapolis Colts | 25 | 31 | -6 |
24 | Kansas City Chiefs | 11 | 17 | -6 |
25 | Philadelphia Eagles | 27 | 35 | -8 |
26 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 18 | 26 | -8 |
27 | Washington Redskins | 18 | 27 | -9 |
28 | Tennessee Titans | 16 | 25 | -9 |
29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 22 | 32 | -10 |
30 | New York Jets | 12 | 23 | -11 |
31 | New Orleans Saints | 16 | 27 | -11 |
32 | Oakland Raiders | 13 | 27 | -14 |
Team Penalty Yards Differential
In 2013, the Rams were the 2'nd most penalized team in the NFL, averaging 7.7 Team Penalties Per Game. An excessive number of penalties can stall drives, and can keep opponents' drives alive. In an average NFL game, the officials will call between 12-14 penalties per game (both teams combined). The Rams' goals should be to have no more than 6 penalties per game, plus a positive Team Penalty Yards Differential.
The Rams were flagged for 9 penalties - totalling 76 yards - in the contest against New York. The Giants committed 12 penalties for 149 yards. For the Rams, the result was a positive Team Penalty Yards Differential of 73 yards.
After 15 games, the Rams are the 4'th most-penalized team in the NFL, averaging 7.8 penalties per game. The Rams lead the league in most penalty yards (1094), and are 29'th in the league in Team Penalty Yards Differential (-232).
Rank | Team | GP | Pen Yds | Opp. Pen Yds | Pen Yds Diff | Pen Yds Diff/Game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Arizona Cardinals | 15 | 686 | 1,114 | 428 | 26.75 |
2 | Miami Dolphins | 15 | 595 | 880 | 285 | 17.81 |
3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 | 548 | 831 | 283 | 17.69 |
4 | New Orleans Saints | 15 | 655 | 866 | 211 | 13.19 |
5 | Green Bay Packers | 15 | 735 | 892 | 157 | 9.81 |
6 | Kansas City Chiefs | 15 | 635 | 784 | 149 | 9.31 |
7 | Baltimore Ravens | 15 | 815 | 949 | 134 | 8.38 |
8 | New York Giants | 15 | 790 | 913 | 123 | 7.69 |
9 | San Diego Chargers | 15 | 900 | 1,021 | 121 | 7.56 |
10 | Washington Redskins | 15 | 1,029 | 1,116 | 87 | 5.44 |
11 | Minnesota Vikings | 15 | 811 | 888 | 77 | 4.81 |
12 | Cincinnati Bengals | 14 | 722 | 794 | 72 | 4.50 |
13 | Oakland Raiders | 15 | 853 | 925 | 72 | 4.50 |
14 | San Francisco 49ers | 15 | 859 | 888 | 29 | 1.81 |
15 | Philadelphia Eagles | 15 | 960 | 983 | 23 | 1.44 |
16 | Indianapolis Colts | 15 | 828 | 846 | 18 | 1.13 |
17 | Chicago Bears | 15 | 947 | 953 | 6 | 0.38 |
18 | Carolina Panthers | 15 | 720 | 724 | 4 | 0.25 |
19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 15 | 916 | 920 | 4 | 0.25 |
20 | Houston Texans | 15 | 779 | 761 | -18 | -1.13 |
21 | Dallas Cowboys | 15 | 791 | 760 | -31 | -1.94 |
22 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 15 | 824 | 790 | -34 | -2.13 |
23 | Atlanta Falcons | 15 | 804 | 708 | -96 | -6.00 |
24 | Detroit Lions | 15 | 936 | 809 | -127 | -7.94 |
25 | New York Jets | 15 | 892 | 740 | -152 | -9.50 |
26 | Cleveland Browns | 15 | 874 | 714 | -160 | -10.00 |
27 | Buffalo Bills | 15 | 987 | 794 | -193 | -12.06 |
28 | Tennessee Titans | 15 | 941 | 711 | -230 | -14.38 |
29 | St. Louis Rams | 15 | 1,094 | 862 | -232 | -14.50 |
30 | Denver Broncos | 14 | 957 | 685 | -272 | -17.00 |
31 | New England Patriots | 15 | 1,025 | 708 | -317 | -19.81 |
32 | Seattle Seahawks | 15 | 989 | 568 | -421 | -26.31 |
Big Play Differential
Big Play Differential is the difference between the number of big plays - running plays of 10+ yards plus passing plays of 25+ yards - an offense creates, and the number of big plays a defense allows. How important are big plays to a teams offense/defense? Last season, NFL teams averaged 0.8 points per drive without a big play, and 3.9 points per drive with at least one of them.
In the game against New York, the Rams' offense produced 4 rushing big plays, and 3 passing big plays. The Rams' defense gave up 2 rushing big plays, and 4 passing big plays, resulting in a plus +1 Big Play Differential for the game. Odell Beckham Jr., Reuben Randle, and Andre Williams all had big plays that resulted in scores for the Giants.
Rams have allowed third fewest completions on passes traveling 20+ yards (14). Problem is, seven have gone for TDs which is tied for 22nd.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) December 22, 2014
In other words, Rams defense not giving up the big passes often but when they do, they go real big.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) December 22, 2014
Symmetry in stats: Giants had 514 yards vs. Rams. 257 came on six plays of 23 yards or more (42.8 per play); 257 on other 61 plays (4.2 avg)
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) December 22, 2014
The Rams currently rank 12'th in the league in Big Play Differential (+5). The teams' NFL ranking has shown significant improvement in the past 8 weeks.
Rank | Team | Plays | Big Plays | Rush | Pass | Big Play % | BPA | +/- |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Seattle Seahawks | 959 | 102 | 79 | 23 | 10.64% | 43 | 59 |
5 | Denver Broncos | 928 | 79 | 43 | 36 | 8.51% | 39 | 40 |
4 | Baltimore Ravens | 957 | 82 | 59 | 23 | 8.57% | 59 | 23 |
10 | New York Jets | 990 | 81 | 60 | 21 | 8.18% | 58 | 23 |
2 | Green Bay Packers | 939 | 95 | 63 | 32 | 10.12% | 73 | 22 |
28 | Detroit Lions | 979 | 60 | 32 | 28 | 6.13% | 38 | 22 |
3 | Dallas Cowboys | 954 | 83 | 59 | 24 | 8.7% | 65 | 18 |
8 | San Francisco 49ers | 949 | 78 | 54 | 24 | 8.22% | 60 | 18 |
6 | Washington Redskins | 938 | 79 | 46 | 33 | 8.42% | 65 | 14 |
13 | Houston Texans | 985 | 74 | 50 | 24 | 7.51% | 64 | 10 |
12 | Cincinnati Bengals | 886 | 68 | 48 | 20 | 7.67% | 61 | 7 |
7 | St. Louis Rams | 897 | 74 | 46 | 28 | 8.25% | 69 | 5 |
21 | Carolina Panthers | 1,009 | 70 | 50 | 20 | 6.94% | 67 | 3 |
17 | Miami Dolphins | 974 | 70 | 49 | 21 | 7.19% | 68 | 2 |
9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1,011 | 83 | 42 | 41 | 8.21% | 82 | 1 |
14 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1,056 | 79 | 49 | 30 | 7.48% | 80 | -1 |
11 | Indianapolis Colts | 1,039 | 81 | 41 | 40 | 7.8% | 87 | -6 |
22 | Chicago Bears | 946 | 64 | 38 | 26 | 6.77% | 72 | -8 |
15 | Cleveland Browns | 949 | 70 | 41 | 29 | 7.38% | 79 | -9 |
24 | Arizona Cardinals | 926 | 61 | 31 | 30 | 6.59% | 71 | -10 |
29 | Buffalo Bills | 962 | 59 | 27 | 32 | 6.13% | 70 | -11 |
25 | New England Patriots | 1,011 | 66 | 40 | 26 | 6.53% | 79 | -13 |
26 | Minnesota Vikings | 920 | 58 | 38 | 20 | 6.3% | 74 | -16 |
31 | Atlanta Falcons | 966 | 58 | 33 | 25 | 6% | 74 | -16 |
20 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 935 | 65 | 40 | 25 | 6.95% | 82 | -17 |
18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 871 | 61 | 32 | 29 | 7% | 79 | -18 |
19 | New Orleans Saints | 1,032 | 72 | 45 | 27 | 6.98% | 90 | -18 |
16 | Tennessee Titans | 860 | 62 | 32 | 30 | 7.21% | 82 | -20 |
30 | San Diego Chargers | 943 | 57 | 32 | 25 | 6.04% | 78 | -21 |
32 | Oakland Raiders | 937 | 49 | 28 | 21 | 5.23% | 70 | -21 |
23 | Kansas City Chiefs | 905 | 61 | 42 | 19 | 6.74% | 84 | -23 |
27 | New York Giants | 1,008 | 62 | 34 | 28 | 6.15% | 101 | -39 |
Points Per Drive Differential
Points Per Drive Differential is a derivative of Points Scored/Allowed. It measures the number of points generated/allowed on an average drive. 13 teams reached the playoffs/won 10 games in 2013. 12 of them finished in the top dozen in Points Per Drive Differential. Successful teams with winning records are normally the most efficient - both offensively and defensively - and consistently generate positive PPD Differentials.
In Sunday's game, the Rams had 12 drives in total, and scored 27 points on those drives (2.25 points per drive), an above-average result for the Rams' offense. The Giants had 12 drives in total, and scored 37 points on those drives (3.08 points per drive), a poor result for the Rams' defense. The Rams' Points Per Drive Differential versus the Giants: Minus -0.83.
After 15 games, the Rams rank 22'nd in the league in Points Per Drive Differential (- 0.14). The teams' NFL ranking took a step back in the losses to Arizona and New York.
Team | Points Per Drive | Points Per Drive Against | Point Differential | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New England Patriots | 2.68 | 1.72 | 0.96 |
2 | Green Bay Packers | 2.87 | 2.01 | 0.86 |
3 | Seattle Seahawks | 2.28 | 1.55 | 0.73 |
4 | Denver Broncos | 2.38 | 1.8 | 0.58 |
5 | Baltimore Ravens | 2.29 | 1.74 | 0.55 |
6 | Dallas Cowboys | 2.55 | 2.02 | 0.53 |
7 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2.33 | 1.89 | 0.44 |
8 | Kansas City Chiefs | 2.07 | 1.65 | 0.42 |
9 | Houston Texans | 1.93 | 1.54 | 0.39 |
10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2.51 | 2.17 | 0.34 |
11 | Detroit Lions | 1.8 | 1.47 | 0.34 |
12 | Indianapolis Colts | 2.24 | 1.94 | 0.3 |
13 | Buffalo Bills | 1.74 | 1.49 | 0.25 |
14 | Miami Dolphins | 2.17 | 2.01 | 0.15 |
15 | Arizona Cardinals | 1.7 | 1.57 | 0.14 |
16 | San Diego Chargers | 2.1 | 1.97 | 0.13 |
17 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1.88 | 1.82 | 0.07 |
18 | New York Giants | 1.98 | 2.02 | -0.04 |
19 | Minnesota Vikings | 1.88 | 1.96 | -0.09 |
20 | Atlanta Falcons | 2.3 | 2.39 | -0.09 |
21 | Cleveland Browns | 1.6 | 1.7 | -0.11 |
22 | St. Louis Rams | 1.82 | 1.95 | -0.14 |
23 | New Orleans Saints | 2.32 | 2.51 | -0.19 |
24 | San Francisco 49ers | 1.7 | 1.95 | -0.24 |
25 | Carolina Panthers | 1.8 | 2.21 | -0.4 |
26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1.51 | 2.22 | -0.71 |
27 | Washington Redskins | 1.59 | 2.33 | -0.74 |
28 | Chicago Bears | 1.81 | 2.57 | -0.76 |
29 | New York Jets | 1.42 | 2.22 | -0.8 |
30 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1.26 | 2.16 | -0.9 |
31 | Oakland Raiders | 1.29 | 2.2 | -0.91 |
32 | Tennessee Titans | 1.38 | 2.31 | -0.93 |
Score At Half-Time
In 2013, the Rams finished with a 7-9 record. In all 7 victories, the Rams were either tied or leading at half-time. In the Rams' wins against Tampa Bay, Seattle, Oakland, Washington, and Denver this season, they were leading at the half in all five contests. In the win against San Francisco, the Rams were tied 10-10 at half-time.
In the game against New York, the Rams went into the locker room losing 20-13 at half-time. The Rams went on to lose the game 37-27. In 10 out of 15 games this season, the Rams either led or were tied at half-time.
All statistical charts are courtesy of Sporting Charts.
Weekly Summary
Week | Turnover Diff. | Big Play Diff. | PPD Diff. | PY Diff. | Half-Time | Game Score |
1 | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | 0 13 | Lost 34-6 |
2 | Even | Negative | Positive | Negative | 10 7 | Won 19-17 |
3 | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | 21 10 | Lost 34-31 |
4 | - | - | - | - | - | Bye Week |
5 | Even | Positive | Positive | Negative | 7 20 | Lost 34-28 |
6 | Even | Negative | Negative | Negative | 14 10 | Lost 31-17 |
7 | Even | Negative | Negative | Positive | 21 6 | Won 28-26 |
8 | Even | Negative | Negative | Negative | 7 10 | Lost 34-7 |
9 | Even | Negative | Positive | Negative | 10 10 | Won 13-10 |
10 | Negative | Positive | Negative | Negative | 14 10 | Lost 31-14 |
11 | Positive | Positive | Positive | Positive | 13 7 | Won 22-7 |
12 | Even | Negative | Negative | Negative | 10 6 | Lost 27-24 |
13 | Positive | Positive | Positive | Positive | 38 0 | Won 52-0 |
14 | Positive | Positive | Positive | Negative | 6 0 | Won 24-0 |
15 | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | 3 6 | Lost 12-6 |
16 | Negative | Positive | Negative | Positive | 13 20 | Lost 37-27 |
Look at all the positive results in the three wins between Week 11 and Week 14. Then look at the negative results in the losses to San Diego, Arizona, and New York between Week 12 and Week 16. Therein lies the difference between winning and losing football games.
Points per Drive Differential: 6 games positive - Record 5-1. 9 games negative - Record 1-8.
Turnover Differential: 3 games positive - Record 3-0. 5 games negative - Record 0-5. 7 games even - Record 3-4.
Big Play Differential: 6 games positive - Record 3-3. 9 games negative - Record 3-6.
Penalty Yards Differential: 4 games positive - Record 3-1. 11 games negative - Record 3-8.
Pro Football Focus Grades
As an added feature, OakCityRam is generously contributing his weekly compilation of Pro Football Focus grades for each Rams player. Although PFF grades have their shortcomings and are quite subjective, they do offer a unique perspective. The grades can be a valuable tool for analyzing individual player performance, especially when used in conjunction with other statistics. PFF provides - on their website - a detailed description of how players are graded.
Rams versus Cardinals - Week 15
NFL | OFFENSE | Play Counts | Ratings | ||||||||||||
RANK | Pos. | # | Name | Total | Run | Pass | Run Block | Pass Block | Overall | Pass | Rush | Pass Block | Screen Block | Run Block | Penalty |
126/133 | LT | 79 | Greg Robinson * | 65 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 45 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 0.3 | ||
40/136 | LG | 76 | Rodger Saffold * | 65 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 45 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | ||
39/130 | TE-L | 46 | Cory Harkey * | 10 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
99/130 | TE-R | 88 | Lance Kendricks * | 29 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
15/210 | SLWR | 12 | Stedman Bailey | 43 | 1 | 33 | 9 | 0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0 | -0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
117/210 | RWR | 81 | Kenny Britt * | 60 | 0 | 40 | 20 | 0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.9 |
58/71 | QB | 14 | Shaun Hill * | 65 | 0 | 45 | 20 | 0 | 0 | -0.2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |
35/68 | C | 61 | Tim Barnes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
182/210 | LWR | 13 | Chris Givens | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | -0.3 | -0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
88/142 | HB | 36 | Benny Cunningham | 34 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 7 | -0.4 | 0.1 | -0.4 | 0.4 | 0 | -0.5 | 0 |
151/210 | SRWR | 11 | Tavon Austin * | 62 | 1 | 42 | 19 | 0 | -0.8 | -1.7 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.1 |
84/133 | RT | 72 | Joe Barksdale * | 65 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 45 | -1.3 | -0.3 | 0 | -1.3 | 0.3 | ||
128/142 | HB | 27 | Tre Mason * | 31 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 7 | -1.3 | -0.2 | -1.5 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
15/130 | TE-R | 89 | Jared Cook | 47 | 0 | 33 | 12 | 2 | -3 | -2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | -1.7 | 0.1 |
67/68 | C | 63 | Scott Wells * | 65 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 45 | -6.2 | -2.9 | 0 | -3.4 | 0.1 | ||
131/136 | RG | 69 | Davin Joseph * | 65 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 45 | -6.3 | -2.7 | 0 | -2.8 | -0.8 |
DEFENSE | Play Counts | Ratings | ||||||||||
Pos. | # | Name | Total | Run | Rush | Cov. | Overall | Run Defense | Pass Rush | Pass Cov. | Penalty | |
1/119 | DLT | 99 | Aaron Donald * | 55 | 26 | 29 | 0 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 3 | 0 | 0.2 |
11/90 | DLE | 95 | William Hayes | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 2.7 | 3.3 | -0.7 | 0 | 0.1 |
80/90 | WLB | 52 | Alec Ogletree * | 69 | 33 | 12 | 24 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 |
48/216 | RCB | 21 | Janoris Jenkins * | 69 | 33 | 0 | 36 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 0 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
30/216 | LCB | 22 | Trumaine Johnson * | 48 | 17 | 0 | 31 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 0 | 1.3 | 0.1 |
30/170 | FS | 23 | Rodney McLeod * | 69 | 33 | 2 | 34 | 1.3 | -0.6 | -0.2 | 2 | 0.1 |
23/216 | SCB | 33 | E.J. Gaines * | 69 | 33 | 1 | 35 | 1.1 | -1.3 | -0.1 | 2.4 | 0.1 |
83/119 | DRT | 90 | Michael Brockers * | 39 | 23 | 16 | 0 | 0.1 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 |
87/90 | SLB | 58 | JoLonn Dunbar | 19 | 16 | 0 | 3 | -0.1 | -0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
30/170 | SS | 26 | Mark Barron | 16 | 0 | 4 | 12 | -0.6 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | -1 |
66/90 | DRE | 97 | Eugene Sims | 17 | 9 | 8 | 0 | -0.8 | -0.7 | -0.2 | 0 | 0.1 |
27/170 | SS | 25 | T.J. McDonald * | 69 | 33 | 1 | 35 | -1.1 | -1.1 | -0.1 | 0 | 0.1 |
12/90 | DRE | 94 | Robert Quinn * | 52 | 24 | 28 | 0 | -1.6 | -2 | -0.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
47/119 | DRT | 98 | Kendall Langford | 30 | 17 | 13 | 0 | -1.6 | -1.5 | -0.2 | 0 | 0.1 |
115/121 | MLB | 55 | James Laurinaitis * | 69 | 33 | 15 | 21 | -2.1 | -2.4 | -0.7 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
76/90 | DLE | 91 | Chris Long * | 48 | 20 | 28 | 0 | -3.5 | -1.9 | -1.8 | 0 | 0.2 |
SPECIAL TEAMS | Ratings | |||||||
Pos. | # | Name | Overall | Kickoffs | Punts | FG/EP | Penalty | |
1/35 | P | 6 | Johnny Hekker | 4.7 | 0 | 4.7 | 0 | 0 |
57/1125 | ST | 54 | Will Herring | 1.5 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
100/1125 | ST | 26 | Mark Barron | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1078/1125 | ST | 53 | Daren Bates | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
889/1125 | ST | 36 | Benny Cunningham | 0.5 | 1 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 |
16/52 | K | 4 | Greg Zuerlein | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0 | -0.2 | 0 |
412/1125 | ST | 31 | Maurice Alexander | -0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 |
100/1125 | ST | 34 | Chase Reynolds | -0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 |
100/1125 | ST | 42 | Trey Watts | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
763/1125 | ST | 11 | Tavon Austin | -1.2 | 0 | -1.2 | 0 | 0 |
Rams versus Giants - Week 16
NFL | OFFENSE | Play Counts | Ratings | ||||||||||||
RANK | Pos. | # | Name | Total | Run | Pass | Run Block | Pass Block | Overall | Pass | Rush | Pass Block | Screen Block | Run Block | Penalty |
32/178 | RWR | 81 | Kenny Britt * | 55 | 0 | 36 | 19 | 0 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
53/73 | QB | 14 | Shaun Hill * | 63 | 0 | 39 | 24 | 0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | -0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |
98/113 | TE-L | 88 | Lance Kendricks * | 33 | 0 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
81/137 | RT | 72 | Joe Barksdale * | 63 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 39 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | ||
23/43 | FB | 46 | Cory Harkey | 23 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 1.4 | -0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 1.4 | 0 |
123/147 | HB | 27 | Tre Mason * | 30 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
13/135 | TE-R | 89 | Jared Cook * | 41 | 0 | 29 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
39/145 | LT | 76 | Rodger Saffold * | 63 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 39 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0 | -1.2 | 0.2 | ||
80/147 | HB | 36 | Benny Cunningham | 30 | 1 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | -0.2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
178/215 | RWR | 13 | Chris Givens | 12 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
52/147 | HB | 30 | Zac Stacy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
69/70 | C | 63 | Scott Wells * | 63 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 39 | -0.8 | 0.4 | 0 | -1.3 | 0.1 | ||
20/215 | SRWR | 12 | Stedman Bailey * | 44 | 0 | 30 | 14 | 0 | -1.6 | -1.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |
178/215 | RWR | 11 | Tavon Austin | 44 | 4 | 30 | 10 | 0 | -2.1 | -1.7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.9 |
141/145 | RG | 69 | Davin Joseph * | 63 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 39 | -3.4 | -2.4 | 0 | -1.2 | 0.2 | ||
60/145 | LT | 79 | Greg Robinson * | 63 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 39 | -5.6 | -2.1 | 0 | -1.7 | -1.8 |
NFL | DEFENSE | Play Counts | Ratings | |||||||||
RANK | Pos. | # | Name | Total | Run | Rush | Cov. | Overall | Run Defense | Pass Rush | Pass Cov. | Penalty |
10/96 | DRE | 94 | Robert Quinn * | 51 | 26 | 25 | 0 | 1.6 | 0 | 1.4 | 0 | 0.2 |
29/176 | SS | 25 | T.J. McDonald * | 71 | 36 | 5 | 30 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 0.6 | -0.5 | -0.9 |
35/225 | RCB | 21 | Janoris Jenkins * | 67 | 34 | 0 | 33 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
110/124 | MLB | 55 | James Laurinaitis * | 71 | 36 | 9 | 26 | 0.6 | 0.7 | -0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
82/125 | DRT | 90 | Michael Brockers * | 50 | 28 | 22 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -0.2 | 0 | 0.2 |
174/225 | SCB | 20 | Lamarcus Joyner | 16 | 3 | 3 | 10 | -0.1 | -0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0 |
84/97 | SLB | 58 | JoLonn Dunbar | 19 | 17 | 0 | 2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
94/97 | WLB | 52 | Alec Ogletree * | 71 | 36 | 4 | 31 | -0.4 | -0.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | -0.9 |
12/96 | DLE | 95 | William Hayes | 19 | 6 | 13 | 0 | -0.6 | 0.9 | -0.1 | 0 | -1.4 |
46/176 | SS | 26 | Mark Barron * | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | -1 | 0.1 | -0.2 | -0.9 | 0 |
49/176 | FS | 23 | Rodney McLeod * | 71 | 36 | 1 | 34 | -1.1 | -1.1 | -0.1 | 0 | 0.1 |
56/125 | DRT | 98 | Kendall Langford | 30 | 17 | 13 | 0 | -1.1 | -0.5 | -0.7 | 0 | 0.1 |
27/225 | LCB | 33 | E.J. Gaines * | 42 | 22 | 0 | 20 | -1.3 | -1.4 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |
78/96 | DLE | 91 | Chris Long * | 44 | 23 | 21 | 0 | -1.9 | -0.4 | -1.7 | 0 | 0.2 |
75/96 | DRE | 97 | Eugene Sims | 32 | 17 | 15 | 0 | -2.4 | -0.8 | -1.2 | 0.5 | -0.9 |
1/125 | DLT | 99 | Aaron Donald * | 53 | 27 | 26 | 0 | -2.6 | -2.9 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 |
108/225 | LCB | 22 | Trumaine Johnson | 54 | 23 | 0 | 31 | -4.5 | 0.1 | 0 | -4.7 | 0.1 |
NFL | SPECIAL TEAMS | Ratings | ||||||
RANK | Pos. | # | Name | Overall | Kickoffs | Punts | FG/EP | Penalty |
1/37 | P | 6 | Johnny Hekker | 4.1 | -0.2 | 4.3 | 0 | 0 |
1101/1181 | ST | 53 | Daren Bates | 1.5 | 0 | 0.5 | 2 | -1 |
807/1181 | ST | 11 | Tavon Austin | 0.7 | 0 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 |
85/1181 | ST | 26 | Mark Barron | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
46/1181 | ST | 54 | Will Herring | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 |
62/1181 | ST | 34 | Chase Reynolds | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
200/1181 | ST | 59 | Korey Toomer | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
62/1181 | ST | 38 | Cody Davis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
18/58 | K | 4 | Greg Zuerlein | -0.1 | -0.9 | 0 | 0.8 | 0 |
660/1181 | ST | 42 | Trey Watts | -0.5 | 0 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 |
944/1181 | ST | 31 | Maurice Alexander | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 |
944/1181 | ST | 98 | Kendall Langford | -1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.5 |
944/1181 | ST | 36 | Benny Cunningham | -2 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A tale of two games, each totally different, yet both ending in losses. Against Arizona, the Rams defense limited the Cardinals to 12 points, while the offense sputtered. Those results are reflected in the individual player grades for the game. Against New York, the opposite occurred. The Rams' offense outplayed their own defense, for the first time in many a game. Once again, the results are reflected in the individual player grades.
Aaron Donald and John Hekker continue to play at an All-Pro level. Both are ranked first in the NFL at their respective positions.
Aaron Donald has 39 total pressures, per @PFF. That's the most for a rookie defensive tackle since Ndamukong Suh's 41 in 2010.
— SI_DougFarrar (@SI_DougFarrar) December 23, 2014
Scott Wells and Davin Joseph continue to play at a level that assures them a ticket out of St. Louis.