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Rams-Giants: Key Stats Analysis - Week 16

Throughout the 2014 season, I'll be keeping track of four key team statistical measures, and how they affect the outcome of every Rams game: Turnover Differential, Big Play Differential, Points Per Drive Differential, and Team Penalty Yards Differential. In addition, I'll keep track of the score at half-time. Is there a correlation between these statistics and the Rams' win/loss record?

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Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

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.

NFL Stats

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 Turnover Differential Statistics
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).

Team Penalty Yards Differential
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.

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.

Team Big Plays Statistics
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 Statistics
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.

Scott Wells and Davin Joseph continue to play at a level that assures them a ticket out of St. Louis.