Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears: Stock up, stock down

A lot of things were bound to happen in this game, but the idea that it was going to be a 15-6 stinker was not one.

The Los Angeles Rams were on the losing side again as the Bears simply outplayed them. It was an ugly performance offensively, though the defense on the other hand has now strung two solid performances consecutively.

Let’s take a look at the stock report:

Stock Down

DT Michael Brockers

Has Brockers done anything of note this year? His play has slipped, and I’m not sure the reason why. Brockers has one single sack on the season and only four tackles-for-loss on the season, with 0 coming since week nine. The Rams have a ton invested in their defensive line and continue to get abused against the run week after week.

DT Ndamukong Suh

Just like Brockers, Suh falls in the same category. After initially starting strong, Suh has disappeared and has been nowhere to be found lately. Suh has three tackles-for-loss on the year, and that simply isn’t enough for a guy known to be an elite run defender. The Rams didn’t bring Suh in to rush the passer. The experiment has been a failure thus far when looking at the run stuffing performances.

Rams OL

Usually the offensive line is the reason the offense is working, but this time it was the exact opposite. The offensive line was manhandled all night long. Jared Goff was routinely under pressure, and the Rams had 33 rushing yards until the last snap of the game. Just an all around ugly performance, and to boot, LG Rodger Saffold and C John Sullivan both got hurt though both returned.

QB Jared Goff

Goff went 20/44 for 180 yards with four interceptions on the night. Everything went wrong for Goff on the night. He missed easy throws, he was making awful decisions, and he was under duress throughout the entire game. He’ll need to forget about this one quickly and move on to next Sunday and avenge the loss.

RB Todd Gurley

This one isn’t even Gurley’s fault, this one falls on Head Coach Sean McVay. Gurley was hardly used all game and only had five carries in the first half. At the end of the game, Gurley only had 11 carries for 28 yards and chipped in with three receptions for 30 yards. This is simply unacceptable for your best player, he needs to touch the ball much more often.

Stock Up

CB Nickell Robey-Coleman

NRC has been the Rams’ most consistent defender and it once again showed on Sunday night. NRC had a great play against a screen that ruined the play, he had a pass breakup in the endzone which was perfectly timed, and then as a curl/flat defender in zone coverage he secured an interception before the half that could (and maybe should) have lead to points. NRC has been a stud in the nickel spot.

WR Robert Woods

Woods was pretty much the only offensive player to show up yesterday with a seven reception and 61 yard performance. Woods now has 1,032 yards receiving, making it his first time crossing the threshold of 1,000 yards. Woods is as consistent as a wide receiver gets.

CB Marcus Peters

Quietly, Peters has bounced back and played much better the past few games dating back to at least the Chiefs game. I don’t recall Peters even giving up any receptions that went for positive yardage, and he also nabbed himself an interception with a 48-yard return.

OLB Dante Fowler Jr

Fowler hasn’t been consistent, but he’s brought exactly what the Rams envisioned when they traded for him. His key play from last night was a beautiful rush off the edge where he timed his dip perfectly as the offensive tackle extended his arms to make contact. Fowler essentially went untouched and registered a QB hit and a near-sack, though rookie John Franklin-Myers finished it off.

SS John Johnson III

Johnson has developed into a consistently great player for the Rams. JJ3 registered five tackles on the night, and was one of the defenders to snag himself an interception.