Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons: Stock up, stock down

Playing in a desperation game, the Los Angeles Rams got the job done (and more) with a 37-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Rams dominated the game from start to finish, and most guys will have their stock trending upwards after such a fantastic performance.

Let’s get into the stock report:

Stock Down

Running game

There wasn’t much the Rams couldn’t do, but the rushing attack wasn’t very successful. Todd Gurley rushed the ball 18 times for 43 yards, averaging a paltry 2.3 yards-per-carry. Backup Darrell Henderson accumulated 11 rushes for 31 yards, for an average of 2.8 yards-per-carry. The Rams had multiple short-yardage attempts on the goal line that failed (sorta?), but it didn’t matter much as they still scored.

PR JoJo Natson

JoJo Natson has a unique ability to make your heart skip a few beats, and that remained true today. Natson did have a nice return prior to halftime which went for 35 yards, though he also had one that nearly resulted in a fumble. No big gaffs from Natson, so it wasn’t the worst day.

Stock Up

LG David Edwards

Starting his first NFL game, Edwards put together a very solid performance. The entire offensive line struggled to create space on the ground, yet they were fantastic in pass protection, Edwards included. The rookie looked eons better than both of the guards who started before him (Joe Noteboom and Jamil Demby). The Rams may have found something in Edwards, and he surely deserves to draw another start in Week 8.

CB Jalen Ramsey

In his first game as a Ram, Ramsey was fantastic. Outside of one deep catch from Julio Jones, Ramsey had his way against one of the best receivers in the league. Ramsey forced a fumble, had multiple pass breakups, and was a pest in tight press-man coverage. His coverage forced multiple errant passes from quarterback Matt Ryan. Ramsey’s addition has the potential to change the fortunes of the pass defense as a whole.

EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.

Dante Fowler may have had the best game of his career as he secured seven tackles, three sacks, and three tackles-for-loss. Fowler had two gaffs in this game, both of which came on the first drive (hold, missed sack), but otherwise had a fantastic performance. Fowler also chipped in with a fumble and a pass deflection.

QB Jared Goff

Coming off a bad performance in Week 7, Goff rebounded brilliantly. The signal caller went 22/37 for 268 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a rushing touchdown. The game felt like a vintage 2018 Goff performance as he was ripping the ball accurately to open receivers all over the field. The only complaint comes from a few overthrown passes to tight end Gerald Everett, though both need to work on their chemistry.

Defense

Five sacks, one interception, 10 points allowed (seven of which came in garbage time), and under 40 yards rushing allowed for the Falcons (210 passing). The performance was brilliant by every member of the defense. The unit lost two starting cornerbacks and a safety in the past week or two, and still managed to put together a dominating performance, proving the “next man up” mantra remains true.