Rams PFF Grades: Who stood out against Cardinals?

The Los Angeles Rams’ Week 10 collapse was a team-wide failure as they lost to the Arizona Cardinals and fell to 3-6 on the season.

To make matters worse, the Rams currently are sending the seventh overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions. The Lions, who are also 3-6, are penciled in at the eleventh spot.

This Los Angeles roster is devoid of young, ascending talent - and the veterans on the roster have failed to produce at the level we’ve come to expect from them. Aaron Donald no longer seems like a world beater, though he’s still among the top pass rushers on the planet. Allen Robinson was supposed to be a versatile threat in the passing game, but he’s mostly been an afterthought on offense.

The PFF grades against the Cardinals confirm what we already knew: this was an ugly performance by Sean McVay’s team. On a positive not, let’s dive in to the top-graded players on each side of the ball.

Top 5 grades on offense:

1 - Cam Akers, RB: 80.7

Akers played only 10 snaps and had 6 carries for 22 yards (3.7 avg). He had one passing blocking rep where he earned a 75.7 grade.

2 - Van Jefferson, WR: 73.1

The Rams got Jefferson back three weeks ago after he missed most of training camp and the start of the season due to a knee injury. His first two games were quiet, as he was targeted only 5 times and failed to record a reception.

That changed in Week 10, where he caught 3 passes for 27 yards and scored the Rams’ only TD.

3 - Allen Robinson, WR: 66.9

4 receptions for 44 yards is still one of Robinson’s better performances in 2022. There was some meat left on the bone as Wolford missed Robinson at least once on a high pass towards the right sideline despite the receiver having room to run.

4 - Tyler Higbee, TE: 65.1

Higbee was the most productive player on offense - catching all 8 of his targets for 73 yards.

5 - Rob Havenstein, RT: 64.1

It wasn’t a disastrous game on the offensive line, but the unit didn’t play well overall either. Havenstein was the highest graded of the bunch, though Ty Nsekhe (63.4) and Chandler Brewer (60.4) weren’t too far behind.

Other notes on offense:

Backup QB John Wolford earned the start in Matthew Stafford’s absence (concussion protocol). Wolford earned the lowest grade (45.0) on the entire team after an afternoon of erratic and inaccurate passing. At this point it’s fair to say he’s not an NFL caliber thrower of the football.

Coleman Shelton continues to grade poorly by PFF standards after returning from injury. He earned a 55.0 offensive grade, but just a 32.0 mark in pass protection. He was the lowest graded individual on LA’s offensive line in this one.

Top 5 grades on defense:

1 - Nick Scott, DB: 82.6

Scott was all over the field and played sideline to sideline, though Colt McCoy kept the Cardinals offensive moving for most of the game. The fourth-year safety has had an up and down season so far, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Rams approach his future free agency.

2 - Bobby Wagner, MLB: 79.8

Wagner had a sack blitzing up the middle, something he’s been adept at both with the Seahawks and with the Rams.

3 - Jonah Williams, DT: 74.1

Williams had only three snaps but made the most of his limited opportunities.

4 - Taylor Rapp: 73.3

The fourth-year safety was targeted once, allowing a reception for 5 yards. He played in the box or slot for 22 of his 65 snaps.

5 - Aaron Donald, DE 69.3

Other notes on defense:

With Greg Gaines out in this game, it was disappointing to see Marquise Copeland earn only a 54.7 grade. Copeland is usually towards the top of the Rams defensive grades on a weekly basis, though he only plays a handful of snaps in most games. The larger sample size and increased opportunity didn’t do him any favors.

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