The Rams lost to the Chiefs 26-10 on the road but prevented being dominated by a Super Bowl favorite. The defense held its own against Patrick Mahomes, but the offense under third-stringer Bryce Perkins struggled. It was much closer than many expected it to be so there’s some optimism despite another loss. The season is pretty much over, but the effort by the team on Sunday was admirable.
Good
Defense
The defense played outstanding today and held a Super Bowl favorite to par with the rest of their opponents. Kansas City was a double-digit favorite coming into the game and the defense did its job against a good team. Aaron Donald did a tremendous job in the middle and it really showed how much the Rams need to invest in a pass rusher. The Rams failed to record a sack despite the pressure on Mahomes. The defense was able to turn the Chiefs’ drives into field goals instead of touchdowns which was ideal against this offense. Overall this year, the defense has been Super Bowl caliber never giving up more than 31 points and being a top 5 run defense.
Kyren Williams
Williams had another solid game on offense. Since coming back from injury, Kyren has been a threat with the ball in his hands. He’s been involved as a runner and as a threat in the passing game. His good performances lately are likely why the front office was comfortable cutting Henderson. The rookie has had a limited role so far but looks good in the action that he does get. It’s unsure whether he’d be able to handle a three-down role and as of now he should be splitting with Akers for the rest of the year. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rams take a look at some of the other backs available like Ronnie Rivers or another young back available to be claimed.
Bad
Injury Bug
The injury bug has hit the Rams hard this year and this game showed the worst effect. LA has been pretty healthy under Sean McVay with injuries not impacting the team very much the past couple of years. Injuries had decimated this team and are a big part of why the season hasn’t gone as planned. The biggest victim has been the offensive line playing a new combination every week. Now with their core players on offense possibly out for the year, it’ll be tough to watch as they close out the year.
Meh
Bryce Perkins
Bryce Perkins wasn’t good or bad, but he was much more fun to watch than Wolford. His passing stats were pretty abysmal with only 100 passing yards and two interceptions. However, he used his mobility to his advantage with 9 carries for 44 yards. Perkins used that mobility to evade pass rushers which was something that you don’t see from Stafford. I think that he’s got a shot to snag the backup quarterback job for the Rams next year as both him and Wolford are free agents after this season. He had some nice runs but did better than many expected as a third-stringer.
Tutu Atwell
Atwell has slowly started to show why he has a spot on the roster. He had possibly the best game of his career last week against the Saints. Despite bad quarterback play he did decently and was on par with the rest of the receivers against the Chiefs. Now with Robinson out for the year, it’s his chance to prove the doubters wrong and continue to develop as a receiver. His ability to stretch the field as a deep threat is different to the rest of the receivers on the roster. If he isn’t able to take advantage of the situation right now it’s hard to see him get a second contract with the team.
Cam Akers
Akers has had a solid couple of games being the leader of the backfield. After letting Henderson go he’s been pretty average but has had some good runs here and there. It seems like there’s some improvement shown after the trade rumors so maybe that lit a spark for the young back. His 4.6 yards per carry Sunday were his best numbers since facing the Cardinals all the way back in week 3. I think splitting time with Williams has been good for both of them and as he regains more strength he should slowly develop into the rookie version of Cam many expected to see.
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