10 takeaways from the Rams 28-22 win over the Patriots
The Los Angeles Rams got the win against the New England Patriots on the road in Week 11. They made it closer than it should have been, but at the end of the day, they found a way back into the win column. Matthew Stafford showed up big with four touchdown passes on the afternoon while Puka Nacua could not be stopped by the Patriots secondary. While the defense wasn’t as impressive as they had been in recent weeks, they still got the stop and made the play when it mattered. Here are 10 takeaways from the win.
1. Slow Starts Continue to Be a Problem
For the seventh time this season, the Rams offense failed to score in the first quarter. Matthew Stafford found Puka Nacua for 37 yards, putting the Rams at the Patriots’ 47-yard line. The offense punted three plays later. On the next drive, Kyren Williams had an 18-yard run that put the Rams at their own 45-yard line. The offense punted again three plays later.
While the offense scored 28 points in the second and third quarters, the slow starts are officially a problem. Last season, the Rams were one of the best teams at starting games. In fact, in 15 games with Stafford, the Rams scored on the opening drive in 11 of them. Head coach Sean McVay needs to find a way to get the offense going faster.
2. Every Week, One of the Florida State Rookies Seems to Take Over
Whether it’s Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, or both, one of the Florida State rookies has been taking over games lately. Against the Vikings, it was Verse who dominated the second half. The following week, against the Seahawks, Fiske had flashes of Aaron Donald in a No. 55 jersey. Although the Rams lost to the Dolphins, Verse had a dominant performance in primetime.
Verse didn’t necessarily make an impact on the stat sheet, but he still had five pressures against the Patriots. However, it was Fiske who made the bigger impact. The rookie defensive lineman had two sacks and a forced fumble. He now leads rookies in sacks, with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries on the season. Thanks to Verse’s presence, Fiske has become an afterthought, but he is still very good.
3. Beaux Limmer Won’t Be Losing His Starting Role Anytime Soon
The Rams took a calculated risk last week when they replaced Beaux Limmer with Jonah Jackson at center. It was a move that made sense, given how much the Rams spent on Jackson in the offseason. However, Jackson clearly wasn’t ready and didn’t fit into the offensive line. Despite the contract, McVay decided to return to Limmer against the Patriots.
With that said, it doesn’t appear Limmer will be losing his starting role anytime soon. Limmer was the third-highest-graded run blocker among centers on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus. He was also the sixth-highest-graded pass blocker. We’ll see how he performs against the Eagles, but the starting five going forward likely includes Limmer.
4. Patriots made it hard on Matthew Stafford and he delivered
The Patriots tried to make things difficult for Matthew Stafford, and, aside from a missed throw or two, he delivered. For the most part, the Patriots took away the middle of the field and forced Stafford to attack the boundary. That’s exactly what he did.
Time and again, Stafford proves that if he is given protection and can navigate the pocket, he can make all the throws—and at an elite level. For the second time in four weeks, Stafford threw four touchdown passes. This is the Stafford the Rams will need down the stretch.
5. Michael Hoecht Continues to Be an Important Piece on the Defense
Is it possible that Michael Hoecht is actually one of the more important pieces on the defense in his current role? Last year, Hoecht was often put in difficult situations, especially when he was dropped into coverage. Many wouldn’t have batted an eye if the Rams decided to move on from him this offseason. Instead, Hoecht was brought back, and he’s having a fantastic season.
For the most part, Hoecht is used on the edge in the red zone and during obvious run downs, when the Rams try to beef up their defensive front. However, he also plays as the “cheetah” or a de facto inside linebacker in some packages and has a role on special teams. Hoecht blocked his second field goal of the season on Sunday.
6. We Need to Be Realistic About Joshua Karty’s Expectations
A few things are true about Joshua Karty. Does he need to be more consistent? Yes. Should he have made the 26-yard field goal at the end of the half? Also yes. At times, has Karty affected the way McVay calls a game? Yes. All of that is true and has its downsides. However, it’s important not to overreact to every single miss.
Karty is a rookie kicker, and that comes with some inconsistency. He will have good games, OK games, and bad games. Just last week, Karty made five field goals, which should have been six if not for a pre-snap penalty. In Greg Zuerlein’s rookie season with the Rams, he went 17-for-20 on his first 20 kicks. From Weeks 6-17, he went 10-for-18, including misses from 37 and 35 yards. There will be ups and downs, but unless Karty goes off the rails, he’s not going anywhere this season.
The Rams had three kickers last year, including Tanner Brown, who was cut in the preseason. Both Lukas Havrisik and Brett Maher combined to make just 74.4 percent of their field goals. During the draft, the Rams selected arguably the best kicker in the draft. Are we sure the kicker is the problem at this point?
7. The Rams Running Game Lacks Explosiveness
Kyren Williams is a good running back, but it’s clear that the Rams’ running game lacks explosiveness. Williams is very much a “get-you-a-single-and-the-occasional-double” back, but rarely does he hit a home run. This season, Williams ranks 28th in runs of 10 or more yards. Some of that can be attributed to the offensive line, but it’s not who Williams has ever been. That’s also not who Blake Corum is as a runner. Williams ranked 11th in runs of 10 or more yards last year, accounting for 9 percent of his runs. For comparison, 13.9 percent of James Cook’s runs last year went for more than 10 yards.
When you look at the best running back duo in the NFL right now, it’s hard to look past the Detroit Lions. David Montgomery is their “singles hitter,” while Jahmyr Gibbs is capable of hitting the home run. The Rams don’t have that home-run hitter. To a degree, they lack that in the passing game as well, but it’s very noticeable in the running game.
8. I Didn’t Mind McVay’s Late-Game Play Calling
McVay took a lot of criticism for his late-game play calling. An argument could be made that he should have run the ball to take time off the clock. However, the Rams did that against the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, and they ended up punting both times. Stafford had Demarcus Robinson open on a curl route underneath, but the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage. To a point, that’s just unlucky. Maybe McVay shouldn’t have taken the low-percentage throw to Puka Nacua on third down, but if the play is made, it’s game over.
The Rams then opted to punt instead of attempting a 52-yard field goal. Given how Karty had been kicking, should McVay have gone for the field goal? A miss would have set the Patriots up well. Instead, the punt pinned the Patriots inside their 10-yard line, forcing a rookie quarterback to drive 90 yards for a touchdown.
9. Rams Defense Once Again Steps Up in the Big Moment
All of the Rams’ wins this season have essentially been one-score games. Against the Raiders, Jaylen McCollough had the game-sealing interception, while the defense had a safety against the Vikings and an overtime stop against the Seahawks. They iced the game again on Sunday as Kam Kinchens recorded his third interception of the season.
Coming into the season, many would have considered the Rams defense a liability. Not many would have trusted them to ice games the way they have this year. However, that’s exactly what has happened, and it brings a positive outlook for what’s to come.
10. Beating the Patriots Is Nice, but Next Week Is a Big Test
The Rams are back to .500, and they’re once again a team that’s poised for a big run, like they did last year. Not so fast. On Sunday night, the Rams will host the Eagles on Sunday Night Football, and the Eagles are playing like one of the best teams in the NFL. The defense, led by Vic Fangio, could give the Rams and McVay problems.
If the Rams are going to be a playoff team, they need to start stringing together impressive wins and show some consistency. Even in Sunday’s win against the Patriots, they were inconsistent. A loss to the Eagles would almost assuredly mean that any path to the playoffs would have to come via winning the NFC West.
