The Los Angeles Rams were punched in the mouth on Sunday Night Football and stayed down. The Titans got a big lead early and coasted to the finish line in the worst loss of the season. The Rams entered the game as a Super Bowl favorite by many but left the game with plenty of doubts in an all-in season. Of course, while the team as a whole didn’t have the best of days, some players still found a way to have a good day. Here are some of the winners and losers that came out of the Los Angeles Rams shocking defeat on Sunday Night Football.
Los Angeles Rams Winners And Losers: Week 9
Winners
Robert Woods
Even though the Rams came up short in the contest, Robert Woods had one of his best days of the year. He had seven catches for 98 yards, earning three more yards than Cooper Kupp. This was the second game this season in which Woods earned more yards than Kupp. Until this point, Woods had been a clear “Robin” to Kupp’s “Batman.” However, in this game, Woods came out as the more productive option. At times this season, it seemed like Woods was slipping out of the picture in the wide receiver room. With such a performance, Woods has given himself more ammunition in explaining why he deserves the spotlight as much as Kupp on any given Sunday.
Cooper Kupp
The Rams may have only put up 16 points, but Kupp continued to dominate his assignments. In the contest, he earned 11 catches for 95 yards. Kupp now has had at least 90 yards in every game except one and leads the NFL in yards by roughly a whopping 250 yards. He also leads the league in touchdowns. For Kupp, it is not a surprise for the one who was likely the best receiver in the FCS while he played for Eastern Washington University.
Sony Michel
At times this season, Sony Michel has been an afterthought to the point of questioning his existence on the team. However, on Sunday, Michel played a productive part, building his case to stick around when Cam Akers returns. In the contest, Michel rushed seven times for 20 yards and, more importantly, caught a touchdown pass. While Darrell Henderson has a chokehold on the starting role, Michel is simply trying to prove that he belongs on the roster long-term. Failing that, he is looking to build his case for his next team. Sunday’s performance helped his case.
Losers
Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford must have caught the curse of Carson Wentz, as he completely imploded early in the game by effectively throwing two pick-sixes. Coming into the game, Stafford had 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. Leaving the game, he had six interceptions and 23 touchdown passes. The two interceptions in the game were easily two of his three worst plays this season. If he has a performance like this in the playoffs, the Rams will not win the game. Luckily, as a mid-season game against an AFC opponent, it was as good of a loss as one could have. However, he cannot have another performance like that this season.[pickup_prop id=”14589″]
Offensive Line
Matthew Stafford may have had a tough day, but the offensive line shares the blame as it simply got bullied in the contest. Stafford was under duress for seemingly the entire game and sped his clock up. One can hope that this was a one-game aberration. If not, the Rams may have a big hole in their roster that other teams can attack to ruin everything. Now past the trade deadline, the Rams will not be able to make any big adjustments until the offseason. It will be up to Sean McVay to scheme Stafford out of pressure.
Darrell Henderson
While his day was not as dire as the rest of the team, Henderson lost ground to Sony Michel in the eternal competition for snaps. He rushed 11 times for 55 yards in the third-worst yardage total of the season while Michel caught a touchdown pass. While the day wasn’t the end of the world for Henderson, it was a step in the wrong direction. He will be hoping to get into the endzone next week against the San Francisco 49ers.