The stakes were high for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. A win would give them first place in the NFC. They got off to a fast start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading 21-0 early in the game, and never looked back. The final score of 34-7 extends Los Angeles' winning streak to six games. and moved them to 9-2 on the year.
It was a total team effort. I find it nitpicky to single out any negative aspects of this game; however, given the fact that Los Angeles just lost three starters in at least four games, it's worth zooming in and wondering if the Rams will feel those losses moving forward.
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Who helped lead the Rams to victory and which players should we watch out for moving forward?
Winners
Matthew Stafford, QB
NFL honors races are won and lost in primetime games, and Matthew Stafford made the most of his opportunity in Week 12. He threw two early touchdown passes and finished the game effectively in the first half. It was a masterclass, although not much was asked of him over the last two quarters. In some ways, it feels like a classic game was taken away from us because the Buccaneers weren't even remotely competitive.
Stafford completed 25 of 35 passes (71%) for 273 yards and three touchdowns. He never jeopardized the ball, although he did take the sack and throw an intentional touchdown strike on fourth down.
Kobe Durant and Emmanuel Forbes, CB
The Rams have gone from being a serious question mark at cornerback to having a formidable playmaking duo in Durant and Forbes. Durant started the defensive feast by stealing the ball from Cade Otton and returning it 50 yards for a touchdown. Forbes also intercepted a Hail Mary attempt just before the half, although even more impressive were his four (!) passes on the night. Forbes has made the most of his long arms over the past few weeks and has a knack for resisting plays and allowing incompletions.
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If Durant and Forbes can maintain this level of play, it will be a huge improvement over where the Rams started the year and will make the defense very difficult to beat late in the season.
Warren McClendon, RT
It's no surprise that Warren McClendon has been stingy at right wing, replacing Rob Havenstein. McClendon has performed better than Havenstein when given the opportunity, and it's entirely possible that if/when Havenstein returns from injured reserve, it will be McClendon's job for the foreseeable future.
Do the Bucs have a scary pass rush, especially with Haason Reddick missing this game? Not really. Yet McClendon is far from the weak link.
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Coby Turner, DT and Jared Wehrs, EDGE
It felt like almost all of the defenders played an important role at some point. Kobe Turner and Jared Wehrs – although they didn't have many sacks this year – lived in Tampa Bay's backfield and each recorded two sacks (each with one on fourth down).
Wehrs drew with Tristan Wirfs and remained consistently effective on Sunday night. Few defenders give Wirf any trouble, but he was definitely busy with Vers.
Harrison Mevis, K.
Although this was Harrison Mevis' third game for the Rams, it was the first time we saw him attempt a field goal. The “Bigger Kicker” made all four extra point attempts and converted his first two field goals with a long kick from 52 yards out. All attempts went straight through the middle of the racks. The Rams need to have confidence in Mevis moving forward.
Losers
Josh Wallace, CB
It's clear that Quentin Lake was a key player on this defense, and his value was even more evident in the team's first game without him. Josh Wallace mostly served as captain and there were some difficult moments.
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While Wallace didn't appear to have any major coverage errors that the Buccaneers were able to capitalize on, he was flagged for penalties twice. One flag destroyed Byron Young's sack.
It wasn't a run that would have resulted in a loss for the Rams; however, this raises questions about how abrupt the transition from Lake to Wallace is.
Roger McCreery, CB
By my count, Roger McCreery made his only defensive snap before suffering a hip injury and not returning. The Rams acquired McCreary from the Tennessee Titans via trade, and he was a potential option to replace Lake. Wallace was the preferred candidate to start the game. If the Rams need to see McCreary perform well in practice before he becomes more involved in the rotation, this injury could cloud his status moving forward.
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Terrence Ferguson, TE
Terrence Ferguson often appeared on the field in place of Tyler Higbee, although he did not have much impact in the air. The rookie was targeted only once, and Stafford made an incredibly accurate pass.
The first sign of Higbee's absence is that we'll be seeing more of Davis Allen and Colby Parkinson.
Josh Carty, K.
The Rams are refusing to cut Josh Carty because they believe he still has NFL potential. It's a fair thought process because we often see kickers cut at the first sign of trouble in the league and then go on to find success elsewhere. However, I have to wonder if the sunk cost fallacy plays a role in Carti's retention. The team spent draft capital on a kicker that just didn't work out, and now they have a viable alternative in Mevis.
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There is no compelling reason to keep Carthy in the lineup after Mevis scored six prime-time strikes.
