Rams row Broncos, 51-14: 7 winners and 2 losers from blast in Los Angeles

This Los Angeles Coaches There are two video games left till the top of the 2022 season. It has been a tricky 12 months for Sean McVay’s workforce, bringing fixed change and problem. The distinctive harm swarm began in Week 1 and has continued unabated ever since.

However LA’s 51-14 boom between Denver Broncos It felt like an exorcism of the demons that had been following them for the previous 4 months.

In a few of the most pivotal moments of this season, a protection that failed to show turnover or pause pressured 4 interceptions – three by Russell Wilson and one other by Brett Rypien. One of the vital anemic assaults within the NFL, a floor assault made him the highest 100-yard runner of the 12 months: Cam Akers threw three touchdowns at 118 yards and 23 photographs, and added two extra receptions at 29 yards.

The gamers who disappeared when the workforce wanted them most had been those that stood out on Christmas Eve. Tyler Higbee caught 9 passes and a couple of touchdowns for 94 yards. Leonard Floyd gained a sack. Jalen Ramsey selected Wilson within the remaining zone. Third-year tight finish Brycen Hopkins additionally added three receptions for 57 yards.

It was a workforce effort to knock Denver resoundingly – and listed here are the highlights:

Sean McVay, Head Coach

As Nathaniel Hackett sat atop one of many hottest seats within the head teaching ranks and watched his workforce come again aside from the sidelines, the Rams rallied round Sean McVay and delivered spectacular workforce performances in all facets: offensive, defensive, and even particular groups.

Accidents aren’t the one motive Los Angeles hasn’t lived as much as its excessive expectations this season, however what looks as if a misplaced season has supplied improvement alternatives for the younger gamers and put the top coach in difficult situations for the primary time. profession – will come out of the storm as a greater chief.

Baker Mayfield, QB

in opposition to final week Green Bay wrappers It wasn’t actually nice for any offensive participant, however Mayfield was spectacular in two of his three matches on the royal and left. After a visit for 230 yards and a couple of tank destroyers by which he accomplished 24 of 28 passes, it seems like there can be suitors who will provide him a beginning position in 2023 – however His best bet is to return to the Rams and support Matthew Stafford..

With the rating out of hand, LA did not run their offense within the remaining quarter. This in all probability restricted Mayfield’s crossover manufacturing, and the numbers do not actually do justice to this efficiency. The quarterback was environment friendly and spectacular on Christmas evening.

Cobie Durant, Central Financial institution

Durant kicked off his interception fest by athletically catching Wilson’s takedown and later chosen Rypien for his NFL profession’s first six-player choose.

Now with three tackles within the season, it is questionable why the Rams did not fee Durant sooner – it took David Lengthy to be injured to get the fourth-round rookie on the roster. Durant ought to have performed over Derion Kendrick earlier within the 12 months.

Whereas Durant is strong in passing protection and displaying off his ball expertise, he nonetheless wants to enhance on the subject of working the sort out and protection departments.

Larrel Murchison, DT

After joining the Rams with waiver request from Tennessee Titans Only a few weeks in the past, Murchison was devastating as a move, notching Russell Wilson by 2.5 sacks. The sack whole has far exceeded what former beginning finish runners have been capable of produce this season – Justin Hollins and Terrell Lewis teamed up for two.0 sacks earlier than being launched by the workforce.

Murchison left the sport early with a neck harm. Whereas he is in all probability carried out sufficient to make a comeback in 2023, the final two video games might be a chance to shine.

Cam Akers, RB

Alongside the return of Mayfield, Cam Akers is the following greatest redemption story on this 12 months’s Rams squad. He is been on the verge of being launched or traded for over 100 offensive yards in every of the final two weeks.

He is producing each the run and the move recreation and might be getting the lead position for subsequent season.

Tyler Higbee, T.E.

We have seen Higbee produce this stage of spectacular manufacturing at numerous phases of his profession, however it’s nonetheless a thriller why he cannot get nights like this collectively extra usually. It looks as if McVay made a aware effort to get Higbee concerned early and infrequently, and that was in all probability the correct recreation plan in opposition to Ejiro Evero’s protection – and Higbee is probably going subsequent week with Brandon Staley and Los Angeles Chargers.

However when the offense stalled and bounced all season, why did it take 16 weeks for Higbee to make a high-scoring debut?

offensive line

Mayfield had time to evaluation his progress and sometimes discover his second and third studying – not as soon as was QB fired. Akers created distance on contact, whereas the offensive line gave him room to maneuver on the sphere.

This was in all probability OL’s greatest general efficiency in 2022, coming in opposition to the league’s third-place scoring protection and move runners like Randy Gregory, Brandon Browning, and Dre’mont Jones.

It was a slight shock that Matt Skura and Oday Aboushi began on the left and proper protection respectively, though the workforce activated Chandler Brewer earlier than the match. The beginning lineup is value maintaining a tally of for the previous two weeks.

Riley DixonP.

After the sport, Dixon talked about not having to gamble for the primary time in his profession. Perhaps he needs to be a “winner” as a result of he gained a recreation examine with out having to do a lot work. Personally, I feel I’ll get tired of being on the sidelines for 3 hours.

It is no secret that the Lions had the Rams first-round choose this spring, however the truth that LA gained that recreation resulted in a notable drop within the worth of that choose. If LA misplaced, the choose would have been within the high three of 4 picks general – however is now in eighth place after the sport. This is a vital worth contemplating the price of transferring the drawbar up and down on this vary.

With a powerful win in opposition to the Broncos, the Rams appear to be gaining momentum in direction of the video games in opposition to the Chargers and Seattle Sea Falcons. Can they end 7-10 and additional devalue the Lions choose?