St. Louis Rams vs. San Diego Chargers: Full Report Card Grades for St. Louis
The St. Louis Rams (4-7) suffered an emotional 27-24 road loss to the San Diego Chargers (7-4), and this article will grade St. Louis' disappointing performance.
The Rams were coming off of an inspiring home victory over the Denver Broncos, but St. Louis was unable to carry that momentum into San Diego. The team had positives all around, but each unit had its struggles as well. This is a perfect example of an overall team loss.
The offense produced some late-game magic that got the Rams back into the game, but multiple penalties combined with three turnovers cost St. Louis the win.
The defense had a promising first half and even contributed a touchdown. It also made an excellent late-game stop on San Diego's final drive that gave the Rams offense a chance to win it. But soft play in the third quarter (and early fourth quarter) allowed San Diego to score two touchdowns and stay in the game.
Even the special teams group made some excellent plays—the fake punt and field goal—but like the other units, special teams also made some crippling errors that hurt the Rams.
All three units had positive moments, but those moments did not outweigh the negatives.
This article will look at each position and provide a grade based on stats, consistency and game-changing plays.
Quarterback: D+
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Shaun Hill coughed up an interception on the first drive that led to an easy San Diego field goal. He led the Rams to a field goal on the next drive, but he finished the first half with a mere 50 percent completion rate.
He opened the second half with a fumble that was taken in for a San Diego touchdown, but that was not on Hill—it was the result of poor protection up front. However, the interception at the end of the game was completely on Hill, and it cost the Rams a victory.
Hill ended the game with under 200 yards, three turnovers and a near-50 percent completion rate, and he also made the play that lost the game.
He had his moments, but a D+ seems more than generous for the 34-year-old veteran.
Running Back: C+
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Rookie Tre Mason ran the ball well for most of the game. He finished with 16 carries and 62 yards, and it's a bit baffling that he continues to have such a small role on offense.
Benny Cunningham had a nice day as a complementary back with 18 yards on four carries, and Tavon Austin added 27 yards on three carries, including a rushing touchdown.
For a supposed run-first offense led by a backup quarterback, the Rams sure like to abandon the run and limit carries. If the Rams had trusted the run game at the very end instead of putting the ball into the hands of proven mediocrity (Hill), this game could have had a very different outcome.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: B-
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Second-year pro Stedman Bailey has been quiet this season, but he made two first-down grabs during the Rams' second drive of the game. The offensive line was penalized multiple times on that drive and nearly sabotaged the Rams, but Bailey's clutch grabs bailed out the offense.
He ended the game with a career-high 89 yards and a touchdown. His 89 yards more than doubled his season total of 86 yards entering the game.
Kenny Britt also had a nice showing. He made an excellent 50-yard touchdown grab that was called back in the first half, and he went on to make a 27-yard catch on the final drive to bring St. Louis near the San Diego five-yard line—a play that nearly won the game for St. Louis.
Hill spread the ball around, and many of the receivers were able to contribute, but Bailey and Britt were the guys who stood out in a big way.
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Offensive Line: D
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The offensive line had three penalties on the second drive of the game. It appeared as though the group's incompetence would cost the Rams points, but St. Louis miraculously secured a field goal on the drive.
The worst penalty by this group came right before the second half. Hill hit Britt for a 50-yard touchdown, but a needless facemask penalty by right tackle Joe Barksdale forced the refs to call it back. The play completely killed St. Louis' momentum, and there's no excuse for that error.
In the second half, poor blindside blocking allowed a San Diego defender to drill Hill and force a fumble—which was recovered for a Chargers touchdown.
Penalties, a lack of focus and incompetence by this group weighed down the offense, and it hurt the Rams big time.
Defensive Line: C+
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The Chargers were 0-of-5 on third-down conversions in the first half, and the stout play up front by the defensive line was a big reason for that. The pressure from up front forced erratic and questionable throws by Philip Rivers, which helped out the St. Louis secondary.
In the second half, San Diego utilized a run-first approach with quick passes. The Chargers avoided downfield shots, and that prevented the Rams from piling up sacks and making a difference with the pass rush.
Even though the line was not as tough against the run this week, it was still an acceptable performance overall.
Linebacker: C-
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Ryan Mathews ran for 63 yards on just eight carries in the first half, and weak play by James Laurinaitis and the other linebackers was a major reason for that.
In the first half, Laurinaitis did not have a tough presence when stuffing the run up the gut. He looked overwhelmed, but he managed to pick it up as the game progressed.
The linebackers have been excellent the past three games, but a questionable performance against San Diego put an end to that positive streak.
A banged-up Mathews broke the 100-yard barrier in only 12 carries, and that's on the linebackers.
Secondary: C
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The highlight was easily Janoris Jenkins' pick-six. He gambles in coverage and is burned from time to time as a result, but his risky play sometimes creates big plays—and that's what happened with the interception.
Thanks to Jenkins' touchdown, the Rams took a 10-3 lead over San Diego despite the offense's pathetic first-half showing.
Jenkins went on to force a fumble on a big reception by Keenan Allen, ending a very promising San Diego drive in the process.
However, the secondary was far too soft in this game. The giant cushions allowed Philip Rivers to throw just six incompletions the entire game, and the group got carved up for 291 yards.
Special Teams: C+
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Greg Zuerlein scored the first St. Louis points with an easy 22-yard field goal, but his next attempt was blocked. The field goal would have made it a two-score game entering the half, but the error spoiled that.
Another critical mistake was the penalty on the opening kickoff of the second half. The Rams got the ball to open the half, but the penalty pretty much killed the drive before Hill and the offense had a chance to do anything.
On a positive note, Johnny Hekker's fake punt and first-down pass kept a critical St. Louis drive alive in the final quarter, which kept the Rams in the game.
Additionally, Austin returned a punt for a touchdown at the end of the game in what should have been a game-winning play. The official inexplicably threw a flag for a phantom penalty, and this crew hasn't heard the end of it, but it was a great play by the Rams special teams regardless.
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