The Los Angeles Rams looked like they were going to make another dramatic 4th quarter comeback, but their final drive stalled and the Rams fell to 1-4 on the season heading into their bye week.
As the old saying goes, you learn more from a loss than a win. So there are plenty of things to take away from this game.
Cooper Kupp To Return To Rams After The Bye
This wasn’t something that came out as a result of the game, but it is the biggest Rams news of the day. According to Adam Schefter Rams are planning for WR Cooper Kupp — who will miss his third game in a row Sunday due to a high ankle sprain — to return after their bye next week in time for their Oct. 20 home game vs. the Raiders as long as there are no setbacks in practice, per sources.
The Rams’ offense has stalled out in the absence of Kupp and Puka Nacua. Up until this week, Kupp had been the team’s most-targeted receiver despite missing the last two and a half games.
Jordan Whittington Has Taken A Major Step Forward
Former 2024 sixth-round draft pick, Jordan Whittington turned out to lead the team in receiving yards and catches. He finished the day with seven catches and 89 yards, both high water marks in his short career.
Whittington has played in each of the Rams four games since Week 2 but didn’t get the starting nod until last week. In that game, he caught six passes on 8 targets for 62 yards.
In this game, Whittington quickly became Matthew Stafford’s preferred target. He not only made several big catches including a 31-yard catch and run and back-to-back 17-yard receptions. Four of his seven catches went for first downs.
It is too early to say, but the Rams are establishing a good track record of finding wide-receiving talent late in the draft. Cooper Kupp was a third-round pick in 2017 and Puka Nacua was a fifth-rounder from 2023.
In his post-game press conference, Stafford acknowledged that Whittington is doing a good job taking advantage of his opportunities, especially with the fact that he has been getting those opportunities under the duress of injuries to Kupp and Nacua.
The Rams Have Made Big Changes In The Secondary
Ahead of the Green Bay Packers game, it was evident that a change was coming. They moved Tre’Davious White, who had played 97 percent of the team’s snaps, to the inactive list. This came after getting Darious Williams back from the injured reserve and moving Ahkello Witherspoon up from the practice squad.
In his post-game press conference, head coach Sean McVay said making White inactive was a coach’s decision, that he has handled it like a professional, and that he saw a bigger role for Whitherspoon, taking into consideration some special teams influence.
That wasn’t the end of the changes made. The Rams also gave two undrafted rookies significant playing time. Josh Wallace and Jaylen McCollough made the first starts of their career. Wallace moved to nickel and rookie third-rounder Kamren Kinchens was benched. He had been filling in at safety once John Johnson hit the injured reserve. And Quentin Lake, who was the team’s slot defender moved back to safety.
Kobie Turner Is A One Man Wrecking Crew
There’s no two ways about it, the Rams’ defense has been bad. But it isn’t without its bright spots. The brightest could be interior defensive lineman Kobie Turner.
In this game, he dominated his matchups along the Packers offensive line. He picked up two sacks, was third on the team with six combined tackles, and disrupted a pass over the middle. He has quietly led the team in quarterback pressures.
The former 3rd round draft pick from 2023, was a breakout player in the back half of the season and was integral to the Rams’ late-season run that got them into the playoffs.