10 takeaways from Rams season finale against Seahawks

The Los Angeles Rams rested their started in Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks. While they lost, the Rams still managed to be competitive and only lost by five. Next week, everybody is 0-0 and the Rams will play at home in the playoffs. Here are 10 takeaways from the final week of the regular season.

1. Jimmy Garoppolo shows he can run the offense

It should not come as much of a surprise that Jimmy Garoppolo operated in the offense as well as he did. The Rams backup quarterback finished with 334 yards and two touchdowns. He nearly led a game-winning drive at the end as well. He made some of the Jimmy G mistakes that would be expected. With that said, his 334 yards were the most of a Rams quarterback this season.

At the very least, Garoppolo showed that if his number is called, he can fill in for Stafford and still move the ball. The Rams invested in the backup quarterback position this offseason and they got a player that can run the offense how it’s designed. While he may not bring the upside of Stafford, that’s why he’s the backup.

2. Braden Fiske puts stamp on great rookie season

Last year, Kobie Turner tied Aaron Donald’s rookie record with nine sacks. Turner accomplishing that last year was incredible. Few would have expected that from Fiske this year. The Rams second round pick out of Florida State came half a sack short. Fiske teamed up with Byron Young on a sack of Geno Smith to give him 8.5 sacks on the year.

He may not have tied or beaten Donald and Turner’s record of nine. Still, 8.5 sacks and finishing with the rookie lead is something to be proud of moving forward. The Rams got a good player in Fiske and that was emphasized on Sunday.

3. Blake Corum’s injury is unfortunate

While Blake Corum hasn’t had a huge role in the Rams offense, he was starting to become a regular piece in the run game. Corum had eight carries against the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills. Over the last month of the season, he’s shown the ability to add a spark to the run game and give it some elusiveness in the open field.

Corum may have only gotten 3-5 carries over the past few weeks, he did provide a good alternative to Kyren Williams when he needed a breather. The Rams rookie may not have a 50-50 split on the touches in the backfield, his presence will be missed. Ronnie Rivers will now be the player that the Rams turn to.

4. Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes show upside

Over the last three weeks, Cobie Durant was either inactive or didn’t play. His defensive snaps against the Seahawks were his first since the game against the Bills. While Durant gave up a touchdown, he had good coverage on the play and also had a pass breakup that was close to being an interception. On the other side, Emmanuel Forbes got his first snaps in a Rams uniform. He gave up 38 yards, but 22 of those came on one in-breaker to DK Metcalf. Forbes showed some upside if the Rams retain him going into next year.

This isn’t to say that the Rams don’t need to draft a cornerback. However, if they go into next year with Darious Williams, draft a cornerback, and then have Emmanuel Forbes take over the current role held by Ahkello Witherspoon, that’s a group with upside. Add Durant to that as well as Derion Kendrick and this could end up being a solid group.

5. Does Jordan Whittington offer more than Cooper Kupp?

This is a conversation that some may not be ready to have just yet. However, it is a conversation that needs to be had. At this point in their careers, does Jordan Whittington offer more on the field than Cooper Kupp? Whittington had three receptions for 86 yards, including a 50 yard reception.

It wasn’t just the production from Whittington that was a difference. The Rams rookie looked far more dangerous with the ball in his hands as well. There may be something to be said about Kupp not being fully healthy. At the same time, the injuries seem to have taken their toll on Kupp’s overall ability. He still is an effective receiver and brings a high-level football IQ to the offense. Still, it’s fair to wonder if Whittington should get more snaps next week in the playoffs.

6. Rams have a deep defensive line group

The Rams rotated a lot of their defensive line throughout the game and were still able to get pressure on Geno Smith. They pressured Smith at a rate of 44.8 percent despite blitzing just 20.7 percent of the time. The ability to generate that type of pressure is great news heading into the playoffs.

When it comes to the playoffs, it’s important to have a solid rotation on the defensive line that can be relied on to get to the quarterback. Not only are the Rams deep on the defensive line, but they are young. Brennan Jackson, Desjuan Johnson, and Keir Thomas all recorded a pressure on Smith. The Rams will likely still rely on their studs in the postseason, but having that young depth is a good thing.

7. Patience with Joshua Karty has paid off

There was a stretch in the middle of the season where Joshua Karty had a missed field goal or extra point in four out of five games. While Karty needed to be better, patience was also needed and there were many in the fanbase who wanted the Rams to move on from their rookie kicker.

The Rams showed patience with Karty and it has paid off down the stretch. He is 13-for-13 on field goals with a missed extra point and is a big reason why the Rams won their last three games. He showed the ability to hit from distance on Sunday with makes from 57 and 58 yards. Karty has been very good over the last month and will certainly be tested again with the playoffs starting.

8. Mike LaFleur calls a good game on offense

Sean McVay typically calls the offense, but it’s likely a lot more collaborative than some believe it to be on Sundays. With that said, Mike LaFleur has called two games as the primary play-caller for the Rams and has done a good job at it. The first two drives were rough, but once LaFleur got into his groove, the Rams offense moved the ball well. LaFleur catered the offense to the players on the field which included a lot of screens and short passes.

LaFleur may not get a head coaching job this year, but he should start to be someone on teams’ radar. If he stays for a third year, he will officially be the longest tenured offensive coordinator since McVay took over. That’s not something that the Rams will complain about too much.

9. We’ll find out if resting starters was right call

There were several examples why the Rams rested their starters on Sunday against the Seahawks. Zay Flowers from the Baltimore Ravens got hurt and may miss this week. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson tore his ACL. The Rams rested their starters and still managed to suffer an injury with Blake Corum.

At the same time, there is a difference in the three and four seed. The Vikings rank seventh in DVOA at 16.1 percent. For comparison, last year’s Eagles were the fifth seed and had a total team DVOA of 1.1 percent. The Cowboys were at 16 percent in 2022 and they won their opening game. The Vikings may not be the best 5th seed ever, but they are a very good team and should not be underrated.

10. Be confident, but don’t underrate Vikings

A reason McVay likely decided to rest his starters was because of how confident he is in his roster. When healthy, the Rams have shown that they can beat a good Vikings team and Bills team. As long as the Rams have Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams on the field, they will have a chance.

At the same time, the Vikings can’t be underrated. Even if their record is slightly better than it should be, teams don’t fall into 14 wins by accident. They are 9-1 in one-score games and their defense ranks top-5 against the pass and has the best run defense in EPA. This is going to be a fun matchup, but also far from a guaranteed win.