PFF grades: Offensive line stonewalls Patriots pass rush

Rams OL allowed just five pressures and no sacks on Matthew Stafford

The Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades are in for the Los Angeles Rams’ Week 11 win over the New England Patriots. There were elite grades on both offense and defense for LA, some in predictable ways and others from unlikely suspects.

Here are the top five individuals on each side of the ball:

Top five grades on offense:

1 – Puka Nacua, WR: 92.6

Nacua caught seven of nine targets for 123 yards and a score. 47 of his yards came after the catch point and the majority of his production came in the first half.

Still, Nacua has missed a lot of time between injury and an ejection. It’s good to see him play at the level we grew accustomed to seeing last year.

2 – Colby Parkinson, TE: 86.4

Parkinson caught his only target for a 19-yard touchdown. He was the only Rams TE to be targeted on the day. Parkinson still finished second in snaps behind second-year TE Davis Allen at 34 to 19. Hunter Long was a close third behind Parkinson at 18 snaps.

Los Angeles is still sorting out their rotation at tight end, though based on the last two weeks it seems that Allen is the starter at this point.

3 – Kevin Dotson, RG: 85.6

LA’s best offensive lineman finished with a near-elite run blocking grade of 85.7 as Rams RB’s averaged over five yards per carry. Dotson had a lower pass blocking grade in this game at 66.3. He had a tough matchup in second-year lineman Keion White.

4 – Alaric Jackson, LT: 81.9

Jackson also graded very well in the run game with a team-leading mark of 89.9. He fared better than Dotson in the pass game with a grade of 79.5.

More on the OL to come.

5 – Matthew Stafford, QB: 79.9

Stafford completed 18 of 27 passes (66.7% completion) for 295 yards, and four touchdowns. By keeping the ball out of harm’s way, he snapped a six-game interception streak that was tied for the longest stretch of his career.

PFF credited Stafford with two big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays. This was a clean game from the veteran, which is important considering he wasn’t under much pressure from the Patriots. His adjusted completion rate was slightly better than the raw number at 69.2% after accounting for one batted pass.

While the OL allowed five pressures, PFF shows the QB was pressured seven times. That suggests that Stafford invited pressure on his own volition on two occasions. The QB alone accounted for 29% of New England’s pass rushing productivity in this game.

Other notes on offense:

Rookie Beaux Limmer finished as the sixth-highest graded player on offense after getting benched for Jonah Jackson last week. The Rams returned Limmer to the starting lineup and he rewarded them for their trust.

As mentioned above, LA’s OL allowed just five pressures in this game. Stafford was not sacked a single time, though Steve Avila did allow a hit on his quarterback. The other four pressures were just hurries, so this was a very clean game by the big guys up front.

All of Blake Corum, Kyren Williams, Avila, Alaric Jackson, and Limmer allowed a single pressure. Dotson and Warren McClendon did not allow a pressure on the right side at guard and tackle, respectively.

Top five grades on defense:

Five or more snaps only

1 – Kamren Kinchens, DB: 92.6

The rookie secured the game-winning interception of Drake Maye. That was his third interception in as many games, which also includes a key pick-six on Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks.

Early in the season Kinchens looked unprepared to be on the field at the professional level. This was easily the best game of his career; however, and he was applying big hits and playing sticky coverage all game long.

PFF credited the rookie with an impressive coverage grade of 90.7 and as the nearest defender he allowed four receptions on five targets for just 14 yards and a pick.

2 – Michael Hoecht, OLB: 77.7

The Rams pressured may 23 times. Jared Verse led the team with four pressures and then Hoecht, Byron Young, Omar Speights, and Braden Fiske all followed with three apiece. Hoecht also blocked a PAT attempt by the Patriots.

3 – Bobby Brown, DT: 76.4

Over the last three weeks, Bobby Brown has really stood out. He is still a relatively young player at age 24 despite this being his fourth year in the NFL. Should the Rams consider a contract extension for the blooming defensive lineman?

3 – Braden Fiske, DE: 76.4

Fiske recorded two sacks including one that jarred the ball loose from Maye’s grasp. His rush grade was his lowest on the game at 66.7, but that’s still respectable.

5 – Kobie Turner, DT: 76.1

Turner had the highest run defense grade on the Rams defense in this game at 87.2. The next closest was Jared Verse at 81.0. Turner recorded three run stops and notched four tackles. he’s playing his best individual football of the season over the last three or four games.

This wasn’t the second-year defender’s best pass rushing game. He pressured Maye just a single time, though he recovered the fumble forced by Fiske.

Other notes on defense:

Ahkello Witherspoon seemed to be a weak link in the secondary against New England. PFF gave him an overall grade of just 50.3 with weak marks in tackling (27.0) and coverage (47.1). As the nearest defender he allowed three receptions on four targets for 40 yards, a touchdown, and a passer rating of 145.8. He was also flagged for a coverage penalty. The yardage figure led the defense according to PFF’s tracking.