These Rams are having a career year

Back in first place, the Rams are thriving with breakout seasons

The L.A. Rams are back in first place and while the team has always favored the option to land superstars through trades and free agency, Sean McVay and Les Snead are thriving lately (7-2 in the last 9 games) with help largely coming from unexpected players and breakout seasons.

These are just 8 examples of players having career years:

WR Demarcus Robinson – 7 touchdowns

The 30-year-old Robinson hasn’t caught a pass in the last two games and has only been targeted one time each. Robinson was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence on November 25th but has played in all three games since then.

Seven touchdowns is three more touchdowns than any other season of his career and Robinson has played with the best: Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford:

Robinson needs the following to have career-highs:

• 34 more yards would be a new career-high of 467
• 21 catches would be a new career-high of 49 (not going to happen)
• 5 more targets would give him 60, which would be the second-highest of his career

The odd part is that Robinson’s production didn’t really come when Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were out. He caught 6 of his 7 touchdowns after both returned.

Robinson is a 2025 free agent.

WR Tutu Atwell – 520 total yards

Atwell had 6 yards against the 49ers, but it was still enough to give him a new career-high after he had 514 yards last season (483 receiving, 31 rushing) and 332 yards the year before. He has a career-high 513 receiving yards, but Atwell has yet to score a touchdown in 2024.

With Puka Nacua set for the long haul and Jordan Whittington potentially setting up to have a larger role in 2025 (18 catches, 201 yards), will the Rams move on from Tutu after the season? Or does Sean McVay still view him as the best WR3 option?

RB Kyren Williams – Rushing Yards, Receiving Yards, Total Yards, Touchdowns

Williams has not set any new benchmarks yet, but he’s extremely close:

• 24 more rushing yards will give him 1,145 (previous best: 1,144 in 2023)
• 1 more rushing touchdown will give him 13 (previous best: 12 in 2023)
• 48 more receiving yards will give him 207 (previous best: 206 in 2023)
• 71 more yards will give him 1,351 total (previous best: 1,350 in 2023)
• 2 more total touchdowns will give him 16 (previous best: 15 in 2023)

Essentially, even a bad game against the Jets would probably give Kyren Williams a new career-high in almost every category. Then he gets two more games after that.

The only issue is that Williams has 5 fumbles, which is already more than the 3 he had last season.

Williams rushed for 108 yards last Thursday, his best single game total of the season.

P Ethan Evans – Net Yards/Punt

The second-year punter has improved his net average from 38.4 as a rookie to 40.8 this season. His touchback percentage is down from 11.1% (7 touchbacks) to 4.4% (2 touchbacks) and his percentage of punts inside the 20 has gone up from 31.7% to 51.1%.

Evans is tied for the 5th best percentage of punts inside the 20 and the 5th best punts going for touchbacks. L.A. can definitely feel comfortable with its punt game this season.

LG Steve Avila – IDK

I’m not sure how his numbers have changed, but Steve Avila is having a career year.

DT Kobie Turner – Sacks, TFL, QB hits

The second-year defensive tackle has already set a new benchmark for tackles (60), tackles for a loss (9), batted passes (4), and forced fumbles/recoveries (1 each).

Now Turner just needs 2.5 more sacks and 6 QB hits to improve both of those numbers from 2023.

The Rams found a legitimate defensive line star who could be developing into a superstar and the timing couldn’t be better.

EDGE Byron Young – TFL

Young has six sacks (but none in the last four games) and needs 2.5 to set a new career-best. He already has 3 more TFL (11) than he had as a rookie.

Young might not catch the 19 QB hits he had last season (he has 11), but he needs 12 more tackles to set a new career-high there as well.

LB Christian Rozeboom – Tackles (everything)

Will the Rams prioritize Rozeboom in the offseason? Or is he just tackling what’s there to tackle? His 120 tackles leads the team and is 41 more than he had in 2023. He also has his only career sack, his second career interception, and five tackles for a loss; Rozeboom had a total of two TFL in his first three NFL seasons combined.