With their backs against the wall, the Rams needed a win in the worst way Sunday. They answered a lot of questions against the Falcons, blowing out Atlanta in Week 7, 37-10.
This win came with several new starters on both sides of the ball for the Rams, including David Edwards, Jalen Ramsey and Marqui Christian. A resounding win was just what the doctor ordered for the Rams, as they’re back on the right track following three straight losses.
Here are four takeaways form the victory.
Jalen Ramsey makes a world of difference in the secondary
With a player of Ramsey’s caliber, the Rams are able to do a lot of different things on defense. Sean McVay talked about how Ramsey “freed” up the Rams defensively and allowed them to run different coverages, largely thanks to his ability in man coverage.
“When you do have a player like him, he’s just got such a versatile skill set. He can certainly play man coverage and come up and challenge guys, he’s got great zone awareness,” McVay said.
Ramsey played tight coverage on Jones all game long, and it’s logical to think the Rams will put him on No. 1 receivers each and every week. He obviously has the talent to cover the best wideouts in the league, and doing so allows the Rams to play more man coverage and blitz more often. He’s a difference-maker in Los Angeles.
David Edwards is plenty capable of being a starter
It’s too early to say Edwards is an upgrade over Joseph Noteboom, but the rookie looked good in his first NFL action. He didn’t have an easy matchup, either, with Grady Jarrett lining up across from him throughout the day. Jarrett was held to just one tackle for loss in the game and didn’t hit Jared Goff once.
Edwards should remain the starter moving forward, even with Austin Corbett coming over from the Browns, and McVay came away impressed with how he played in a tough spot.
“I was really impressed with his poise and maturity for a rookie,” McVay said. “You’re talking about a guy that’s played the tackle position at Wisconsin and to be able to seamlessly transition inside to left guard. … Seemed like they protected really well all day, did a nice job with communication, and I’m excited to look at the tape, but it feels like he did a nice job today.”
Pass rush came alive from top to bottom
Dante Fowler Jr. was outstanding on Sunday, recording three sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. He also forced a fumble and knocked down one pass at the line, putting together the best game of his young career. He wasn’t the only one who stepped up, either. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo pressured Matt Ryan multiple times and hit him once, Aaron Donald had a strip-sack and fumble recovery, and both Samson Ebukam and Morgan Fox also hit Ryan once each.
It’s great to see the backups playing well with Clay Matthews out, particularly Fowler. If he can consistently generate pressure and force offensive lines to pay attention to him, it’ll make life easier for Donald.
Rams aren’t fazed by long road trips
This was the second time this season the Rams had to travel all the way across the country to the East Coast and play an early 1 p.m. ET game. It’s the sixth time they’ve done that under McVay, and not once have they lost. They’re 6-0 in such games and 16-4 in road games with McVay at the helm, which goes to show how good they are away from home.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium isn’t necessarily an easy place to play, either. Being in a dome, it can get extremely loud on third downs. The Rams didn’t have any false starts on offense, which is a good sign with such a young offensive line, too.
