The Los Angeles Rams put together yet another phenomenal season under Sean McVay, specifically on offense. They ranked second in points scored and yards, putting up 33 points per game in the regular season.
Of course, the offense fell flat in the Super Bowl, but it was one of the best and most explosive units in the league for much of the season. That’s partly because of McVay’s scheme and partly because of the talent they have on that side of the ball, helping lead them to the big game.
Here’s how we graded every position on offense from this past season, beginning with the most important spot on the roster.
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 64.9 completion percentage, 4,688 yards, 32 TDs, 12 INTs, 101.1 passer rating
Considering the way it all ended for Jared Goff, most people will remember his 2018 season for the way he played in the Super Bowl. That one game was not an accurate representation of his entire campaign, however. Let’s not forget he was an MVP candidate until the Rams’ Week 12 bye, throwing for 3,547 yards, 26 touchdowns, six interceptions with a passer rating of 113.5.
Then after the one-week break, everything went sideways. He had just seven touchdowns and eight picks in his final eight games, throwing multiple touchdown passes just once in that span. However, that doesn’t mean Goff had a poor season or that he took a step backward after a strong 2017 performance. He simply had a shaky second half of the season against good defenses like Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans and New England.
Of course, the Rams would’ve preferred if he played better and they likely would’ve won it all if he stepped up in Super Bowl LIII, but let’s not forget about the way he played in the first 11 weeks of the season.
Grade: A-
Running back
Todd Gurley: 256 attempts, 1,251 yards, 17 TDs | 59 catches, 580 yards, 4 TDs
C.J. Anderson: 43 attempts, 299 yards, 2 TDs | 4 catches, 17 yards
Malcolm Brown: 43 attempts, 212 yards | 5 catches, 52 yards, 1 TD
Gurley may not have made Pro Football Focus’ Top 101 players of 2018, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t one of the best in the NFL last season. He most certainly was and the numbers are there to prove it. Despite missing the last two games, Gurley still finished third in rushing and led the league in touchdowns. He was once again an MVP candidate before the last few weeks, helping lead the Rams offense to 33 points per game.
Anderson filled in for the last two games and played admirably, rushing for more than 100 yards in each, with another 100-yard performance against the Cowboys in the playoffs. Brown was more of a traditional backup before getting injury and while his numbers weren’t eye-popping, he did a good job behind Gurley when called upon.
Grade: A
Wide receiver
Robert Woods: 86 catches, 1,219 yards, 6 TDs | 157 yards rushing, 1 TD
Brandin Cooks: 80 catches, 1,204 yards, 5 TDs | 68 yards rushing, 1 TD
Cooper Kupp: 40 catches, 566 yards, 6 TDs | 25 yards rushing
Josh Reynolds: 29 catches, 402 yards, 5 TDs | 8 yards rushing
The Rams went into the 2018 season with a “big three” at wide receiver in Woods, Cooks and Kupp. Unfortunately, that trio was broken up when Kupp tore his ACL in Week 10 and was limited to just eight games played. Cooks and Woods continued to play at an extremely high level, putting up nearly identical numbers in 16 games each.
Cooks lived up to the hype after coming over in a trade with the Patriots, and while he wishes he caught those two passes in the Super Bowl, his 2018 season was outstanding. The same goes for Woods, who continues to improve as time goes on.
Reynolds played a much bigger role than expected because of Kupp’s injury, and he didn’t look out of his element. He caught all 29 catchable passes that came his way, never dropping a single pass all season. The Rams now have a strong core of four receivers heading into 2019.
Grade: A
Tight end
Gerald Everett: 33 catches, 320 yards, 3 TDs
Tyler Higbee: 24 catches, 292 yards, 2 TDs
The Rams’ tight ends weren’t heavily involved this past season, as was the case in 2017. Everett and Higbee were targeted a total of 84 times combined, which is only three fewer targets than Gurley saw by himself. That’s not entirely their fault, especially considering the Rams’ heavy reliance on 11 personnel, but it was still an underwhelming performance by the tight ends.
Everett did make a few big plays, though, most notably in Week 11 against the Chiefs when he caught what would prove to be the game-winner. Given his skill set, though, it would’ve been great to see him more involved in the offense.
Higbee contributed plenty as a blocker, proving to be better in that area than Everett. Like Everett, though, it would’ve been nice to see him become a bigger threat in the red zone, given the Rams’ lack of a big-bodied receiver down there.
Grade: C+
Offensive line
Andrew Whitworth: 86.1 PFF grade (No. 3 tackle)
Rodger Saffold: 72.8 (No. 9 guard)
John Sullivan: 52.7 (No. 31 center)
Austin Blythe: 71.0 (No. 12 guard)
Rob Havenstein: 81.8 (No. 7 tackle)
The offensive line was outstanding in 2018. It was named the best in the league at NFL Honors, as selected by Shaun O’Hara, and it was a well-deserved award. Whitworth led the way yet again as one of the top left tackles in the NFL despite being 37 years old, protecting Goff’s blindside for all 19 games, including the playoffs.
Saffold continues to be a great left guard for the Rams after bouncing around the offensive line for so many years, finding a home next to Whitworth and Sullivan. Blythe took over for Jamon Brown at right guard and proved to be an upgrade, performing admirably next to Havenstein, who was rewarded with a long-term extension last offseason.
All five offensive linemen started every game from Week 1 to the Super Bowl, which is a huge factor in the success they had together. This is arguably the best unit in league.
Grade: A+
