The Rams came out on Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks and punched them square in the mouth. Seattle had no answer for Los Angeles’ offense and could do nothing against the Rams’ stout defense, which has allowed just one offensive touchdown in the last two games.
It was a statement victory for the Rams, who had only beaten one team above .500 prior to this week. It also kept them squarely in the playoff hunt, only one game behind the Vikings for the No. 6 seed in the NFC.
The Rams got it done in a different way Sunday night, though. Rather than featuring their three starting receivers heavily on offense, Sean McVay went with more of a heavy approach, utilizing his tight ends.
Here are the offensive snap counts, which gives a glimpse at how the Rams got it done.
Offense
What stands out most is the fact that Brandin Cooks only played 27 snaps and Cooper Kupp played just 20. Combined, their 47 snaps would’ve accounted for about two-thirds of the Rams’ plays. Cooks didn’t have a single catch and Kupp caught four for 45 yards and one touchdown.
Josh Reynolds played just one fewer snap than Kupp and Cooks combined, and while he didn’t have a reception, he carried it three times for 29 yards and was solid as a blocker. Robert Woods unsurprisingly played all but one snap on Sunday.
Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt were a big part of the game plan. Higbee caught seven passes for a career-high 116 yards, while Mundt was utilized more as a blocker and succeeded in that role.
Todd Gurley played 80% of the snaps with only Malcolm Brown spelling him, not Darrell Henderson. Brown subbed in for the 14 plays that Gurley missed, carrying it five times for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Defense
Dante Fowler Jr. and Clay Matthews remain the starting outside linebackers, playing the majority of the snaps. Fowler had 1.5 sacks and made a few nice stops against the run, while Matthews made two tackles and hit Russell Wilson once. Samson Ebukam was the third outside linebacker, recording two sacks on only 27 snaps played. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo played 12 snaps.
At linebacker, Cory Littleton obviously played every snap again, as he always does. But Travin Howard got more playing time than Troy Reeder, which is certainly notable. It was only 17 snaps, but the fact that he’s surpassed Reeder on the depth chart is worth mentioning. He’s much better in coverage and even broke up a pass in the end zone.
Morgan Fox got more playing time than usual, often lining up on the Rams’ four-man fronts. He played 29 snaps, which was only 12 fewer than Michael Brockers. Greg Gaines got 15 snaps at nose tackle, while Tanzel Smart played 12 snaps, primarily coming in for Aaron Donald at defensive tackle.
Marqui Christian only played 16 snaps, his fewest since Week 6. That’s because of the Rams’ desire to play their base defense more often with Howard and Reeder, aiming to stop Seattle’s ground game. They also utilized Nickell Robey-Coleman more than usual, opting for him over a third safety.
Robey-Coleman played 51 snaps, which was the eighth-most on the defense. Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill never came off the field, while Darious Williams played three snaps in his return from injury.
