The Los Angeles Rams never trailed in the game on Sunday, but that didn’t mean it was an easy victory. They escaped Charlotte with a 30-27 win, coming away victorious in Week 1 for the third straight year.
The Panthers put up a tough fight on their own turf and showed great resilience, but the Rams’ ground game took over late and put the game on ice.
Here are the studs and duds from Sunday’s victory.
Studs: RBs Malcolm Brown and Todd Gurley
Much like the way they used their running backs in the playoffs, the Rams went with a shared backfield on Sunday. Todd Gurley got significantly more playing time than Brown, but they were separated by just three carries. Both of them were effective as the Rams gashed the Panthers’ stout run defense for 166 yards rushing (including kneel-downs).
Gurley finished the day with 97 yards on 14 carries, and Brown had 53 yards of his own on just 11 attempts. Brown scored two touchdowns, too. It was a productive day for both players and they were a big reason the Rams held on to win.
Dud: QB Jared Goff
Goff was shaky against the Panthers this weekend, looking like someone who had some rust he needed to knock off. It wasn’t as ugly as the Super Bowl or his performance against the Bears last season, but it didn’t inspire much confidence, either. He completed 23 of 39 passes for only 186 yards (4.8 YPA) with one touchdown and an interception.
The pick he threw wasn’t a bad decision, just simply a poor throw behind Robert Woods on a crossing route. He held the ball too long at times and missed a wide-open Woods down the field on a bad overthrow, which is typical of a quarterback early in the season.
It wasn’t his best performance, but it didn’t cost the Rams the game, either.
Stud: LB Cory Littleton
The Rams have ongoing conversations about extending Littleton, and they might want to get that done before his price goes up. He was a star on defense Sunday, playing a pivotal role in the victory with two huge turnovers.
First, he punched the ball out of D.J. Moore’s hands on the opening drive for a fumble, which he recovered. Then late in the fourth quarter, he picked off Cam Newton and returned it 26 yards to help seal the victory.
He finished the day with 14 tackles, two passes defensed, a forced fumble and recovery, and an interception. His 14 tackles were three more than anyone else in the game.
Dud: DT Aaron Donald
It’s not often you see Donald finish with one tackle and a single quarterback hit, but that’s what the Panthers held him to. Carolina’s quick passing game negated him as a pass rusher and in the running game, he was a non-factor. However, what Donald’s mere presence does is force teams to change their game plan.
That’s what the Panthers did, taking very few shots downfield and instead opting for mostly checkdowns and underneath passes.
Donald had zero sacks in Week 1 the last two years and still went on to win Defensive Player of the Year both times, so there’s no cause for concern.
Stud: S Taylor Rapp
Wade Phillips said Rapp wouldn’t just be a backup in this one, and he wasn’t lying. Rapp played a significant role on defense, recording four tackles in the game. He was in tight coverage on Greg Olsen on a crucial third-down incompletion to force a field goal attempt and was all over the field throughout the day.
Eric Weddle is expected to be OK after suffering a concussion, but the Rams have a very capable replacement in Rapp if Weddle misses time.
Dud: WR Brandin Cooks
Cooks struggled to get open on Sunday and caught just two of six targets for 39 yards. His 24-yarder was a good play, but other than that, it was a quiet day for Cooks. Part of that had to do with Goff’s inaccuracy and overall struggles, but it simply wasn’t the game we’ve come to expect from him.
It’s worth noting that he drew a pass interference penalty, which went for 16 yards.
Stud: Offensive line
For all the worries about the offensive line, the unit performed well against the Panthers – especially given the talent Carolina has up front. Brian Allen had minor trouble early on, allowing a near-sack to Kawann Short, but he and Joseph Noteboom settled in and really opened up some big running lanes for Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown.
It’s only one game, but perhaps the offensive line won’t be as big of an issue as some have made it out to be.
Dud: Every special teams unit
John Fassel’s unit has to get things together before next week because it was a disappointing performance from an otherwise-reliable unit. Johnny Hekker had a punt blocked and another one went for just 7 yards. Greg Zuerlein missed a 40-yard field goal badly and also pulled one of his kickoffs out of bounds. JoJo Natson fielded a punt inside the 5-yard line and returned it for just 3 yards, too.
There’s a lot of room for improvement within this unit after Sunday’s game.
