Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams took a different approach on offense in Sunday’s season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. Rather than rotating players heavily the way they have in the second half of the season, they mostly stuck to their starters and didn’t give backups many snaps.
As a result, Cam Akers and Tutu Atwell both played a career-high number of snaps, as did Brandon Powell. On defense, Quentin Lake got his first big opportunity, helping fill in for the injured Nick Scott and Russ Yeast.
Here’s a look at the complete snap counts on offense and defense from the season finale.
Offense
For the first time in his career, Akers played every snap. He was the only running back to take the field, a rarity for a Sean McVay offense. Akers was playing well, rushing for more than 100 yards again, but it was surprising that Malcolm Brown and Kyren Williams got zero snaps.
Atwell also played a career-high 57 snaps and he capitalized with an 11-yard touchdown run. Van Jefferson remained the No. 1 receiver with a 97% snap share, but Powell wasn’t far behind the two; he played 80% of the snaps, also a career-high. Austin Trammell and Lance McCutcheon played eight snaps combined.
Tyler Higbee and Brycen Hopkins led the tight ends, though it was mostly Higbee who was on the field. Jared Pinkney played just two snaps.
Ty Nsekhe left with an injury and was replaced by A.J. Arcuri for 12 snaps at left tackle.
Defense
Jalen Ramsey and Bobby Wagner were the only two defenders to play every snap. Troy Hill missed now play and Taylor Rapp missed three, while Leonard Floyd played 65 of the possible 70 snaps.
Michael Hoecht had a 90% snap share, which was the highest of his career. Earnest Brown’s 54 snaps played were the most in his young career, too. The same can be said about Lake, who filled in for Russ Yeast after he went down with a chest injury.
Cobie Durant was the No. 3 cornerback behind Ramsey and Hill. David Long Jr. played just seven snaps and Derion Kendrick was once again absent on defense.
Jonah Williams and Marquise Copeland were key parts of the defensive line, playing more than twice the snaps Greg Gaines did. Gaines did come in with a shoulder injury so the Rams seemed to be playing it safe with him again.
Larrell Murchison, Keir Thomas and Daniel Hardy were the first edge rushers off the bench behind Floyd and Hoecht.
