
Week 4 featured a couple of upsets across the NFL, the biggest of which was the Rams’ 55-40 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday – a game in which they were 10.5-point favorites.
Still, it was only the Rams’ first loss of the season and they’re just a half-game back of the 49ers in the NFC West. At 3-1, there’s nothing to be overly worried about, but Sunday’s loss did raise a few red flags on defense.
Here’s how we graded every position on the roster against the Bucs, beginning with quarterback Jared Goff.
Quarterback: C+
Let’s get one thing straight: Jared Goff made a lot of mistakes on Sunday. He also made a handful of really nice throws, including a tight-window pass to Gerald Everett for a touchdown and a few sideline passes to Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods on out routes.
Still, the blunders far outweighed his 517 yards and 45 completions because they really put the Rams behind the eight ball. His interceptions gave Tampa Bay short fields, and his fumble late in the fourth quarter ended any hope of a miraculous comeback. He has to be better.
Running back: C
It’s hard to grade the running backs when they received 11 total carries. Todd Gurley did have an impressive 13-yard touchdown where he ran over a defender, but his other four carries went for 3 yards. His seven catches for 54 yards were a pleasant surprise and deviation from a lack of receptions in the first three weeks, but that didn’t make it a great game for him. Malcolm Brown had even less success with 14 yards on five carries and no receptions. Limited opportunities really hindered the impact of the Rams’ running backs against Tampa.
Wide receiver: A-
Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods might be the best trio of receivers in the league right now, consistently producing on a weekly basis. One game, it’s Cooks posting 100 yards receiving. The next, it’s Kupp breaking out. Woods was the guy on Sunday, catching a career-high 13 passes for 164 yards – 7 yards shy of his career best. He didn’t score, but Woods came up big against the Bucs.
Tight end: B+

Gerald Everett was fairly productive in Week 4, catching five of his eight targets for 44 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Higbee, in his return from injury, was also involved on offense as he caught four passes for 41 yards. Their blocking wasn’t great, as was the case with the offensive line, but they contributed as receivers in a significant way.
Offensive line: D
Speaking of the offensive line, it was atrocious and has become a real concern. It wasn’t just Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen, either. Andrew Whitworth was called for holding three times, Rob Havenstein was consistently beat by Shaq Barrett and Austin Blythe had his share of issues, too. There were no running lanes for Gurley and Brown, and Goff was under constant pressure – which contributed to two of his interceptions and the fumble.
Defensive line: C

The Bucs ran all over the Rams, and if not for a couple of penalties, they would’ve had another 75 or so yards on the ground. The defensive line did very little against the run, and not much as pass rushers, either. Aaron Donald was bottled up, save for one play where he flushed Jameis Winston from the pocket and helped Sebastian Joseph-Day get a sack. Michael Brockers had a terrible roughing the passer penalty, which helped the Bucs find the end zone, as well as a batted pass at the line.
Inside linebacker: C-
Cory Littleton was not his best this week, struggling against the run and making no plays against the pass. Troy Reeder made three tackles in limited action, but he also missed a tackle and did not look as good as Bryce Hager has. The inside linebackers have to be better in order for the run defense to improve moving forward.
Outside linebacker: C
Clay Matthews added another sack to his total, had another tackle for loss and made five tackles in the game. Dante Fowler Jr. provided very little outside of one tackle for loss, while Samson Ebukam pressured Winston on a near-sack and fumble. Winston had way too much time to throw on Sunday, though, and it’s largely because the edge rushers were ineffective.
Cornerback: B-

Marcus Peters made a big mistake by trying to jump a route on Mike Evans’ 67-yard touchdown, and there was no one to blame on that play than himself. He made up for it with a touchdown of his own, picking off Winston in the fourth quarter to make things interesting. Aqib Talib wasn’t nearly as effective, allowing a touchdown to Cameron Brate and failing to contain Chris Godwin and the Bucs’ other receivers.
Safety: B+
Eric Weddle and John Johnson combined for 26 total tackles, which is far more than any team wants to see its safeties make in a game. Weddle broke up two passes, both of which were deep throws, while Johnson was as steady as he usually is. Taylor Rapp exited early with an ankle injury, but he had three tackles of his own, too.
Special teams: A-
Greg Zuerlein’s 58-yard field goal was picture-perfect, but that was really the only highlight from special teams. Johnny Hekker punted the ball once, and JoJo Natson had one kick return for 22 yards.