The 2019 season has wrapped up with the Los Angeles Rams finishing the year 9-7 after beating the Arizona Cardinals 31-24 on Sunday. It was a game that the Rams couldn’t put away despite being given chances to do so, but they held on for the one-touchdown win.
It was a good way to cap off an underwhelming season, winning the final Rams game at the Coliseum. Here are the best and worst performers from Week 17, beginning with the studs.
Studs
Jared Goff
Goff finished the year on a positive note, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. It was one of his cleanest games of the year, orchestrating the offense well throughout the game. He didn’t many any glaring mistakes and only one pass was nearly intercepted, completing 29 of the 45 throws he attempted. It was a solid performance against a team he’s dominated over the last three years.
Tyler Higbee
Higbee owned the month of December. After four straight 100-yard games, Higbee posted eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown – completing the best season ever by a Rams tight end. He whiffed on one run block early in the game, but he made big plays in the passing game and was once a reliable target for Goff.
Darious Williams
Williams made another strong statement on Sunday at the Coliseum, picking off one pass and breaking up another. He has great ball skills and hands, as evidenced by his last two games for the Rams. His play was yet another example of the excellent depth the Rams have at cornerback.
Taylor Rapp
Rapp recovered one fumble and picked off his second pass of the season, recording six tackles in the game. He bounced back from the blown-coverage blunder in Week 16 that essentially cost the Rams a win, playing well against Arizona on Sunday. He’s heading into the offseason on a high note.
Cory Littleton
Littleton left the game in the second half with a chest injury, but he was all over the field before exiting. He had three tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery, helping limit the Cardinals’ rushing attack outside of a 24-yard run by Kenyan Drake – which came after Littleton was injured. Hopefully his injury is only minor as he enters free agency in March.
Duds
John Fassel
Fassel was on the receiving end of Sean McVay’s rarely seen frustration after he called a fake punt from the Rams’ own 17-yard line, which came up short. It was a bad look for Fassel, who has had a disappointing season with the Rams’ special teams unit struggling in all three phases (punting, field goals and returns).
Greg Zuerlein
Zuerlein missed his ninth field goal of the season, a 47-yard attempt that sailed wide right. He hasn’t had a very good year, especially considering he’ll be a free agent this offseason. The Rams need more consistency out of their kicker if he’s brought back.
Bobby Evans
Evans has played well for the most part since taking over for Rob Havenstein, but he struggled against Arizona. He was beaten multiple times as a run blocker, allowing defenders to slip through and hit Todd Gurley behind the line of scrimmage. He also allowed Chandler Jones to nearly strip Jared Goff in the pocket, which was one of a few pressures given up by Evans.
Clay Matthews
Matthews was mostly a non-factor at outside linebacker, recording just one assisted tackle on 52 snaps. He was also called for roughing the passer on a third-down pass that fell incomplete, unnecessarily shoving Kyler Murray after he already got rid of the ball.
