After the Arizona Cardinals took their stride down the field, the Los Angeles Rams were soon on their heels, with Jacoby Brissett hitting Michael Wilson for a quick score. This brings me back to last week’s road loss to the Carolina Panthers in Los Angeles.
Instead, the Rams relied heavily on Blake Colum and Kyren Williams to come back. They never look in the rearview mirror and control the rest of the game.
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Los Angeles won 45-17 to improve to 10-3 on the season. With the loss to the Chicago Bears, the Rams moved back into first place in the NFC Conference and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs.
There are some very positive personal efforts that deserve to blossom on Sunday. We’ll also find some blame to spread, though such an effort can feel like nitpicking.
Winner
Blake Colum, RB
The last time we saw a running back find the crease and stretch for a touchdown, it was probably when Todd Gurley was still struggling. Corum holed it for a 48-yard score — his second score of the day.
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Are we sure Kunlun isn’t a better runner than Williams? He looked more mobile and showed he has the ability to hold the ball long distance. It’s just one element that’s been missing from the Rams’ offense in recent years, and Colum has handled his larger workload brilliantly. This is a good sign heading into the latter stages of the season and playoffs.
Kunlun rushed 12 times for 128 yards (10.7 average) and two scores. Williams added another score for 84 yards (6.5 average). Both had outstanding performances against the Cardinals. Corum is better.
Pukankua, WR
Arizona doesn’t have a single answer for Punacua. Every catch for Nacua seemed to be a long play, as he averaged just under 24 yards per catch on the day. His best play was a 32-yard touchdown in which he outran defenders and overboard at the goal line. The star receiver caught seven of 11 targets for 167 yards and two scores.
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It’s been a while since we’ve seen a classic performance from Nakua. The Rams face the Lions and Seahawks in their next two games, and they’ll need him at full strength.
Nate Randleman, MLB
Randleman showed smooth hands as he intercepted Brissett. It wasn’t a play that necessarily decided the outcome, but we should still celebrate the captain’s first interception as a Rams. Randleman and Omar Speights were stingy on defense for much of the game, and overall, Los Angeles was strong in the running game.
Matthew Stafford, QB
There was nothing to complain about in Stafford’s performance against the Cardinals. He wasn’t the sharpest in the red zone and missed Davante Adams early in the game. The offensive line kept him well protected, and he took advantage of it, passing the ball mostly to Nakua. Colby Parkinson’s touchdown pass might have been his most impressive pass of the day, as it was layered between three defenders, allowing Parkinson to take advantage of his size.
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Stafford completed 22 of 31 passes (71%) for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
Byron Young, EDGE
Byron Young notched his 11th sack of the season, becoming the first Ram to do so since Aaron Donald in 2021. While the sack total will give Young the biggest honors, it’s clear he’s taken a step forward in his overall game in 2025. He has improved in run defense and is an impact player in all phases. Young totaled four tackles.
Warren McClendon, RT
Perhaps the most difficult individual matchup of the game is Warren McClendon’s assignment. He faced the challenge of blocking Josh Sweat and successfully allowed him to score completely out of the paint.
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The Rams need to accept the fact that they have the right tackle for the future. Of course, this is unfortunate for Rob Havenstein. They need to move on, assuming they haven’t done so already.
Desjuan Johnson, EDGE
The fourth quarter felt like a preseason game with the starters on the bench. Desjuan Johnson is once again playing primarily on EDGE, as he did in exhibition games earlier this year, and he looks comfortable and efficient in the role. Rookie Ty Hamilton, while inactive, typically plays a depth role. Elevating Johnson above Hamilton might be a wise move.
loser
Akello Witherspoon, CB
Akello Witherspoon looked completely uninterested in tackling the ball carrier for the second straight week. By my count, he missed at least two tackles. Even more concerning is the gaping hole in Witherspoon’s coverage, where he’s not part of the starting lineup at the expense of Emmanuel Forbes and/or Kobe Durant. Of course, it helps to have Witherspoon’s bigger frame against bigger targets. However, if he doesn’t plan to proactively address or mitigate these larger threats, he doesn’t actually bring much good to the table.
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Davante Adams, WR
It feels like if Davante Adams doesn’t score a touchdown, he’s going to be a hindrance to the offense. At this point in his career, he’s not very efficient inside the 20-yard line, and his ability to run after the receiving threat is impressive.
The Rams offense has a hard time slowing down when Adams is on the field. However, when the connection breaks between Stafford and Adams, the Rams will certainly feel like they’re left with nothing but meat.
Adams caught 4 of 6 targets for 29 yards (7.3 average). Averaging less than 10 yards per catch is difficult to achieve unless the receiver is on the wrong side of the 30-yard line.
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I think it’s fair to worry about Adams’ ability to consistently play outside the red zone in the playoffs. He played a lot of games for this team, but his performances were inconsistent. Another issue is that no one is really available at the third receiver position, which effectively leaves the Rams one-dimensional with Nakua serving as the usual target and chain-driver.