Analyzing Rams’ snap counts in Week 13 win vs. Cardinals

The Rams dug deep on their depth chart in Sunday’s blowout.

The Rams were able to give their backups some playing time on Sunday afternoon in Arizona, blowing out the Cardinals 34-7 on the road. It was their fifth straight win over the Cardinals dating back to 2017, all of which were by at least 16 points.

As a result of the lopsided score, the snap counts were impacted and starters didn’t get as much run as they typically do. Many of the starters on offense were replaced in the fourth quarter, as was the majority of the defense.

Blake Bortles and Darrell Henderson handled the offense on the final few drives, giving Jared Goff and Todd Gurley a rest. Here’s how the rest of the snap counts broke down on that side of the ball.

Offense

Tyler Higbee was the starting tight end with Gerald Everett out, and he made the most of his opportunity. He played 91% of the snaps, which was the same number as Jared Goff and the other starters who were pulled in the fourth quarter, turning his extended playing time into a career-high seven catches for 107 yards and one touchdown.

Robert Woods led all wide receivers with 67 snaps played, followed by Brandin Cooks (61) and Cooper Kupp (57). Josh Reynolds played 29 snaps, while Mike Thomas got in for seven snaps at the end of the game. Woods was targeted 19 times in the game, so when he was running routes, Goff was looking his way.

Todd Gurley got a little bit of a breather, playing only 68% of the snaps. Malcolm Brown spelled him on occasion, while Henderson closed out the game with four carries for 17 yards.

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Rams Week 11 snap counts: Why did Gerald Everett barely play vs. Bears?

Gerald Everett played his fewest snaps of the season, but what caused his reduced playing time?

In the official starting lineup on Sunday night against the Bears, the Rams listed two tight ends. You’d think it was Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, right? Higbee was on the field for the first snap, but Everett was not. Johnny Mundt got the start in his place, and it was an indication of Everett’s role the rest of the night.

Looking at the snap counts, Everett hardly played. Mundt out-snapped him in the Rams’ win, getting more playing time than the guy who’s viewed as the team’s best tight end? There are a couple possible explanations, but first, take a look at how the snaps broke down on offense.

Offense

Everett only played 25% of the snaps and didn’t see a single pass come his way until the fourth quarter – a 20-yard completion along the sideline. He was limited in practice all week with a wrist injury and listed as questionable going into the game, with Sean McVay saying he was sore coming out of the Rams’ loss to the Steelers. Could that injury have played a role in his limited snaps? Absolutely, and it probably did. With as much as the Rams ran the ball, McVay may have tried to protect Everett’s wrist by not asking him to run block much.

The Rams set out to run the ball straight at the Bears on Sunday night, giving Todd Gurley 25 carries. Everett is a capable blocker, but Mundt and Higbee are above him in that regard. The Rams utilized 12 personnel on 34 plays, which is their most of the season, and tried to establish the run. Getting two good blocking tight ends on the field was a priority for Los Angeles, and Everett simply didn’t get the call.

As for the rest of the offense, Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds played nearly every snap with Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods unavailable. Mike Thomas chipped in 20 snaps, but he didn’t have a single catch and dropped one pass.

Gurley once again carried the load out of the backfield, getting 75% of the snaps. Malcolm Brown played 11 snaps and got five carries on those plays. Darrell Henderson’s role was limited to three snaps.

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Rams Week 10 snap counts: O-line depth tested, Matthews outsnaps Fowler

The Rams’ depth up front was tested against the Steelers on Sunday.

In the last two years, the Los Angeles Rams started essentially the same offensive linemen for all 32 games. The only major change was with Austin Blythe replacing Jamon Brown at right guard last season.

This year has not been as kind to the Rams in terms of health and continuity. Joseph Noteboom is out for the year with a torn ACL, while both Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein suffered knee injuries on Sunday.

Those injuries have really tested the Rams’ depth up front this season, especially against the Steelers in Week 10. Looking at the snap counts, Los Angeles had to do a lot of shuffling on the offensive line.

Offense

Allen only played 13 snaps before injuring his knee. He was replaced by Blythe at center, which caused Austin Corbett to step in at left guard. No one on the offensive line played well Sunday, and the injuries only made things worse.

When Havenstein went down late in the game, David Edwards moved to right tackle after already making the switch to right guard to start the game. Coleman Shelton came in and played guard to complete the unit.

Josh Reynolds played more than Cooper Kupp, which is surprising. Kupp was blanked on the stat sheet, failing to catch any of the four targets that came his way. Robert Woods played every offensive snap, while Mike Thomas chipped in three plays.

Todd Gurley played 74 percent of the snaps, which is his third-highest snap share of the season. He only carried the ball 12 times, though, and gained 73 yards. Malcolm Brown and Darell Henderson split the other 20 snaps Gurley didn’t play.

Gerald Everett played more than double the snaps Tyler Higbee did and caught eight passes for 68 yards. Higbee caught three of his four targets for 22 yards. Everett remains the Rams’ best option at tight end.

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