Tag: Tutu Atwell

Rams inactives: Cam Akers active, Tutu Atwell a healthy scratch vs. Bucs

Cam Akers is active against the Buccaneers, but Tutu Atwell is a healthy scratch

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The Rams will have a full group of running backs today against the Buccaneers. Cam Akers, who has missed the last two games due to a rift with the team, is officially active.

He returned to the team this past week and practiced Thursday and Friday, his first time practicing since the start of Week 6. He’ll join Darrell Henderson Jr., Ronnie Rivers and Malcolm Brown in the backfield.

Tutu Atwell is surprisingly a healthy scratch after not playing any snaps last week against the 49ers. He hasn’t had much of a role this season and only has one career catch.

Bryce Perkins, Terrell Burgess, Shaun Jolly, Lance McCutcheon, Kendall Blanton and Bobby Brown III are all healthy scratches against the Bucs, too.

For the Buccaneers, there are no surprise inactives. Russell Gage, Antoine Winfield Jr., Luke Goedeke and Cameron Brate were all ruled out already, and Kyle Trask is also inactive.

How does Van Jefferson’s return impact Rams’ other WRs?

With Van Jefferson back this week, what is the Rams’ plan at wide receiver?

Outside of Cooper Kupp, the Rams’ receiving corps has been painfully underwhelming this season. Kupp leads the team with 56 receptions, 607 yards and four touchdowns, which was fully expected, but it’s the gap between him and the next-closest wideout that’s concerning.

Ben Skowronek is second among the Rams’ wide receivers with 23 catches and 221 yards, ahead of Allen Robinson’s 17 catches for 170 yards. Thankfully, Van Jefferson is on the verge of returning and will make his season debut on Sunday against the 49ers.

Jefferson has been out with a knee injury, which he underwent two procedures for this offseason. Just before his second procedure, Sean McVay said Jefferson had “arguably his best practice as a Ram.” Assuming he gets back up to full speed right away, he’s going to have a meaningful impact right away.

The question is, how does his return impact the rest of the wide receiver room? Kupp’s role certainly won’t change, and Robinson is likely to keep playing just about all of the snaps, but everyone else will get fewer opportunities now that No. 12 is back.

Right now, Skowronek is playing 83.8% of the snaps on offense. Brandon Powell is playing 15% and Tutu Atwell is playing just 6%. There isn’t enough room for all three of those players to keep getting meaningful snaps now that Jefferson is back. He’s going to be the No. 3 receiver and may even get more looks than Robinson right off the bat.

After all, Jefferson has already developed a rapport with Matthew Stafford that Robinson is still working on. Stafford and Jefferson had a strong connection on deep passes last season and that should carry over in 2022.

He’s the downfield receiver the Rams desperately need. And because of that, he’s going to get plenty of targets right away.

Expect Skowronek to keep playing fullback and helping as a blocking receiver on running plays. Powell should still get chances on jet sweeps and screens because his speed and elusiveness are valuable. Atwell, whose role is already minimal, will get even fewer snaps now.

It will be a work in progress for the Rams with Jefferson back, but don’t expect it to take very long for him and Stafford to hit a big play down the field.

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Tutu Atwell is only ball carrier in NFL to hit 21 mph twice this season

There’s certainly no denying Tutu Atwell’s speed. He’s one of the fastest players in the NFL.

When the Los Angeles Rams drafted Tutu Atwell in the second round last year, they did so believing he would be a speedy receiver who could take the top off a defense. Up to this point, he hasn’t had many opportunities to show off his wheels, but there’s absolutely no denying how fast he is.

According to Next Gen Stats, Atwell has topped 21 mph twice this season: once on his 54-yard catch last week and once on his 9-yard carry Sunday against the Panthers. Believe it or not, but he’s the only player in the NFL who has hit 21 mph twice this year as a ball carrier.

What’s even more amazing is that Atwell has just two touches all season. So each time he’s had the ball in his hands, he’s eclipsed 21 mph. He hit 21.46 mph on his 54-yard catch, which is fourth-fastest in the NFL, and his 21.09 mph carry on Sunday ranks 13th. As J.B. Long notes, Atwell has the three fastest speeds by a Rams player this season.

The Rams are slowing integrating the second-year receiver into the offense, but his opportunities are still very limited. If he can improve as a route runner and receiver, his speed could become a real weapon for Los Angeles.

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Tutu Atwell recognized by Sean McVay for impressive catch vs. Cowboys

Atwell brought in the first reception of his young career against the #Cowboys and looks to be a key contributor for the #Rams moving forward.

Sean McVay is in the process of re-tooling his offense after injuries to the offensive line have decimated the Los Angeles Rams’ ability to move the ball downfield. In his quest to find the right combination of players to put points on the board, McVay has found a few contributors who might be able to stretch the field, including 2021 second-round pick Tutu Atwell who recorded his first career catch against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

The head coach commented on the second-year player’s reception in his comments to the media on Monday. He told reporters that he was impressed by what he saw, and will look to give him more chances to show the talent that got him selected so high in the draft last year. Asked if Atwell had a chip on his shoulder heading into the Week 5 matchup, McVay explained that injuries the receiver sustained last year fed his drive to make an impact in 2022.

“I think the thing about that was more of the injury that he sustained as a rookie, but I’ve been pleased with him,” He said. “I thought he made a great play, on a great player, great throw and catch. Definitely provided a spark and need to figure out how to continue to give him more opportunities and we’ll see what that looks like. But I was I was happy for TuTu to make that play. That was a great play.”

Atwell will continue to work his way into the mix as one of the Rams’ premier downfield threats, and if he can maintain the speed that made him a star at the University of Louisville, the sky is the limit for the talented receiver moving forward. Watch for him to work deep routes that clear out space for Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson in the next few games, and for Atwell to be a key figure in the receiver rotation moving forward.

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Watch: Matthew Stafford connects with Tutu Atwell for 54 yard completion

Stafford found Atwell for a 54-yard completion midway through the first quarter for the receiver’s first reception of his career.

After finding Allen Robinson early in the first quarter on a broken play, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford made another excellent throw to Tutu Atwell for 53 yards to put the team in scoring position on their next drive. Stafford fumbled on his first possession, giving the Dallas Cowboys an early six-point advantage, but has shown grit in helping the Rams keep this game interesting.

Check out the impressive throw that helped get Los Angeles on the board midway through the first quarter:

The Rams would score a field goal after stalling out in the red zone but are officially on the board in Week 5. Atwell did well to track this ball down on the fly, and recorded the first reception of his career on the highlight-reel play. As a second-round pick in 2021, efforts like these are why Los Angeles brought him into the offense, and they will expect him to make more big gains as the season wears on.

With the momentum built on this play, the Rams are hoping to get themselves a lead at some point in the first half and keep themselves within striking range of a win to keep them tied for the top spot in their division.

Sean McVay explains what led to Tutu Atwell being inactive in Week 4

Tutu Atwell was a healthy scratch in Week 4 and Sean McVay explained why the second-year wideout wasn’t active vs. the 49ers.

Fans of the Los Angeles Rams were certainly level-headed when they saw Tutu Atwell was a healthy scratch on Monday night versus the San Francisco 49ers. Amid all of the chaos surrounding Atwell on social media once he was announced inactive, Sean McVay explained on Tuesday what led to the second-year wideout being a healthy scratch in Week 4.

“Really just for the overall (special) teams and just kind of the overall approach. Could be very different this week,” McVay said. “We’ve had more moving parts than we’ve ever had since I’ve been here and going to the early parts of the season. That’s why it was really just exclusive to yesterday, not anything that (WR) TuTu didn’t do, and we’ll see what that means for his status this week.”

Considering that the Rams are pretty thin at the wide receiver position right now, it’s not a good sign for Atwell to be a healthy scratch. The second-round pick out of Louisville in last year’s draft has yet to record his first reception in the NFL in his first two seasons and Brandon Powell has emerged as the preferred returner on special teams.

At the same time, the Rams have involved Powell more in the offense to begin the season, which continues to point toward the distrust in Atwell in his sophomore season. There was some hype surrounding Atwell in the offseason, but it’s failed to come into fruition to begin the season despite the lack of receiving options outside of Cooper Kupp.

McVay iterated that a lot of factors led to the 22-year-old wide receiver being inactive in Week 4. And even with McVay saying that he could be active for certain weeks, the decision to take Atwell in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft continues to look like a questionable move.

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Rams release full list of inactives ahead of matchup against 49ers

The #Rams decided to keep three cornerbacks out of the matchup, which could play a factor in their matchup against the #49ers

The Los Angeles Rams had to make some tough decisions in selecting which players would be inactive for their primetime matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. After careful deliberation, the team released their list of players who will not see action on Twitter, where they linked to an article on their official website.

Check out the link to their tweet below:

Important contributors like center Brian Allen, receiver Tutu Atwell, and cornerback Decobie Durant will not see action against the 49ers, and their absence could prove to be the difference in the final outcome. Others slated to be inactive are cornerbacks Shaun Jolly and David Long Jr., guard David Edwards and quarterback Bryce Perkins.

Both teams will face off with the squads they believe will give them the best opportunity to win. A victory would advance their standing in the NFC West, and the results of this Week 4 matchup could have implications for the playoffs later in the season.

Los Angeles has a chance to maintain their lead in the division, while San Francisco is hoping to get back in the mix to punch their ticket into the post-season in January. Expected to be a defensive masterpiece, this matchup pits two of the league’s top pass rushers against each other, with Joey Bosa and Aaron Donald set to make huge impacts on the outcome.

Injuries in the Rams’ secondary make their decision to de-activate three cornerbacks an interesting move, but with superstar Jalen Ramsey on the field, they likely won’t have to worry too much about the unit’s performance.

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Receiver Tutu Atwell slated to be inactive vs. 49ers

Atwell’s absence was a surprise to many fans who expected that the second-round pick might make an impact for the Rams against the 49ers.

Los Angeles Rams receiver Tutu Atwell was named as one of the team’s inactive players ahead of their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. A speed threat at the position, Atwell has only played a handful of snaps for the Rams so far this season and is adjusting to life in the NFL.

After playing his college ball at the University of Louisville, he was a second-round pick in last April’s draft with high expectations for his performance in Sean McVay’s high-octane offense. Though his contributions have been few, the learning curve he faces justifies his limited role in the offense, and once he has his feet under him at the professional level, his outlook with change drastically.

In his absence, Los Angeles will rely on All-Pro wide-out Cooper Kupp, veteran Allen Robinson, and Ben Skowronek to catch passes against San Francisco. Their presence will be a key part of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s success, as well as that of the offense at large.

This game has huge implications for the NFC West, and both teams are expected to make herculean efforts to win as divisional rivals. The Rams have struggled to win at Levi’s Stadium in recent years and will look to turn their luck around in this primetime matchup.

Though Atwell won’t be involved, the Rams should still be considered favorites and will look to get him back on the field soon to show what he can do against the league’s top talent.

 

Rams had ‘pretty solid plan’ for Tutu Atwell but Bills defense forced them to go away from it

Liam Coen says the Rams planned to get Tutu Atwell involved last week but the Bills’ defensive structured forced them to change things up

Tutu Atwell is the fastest receiver the Rams have, and if he can stay healthy, he can be their downfield threat the way DeSean Jackson was at the start of last season. He still hasn’t caught a pass in the regular season but the team clearly views him as someone who can contribute on offense.

Liam Coen and Sean McVay planned to get him involved last week against the Bills but Buffalo’s defensive scheme forced the Rams to abandon ship. The Bills played a style of defense that took away the deep part of the field, forcing the Rams to check down to underneath receivers.

Not to mention, the offensive line couldn’t protect Matthew Stafford, making it incredibly difficult to push the ball down the field because he didn’t have enough time to.

“There was a pretty solid plan for him going into the Buffalo game,” Coen said of Atwell. “Then you see the structures that they’re playing, the front and how it was affecting some things. You end up getting off of some of the things that make him successful or what we’ve really been able to see throughout training camp of getting him down the field vertically. ‘Hey, now how do we give him some different angles of the cut? How do we get him some intermediate throws, things like that can maybe just really diversify his route tree.’ Because everything doesn’t have to be down the field vertical that we’re sitting on it and waiting, being able to give him some different opps in terms of the route tree. But also be able to attack the coverages when we get them to be able to get those down the field opps.”

Atwell was targeted once in the seven snaps he played, but he dropped a pass from Stafford on the outside. He’s still young and developing as a wideout, but by all accounts, he had a great training camp and was regularly making big plays down the field.

That connection with Stafford will come eventually, hopefully on Sunday against a Falcons defense that doesn’t have the same level of talent that the Bills do. The Rams view Atwell as someone who can take the top off a defense, it just requires time for those plays to develop.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Coen said of whether Atwell can develop into a player who breaks the shell of a defense. “Talking about breaking the shell, when you get into a game like Buffalo, for us when you’re sitting there, we’re drop back passing and we’re struggling to protect a little bit. So as a playcaller and as an offensive staff, you’re like, ‘Well, how can we then just take shots off play action?’

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Liam Coen likes Ben Skowronek’s progress, Tutu Atwell’s versatility

Liam Coen discussed what roles Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell could have with the Rams in 2022.

The Los Angeles Rams certainly have extensive plans for Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson in 2022, but what about the other wide receivers? With the Rams needing other wideouts to step up this season, Liam Coen spoke about the roles Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell could have this season.

Van Jefferson underwent a knee procedure near the beginning of training camp and his status for Thursday’s season opener versus the Buffalo Bills is uncertain. So with the third-year wideout potentially missing time, or being limited to begin the season, the Rams will need more contributions from their other pass catchers.

Both Skowronek and Atwell will be entering their second seasons in the NFL after experiencing struggles as rookies in 2021. Skowronek struggled with drops while Atwell failed to log a single snap on offense due to a season-ending injury.

Asking Skowronek to fill the role that Robert Woods (who the Rams traded this offseason) had is a lot to ask from a young wide receiver. While the Notre Dame product isn’t the caliber of wide receiver that Woods is, he can be a solid contributor in the run game.

Meanwhile, Atwell could be involved in multiple facets of the game each week. With Kupp, Robinson, Jefferson, Tyler Higbee, Cam Akers, and Darrell Henderson Jr. getting touches, the second-year wide receiver out of Louisville could get special packages on offense and be a returner on special teams.

The reigning Super Bowl champions will boast one of the best offenses in the NFL in 2022 as long as they remain healthy. And if Skowronek and Atwell can make strides in their game, the Rams could very well have one of the deepest receiving corps in the league.