Tag: Tutu Atwell

Tutu Atwell proved once again he deserves more opportunities

Sean McVay admitted after the game that Tutu Atwell probably should’ve gotten “other opportunities” before Sunday

Tutu Atwell hasn’t exactly met the expectations that come with being a second-round pick, struggling to carve out a role on offense since he was drafted in 2021. But when he has gotten opportunities to play, he’s usually risen to the occasion.

That was the case again on Sunday afternoon in the Los Angeles Rams’ 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers. With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp out, Sean McVay turned to Atwell, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson and Jordan Whittington at wide receiver. And it was Atwell who stepped up in the biggest way for Matthew Stafford.

He finished the game with four catches for 93 yards, including a 50-yarder late in the fourth quarter to set up Kyren Williams’ game-tying touchdown. He also had what McVay would call “hidden yardage” by drawing a 48-yard pass interference penalty deep down the field, doing a good job of fighting back for the ball and forcing the official to throw the flag.

Atwell nearly made the play of the game when he threw a pass on a trick play to Robinson for what appeared to be a 32-yard gain, but Robinson was unable to hold on as he went to the ground – just another example of the skill set Atwell brings.

After the game, McVay was asked about Atwell’s performance and he admitted that the speedy receiver should’ve gotten more chances before Sunday.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m surprised,” he said. “It makes you realize he probably should’ve gotten other opportunities. He’s always been called upon and he’s always kind of delivered. You look at early on in the season last year and I think this is a stepping stone for him. I’m proud of him and I think it’s a real tribute to his work.”

It was a similar story last year when Atwell had 22 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown in the first four games while Kupp was out. After that, his role disappeared, catching only 17 passes for 213 yards the rest of the season.

Kupp is expected to miss at least the next two games with an ankle injury, as will Nacua, so we’ll see if McVay learns from last year when he pulled Atwell after Kupp returned. Even after the Rams’ top two receivers come back, Atwell has shown he deserves to play a bunch of snaps as a speed threat on the outside.

Hopefully McVay realizes that this time and keeps going to No. 5 on offense.

Watch: Fired-up Sean McVay hands out 5 game balls after Rams’ win vs. 49ers

Sean McVay was fired up in the locker room after the Rams’ comeback win and he handed out 5 game balls to key contributors

Victory speeches are back for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams, which is a wonderful thing. McVay’s speeches in the locker room after wins are always a fan favorite and now that the Rams are finally back in the win column, the always-entertaining videos are back.

The Rams shared Sunday’s locker room speech after the Rams’ dramatic comeback against the 49ers and McVay was as fired up as he’s ever been. It’s easy to see why, given the desperation for a win after starting 0-2 and losing several key starters to injuries.

“I’ll tell you what, some (expletive) fight in this group, man! I love it! I love it! There are so many guys I want to be able to recognize, and there are a couple of guys that come to mind immediately,” he said before handing out game balls.

He singled out Xavier Smith for his punt return in the fourth quarter, Kyren Williams for his three touchdowns, the defense as a whole for stepping up late and Tutu Atwell for his 93 yards receiving as a starter at receiver.

He also gave a game ball to Matthew Stafford, who then passed it off to rookie kicker Joshua Karty – the guy who hit the game-winning field goal with 2 seconds left.

Watch: The Rams pranked players by digging up embarrassing old photos of them

The Rams asked players to sign embarrassing old photos of themselves and their reactions were spectacular

Everyone has embarrassing old photos of themselves buried in albums on Facebook, including NFL players. Those photos are being dug up by social media admins in what’s become the latest trend online.

And the videos are hilarious.

The Rams jumped aboard the viral trend by surprising their players with old photos and asking them for autographs. Their reactions are predictably priceless.

“How’d y’all find this?! Did y’all go to Facebook?” an astonished Jordan Whittington asked.

Kyren Williams’ reaction to a photo of his younger self rocking sunglasses was equally good: “Man, I look good!”

Kamren Curl was not as excited to see an old mirror selfie of himself wearing an American Eagle T-shirt.

“I ain’t going to show nobody this,” he said, hiding the photo from the camera.

Kobie Turner: “Come on, that’s so bad! I’m not going to lie, the bowtie was kind of swaggy, though.”

Can confirm, Kobie.

They actually hit Whittington with two old photos, the second of which was the best of the entire video. It was a photo of him posing with a saxophone in a car, a saxophone he actually still owns.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_1M675yFIe/?hl=en

Tutu time? Sean McVay thinks Atwell is ready for ‘more opportunities’ with Puka Nacua out

With Puka Nacua out, Tutu Atwell is someone Sean McVay thinks could “be a factor” for the Rams

The best stretch of Tutu Atwell’s career came in Weeks 1 to 4 of last season, a period where he was targeted 35 times, caught 22 passes and racked up 270 yards with a touchdown. It’s no coincidence that his production came while Cooper Kupp was out, and after the All-Pro receiver returned, Atwell went back to being a mostly unutilized backup.

This season, Atwell could get another opportunity to play meaningful snaps after the Rams unfortunately lost Puka Nacua to a knee injury. Nacua will miss at least the next four games and potentially more, opening the door for guys like Tyler Johnson, Jordan Whittington and Atwell to step up.

On the “Coach McVay Show” this week, Sean McVay was asked if Johnson and Whittington are up to the task, and he mentioned Atwell as a player who could see an uptick in playing time, too.

“I think so, and I think Tutu’s ready to get some more opportunities,” McVay said. “Tutu’s a guy that’s delivered for us. There’s a lot of different reasons when you put together a certain game plan that can sometimes help guys get in the flow and then sometimes, just the way the game unfolds, it doesn’t allow it to be illustrated that way. The answer is yes on both of the guys you asked about, and then I also think Tutu’s going to be a factor.”

We’ve heard this before from McVay when talking about Atwell and it’s never really amounted to much. Yes, Atwell looked like a capable receiver early last season but even when the Rams were searching for a No. 3 receiver to go with Nacua and Kupp, Atwell couldn’t carve out a role.

After Nacua went down in Week 1, it was Johnson who played the majority of the snaps alongside Kupp and Demarcus Robinson. Atwell played just six snaps and Whittington played two, and neither was targeted as a receiver in the loss.

Now that McVay knows Nacua will be out, he can better game plan for his receivers’ involvement. Whether that translates to production from Atwell remains to be seen, but fans shouldn’t hold their breath.

Rams have the WR depth to overcome Puka Nacua’s absence

Puka Nacua will miss at least the next four games, but the Rams are well-equipped at wide receiver to survive his absence

Week 1 was not kind to the Los Angeles Rams from an injury front. In addition to the offensive line falling apart, the team also lost Puka Nacua for at least a month.

He aggravated a knee injury originally suffered in early August, forcing him to not only exit Sunday night’s game against the Lions but also land on injured reserve. Once the Rams place him on IR, as Sean McVay said they will, he’ll be out at least four games, putting him on track to potentially return after the Week 6 bye.

It’s a brutal blow for the offense and for Nacua, who set rookie records for receiving yards and receptions last season. The silver lining is that the injury occurred at one of the Rams’ deepest positions.

Unlike the injuries suffered on the offensive line and at cornerback, the Rams have the depth to survive Nacua’s absence. The offense will look different without its top receiver from a season ago, but they have players behind him who are capable of filling in.

Oh, and they also have a guy named Cooper Kupp. You might’ve heard of him.

Alongside Kupp, the Rams are likely to start Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson for the next four weeks. Robinson was already a starter as the No. 3 wideout and Johnson did an admirable job on Sunday night after Nacua went down. In the loss, Johnson caught five passes for 79 yards, none bigger than a 63-yard catch-and-run at the end of the third quarter on a short drag route.

After the new top three of Kupp, Robinson and Johnson, there are a couple of younger players who can contribute: Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell. Neither played very much in the opener but that could change now that the Rams know Nacua is out. McVay can better prepare Whittington and Atwell for increased reps in Weeks 2-5.

Atwell played really well during Kupp’s early-season absence last year and could contribute as a deep threat this season, too. In the first four games of 2023, he caught 22 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown. He has yet to become a full-time player as a former second-round pick but he can still help the Rams this season.

And then there’s Whittington, the stud rookie who shined in training camp and the preseason. He got reps with the first-team offense in practice this summer and has been praised up and down by teammates and coaches. He should’ve scored a touchdown on a jet sweep Sunday night but A.J. Arcuri’s holding penalty nullified it. He plays a similar style to Nacua in that he’s tough, physical and has good speed, so he could get some opportunities in the next month, too.

No one wants to lose a Pro Bowl receiver and a player as passionate as Nacua, but the Rams are fortunate to have good depth at wideout – something McVay indicated on Monday.

I was really proud of Tyler Johnson. I thought Jordan Whittington came in and did some nice things. We know that we have a guy in Tutu Atwell who’ll be able to step in and do some different things,” McVay said. “Unfortunately, or fortunately, the difference between last year is because Cooper was out the majority of the time, you have some continuity with that group. This is a little bit different but we have some depth. I think more importantly, to answer your question, I feel for Puka and these other guys will get some opportunities that I’m confident they’ll step up and play good football for us.”

Tutu Atwell brings value to Rams’ WR corps but his role is ‘to be determined’

Tutu Atwell still brings value to the Rams’ receiving corps but Sean McVay doesn’t yet know what his role will be

Tutu Atwell is entering his fourth season in the NFL but his role with the Los Angeles Rams still is not totally clear. He’s a speedy receiver with some return skills, but he hasn’t yet become the starting wideout Los Angeles envisioned him being when he was drafted in the second round three years ago.

He’s still expected to make the 53-man roster but with Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson projected to be the starters, Atwell is viewed as a backup once again. Sean McVay wouldn’t divulge much about the receiver’s projected role in 2024, only noting that the Rams still view him as a valuable player thanks to his versatility, speed and catch radius, among other traits he brings to the table.

“Yeah, to be determined,” McVay said of Atwell’s role. “The value Tutu provides is that he knows – because he’s so smart, he can play all three of our receiver spots. We’re obviously a heavy 11 personnel outfit. He brings the dynamic trait of being able to stretch the field vertically. What a lot of people learned last year is he has good aggressive hands. He plays big for a guy that measures smaller. He is got good length and catch radius. He’s making catches away from his frame on in breaking routes in between the numbers. He has a lot of different things that he can provide. I’ve seen him compete in the run game. It is to be determined and the value that he provides are some of those traits and the understanding of where he fits whether he is playing F, X or Z.”

Atwell started last season strong while Kupp was injured, catching 22 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown in the first four games of the season alone. In the final 12 games, however, he had just 17 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

In the Rams’ playoff loss to the Lions, he caught a 38-yard touchdown pass in just eight offensive snaps, so McVay found a way to get him the ball then. It just didn’t happen consistently enough in 2023.

Looking ahead, Atwell’s role could be hurt even more by the emergence of Jordan Whittington. The sixth-round rookie has shined in practice and the preseason, earning high praise from coaches and teammates. McVay already said he’s “going to be a factor” for the Rams this season, which is more than he’s said about Atwell.

The Rams reportedly don’t want to trade him and are prepared to let him play out the final year of his contract, but it’s hard to see him playing a significant portion of the snaps this season unless Kupp, Nacua or Robinson gets injured.

NFL adds rule to stop ‘cheat motion,’ which the Rams used in 2023

The Rams were among the teams to use “cheat motion” last season but the NFL is changing the rulebook to stop it

The NFL is always changing, with new plays and innovations making their way into playbooks and schemes across the league each year. One trend that emerged last season was the use of “cheat motion.”

Made popular by the Miami Dolphins, cheat motion is essentially when a player goes in motion and just before the snap, he angles toward the line of scrimmage to almost get a running start. It was used often with Tyreek Hill and became a huge advantage for the Dolphins because of his speed against a stationary defender.

The Los Angeles Rams used it a bit with Tutu Atwell and even Puka Nacua, but that sneaky trick won’t be legal anymore. It’ll in fact be cheating. According to ProFootballTalk, the NFL added a line in the rulebook to prevent teams from using cheat motion.

Via PFT:

Here’s the key sentence, added by the NFL this year to Rule 7, Article 4, Section 2 of the official playing rules: “Any eligible backfield player who changes his stance does not have to come to a complete stop prior to the snap, as long as his actions are not abrupt (false start) or forward (illegal motion).”

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, that’s directly aimed at the split-second forward movement by players in motion. The Dolphins, the 49ers, and the Rams used it last year.

The Rams didn’t use it as often as the Dolphins and 49ers, but it was part of their playbook. It was particularly useful with Atwell, who has a lot of speed and could get up the field with a running start thanks to the cheat motion. The Rams even deployed it with Nacua on running plays where he would be a blocker in the backfield.

Here’s what McVay said about it last October when asked about the use of cheat motion.

“Yeah, I’ve seen some teams do that last year. Miami dabbled with it a little bit last year as well,” he said. “There’s just a lot of different ways to try to be able to change the picture and how that elicits a certain response that can create some challenging things depending upon the principles of the defense that you’re going against whether it’s creating access, whether it’s creating new counts in terms of some of the ways that you have to match up with your match principles coverage wise, or whether it creates favorable leverage based on the different routes. We’ve dabbled with that in some different games. We did it a couple times… variations of it a couple times yesterday, you could say. Certainly, those guys in Miami have done an outstanding job of it and I’ve seen it with a lot of these teams that like to utilize and implement motion pre-snap. That just creates a little bit of conflict and you’re kind of just changing that picture just before the snap is imminent for the defense.”

Cheat motion was a little wrinkle taken from the CFL where players are allowed to run full speed toward the line of scrimmage just before the snap.

McVay agreed that cheat motion is the closest the NFL has to the CFL’s pre-snap rules, admitting it gives the offense an advantage.

“Yeah, I think those and the jet motions, they’re all variations of fast motions that are going lateral as opposed to being able to attack the line of scrimmage because of the way that our game is officiated,” he said in October. “It does establish a certain amount of momentum that’s probably the closest thing to that. There’s nothing quite like a full speed towards the line of scrimmage sprint motion that those guys can do. It really creates some leverage and some momentum for you.”

Though there is now a rule preventing cheat motion, it’ll be fascinating to see how often officials actually flag the play for being illegal.

Update: According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, cheat motion is actually still legal. McVay said Thursday that the rule remains as-is in response to PFT’s report.

“When we’ve talked about this at the league meetings and (with) the competition committee, it’s same-as,” he said. “There might be a nuance in the way that it is written in terms of a receiver going from a two-point (stance) to a three-point (stance). Unless we’re back to the ’60s, I have not seen that.

“As far as the ways the motions pre-snap will be officiated, it’ll be same-as.”

Tutu Atwell excited about chance to return kicks this year: ‘It’s going to be dangerous’

Tutu Atwell loves the new kickoff rule and plans to be a key contributor on special teams this year

Tutu Atwell has struggled to maintain a role on offense in his first three years in the NFL. He has the speed to win downfield but he’s fallen behind other receivers on the depth chart.

One area where he could contribute more is on special teams. He returned 10 punts and five kickoffs as a rookie in 2021, albeit with limited success, but he’s planning to give the return game another crack this year.

During his press conference on Tuesday, Atwell was visibly excited about the opportunity to return kicks. He got some reps at that spot this spring after the NFL announced new rules for the kickoff that make it more like an offensive play and he feels he’s a perfect fit for that role.

“Yeah, no doubt. I’m going to be back there this year,” Atwell said. “We’re going to see some Tutu at kick return. When I found out about the new rule, I was like, ‘Man, dang. Knowing you got guys coming down full speed but they’ve got to wait until I catch the ball, it’s going to be dangerous. I’ll take a chance at that this year.”

The Rams haven’t determined who will return kickoffs this season because there’s still a lot of time until the season begins, but Atwell clearly believes he’s a candidate for the job. He might be undersized but his 4.3 speed is undeniable and could be a weapon in the open field.

“We’ve been practicing it, trying to get a feeling of it, and I had a couple of reps, other guys had a couple reps,” he said. “And it looked good, so we’re going to see. Hopefully we practice it more in training camp and we’re going to see how it goes from there.”

Despite his limited opportunities as a punt returner, Atwell feels comfortable fielding and returning punts. He says the new kickoff setup will be similar to that, only with the advantage of the coverage team having to wait until the returner catches the ball.

That creates some additional space for the returner, which excites Atwell about the prospect of returning kicks.

“It’s similar to the punt return and I get a good feeling of that,” he added. “It’s the same, guys running down, but they’ve got to wait until I catch the ball to go and I think I have an advantage of that.”

Atwell is entering the final year of his rookie contract so he’s got a lot to prove. If he can’t overtake Demarcus Robinson as the No. 3 receiver, maybe he can have a big impact on special teams as a returner.

Rams should use Tutu Atwell the way Derius Davis is deployed by Chargers

After three seasons, Tutu Atwell has yet to make a major impact for the Rams. Perhaps a new role could unlock Atwell’s potential.

Chargers wide receiver Darius Davis is not an intimidating figure at first glance. He stands at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds and while his frame may seem small, his impact was huge in 2023.

Despite a down year for the team, Davis was a second-team All-Pro selection behind his game-changing speed and wizard-like abilities with the football in his hands.

Impacting the game as a pass catcher, ball carrier, and returner, Davis was utilized in a variety of ways within the Chargers’ offense. Like Tutu Atwell, Davis struggles to be an effective threat as a straight-up receiver so the Chargers found creative ways to get the ball in his hands and he made defenders look silly in open space.

The “Derius Davis role” isn’t a new concept. We’ve seen it be used at various levels with players like Tavon Austin, Eric Metcalf and to an extent, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown from time to time.

A modified “H-back,” the Derius Davis role allows offenses to get the ball into the hands of a player quickly and typically with an advantageous matchup against a linebacker instead of a defensive back, while still giving the player the ability to flex out into the slot if the offense so chooses.

For Atwell, his development has been stunted by his health but also his inability to break through in the current offensive structure. It’s clear he’s the odd man out in the Rams’ receiver room so perhaps it’s time to play to his strength.

Atwell is eerily similar to Davis from a measurables perspective. Both men are virtually the same height and weight, both ran their 40-yard dash in under 4 seconds and both suffer from a lack of in-game opportunities.

Atwell’s increased presence would spread the field horizontally and vertically, opening up more pockets of space to throw the ball downfield. It adds a new element to an already potent offense and when you consider the injuries suffered to the Rams’ running back room last season, having another option is never a bad thing.

It’s time for the team to get innovative with their special talent before Atwell’s rookie contract goes to waste.

Will Rams snap NFL’s longest active streak of drafting offense first?

The Rams are tied with the Chargers and Steelers for the longest active streaks of drafting offense first. Will they snap it this year?

Before Sean McVay arrived in 2017, the Los Angeles Rams fielded an anemic offense for years. From 2007 to 2016, they never ranked higher than 21st in points scored and finished last in the NFL in scoring three times.

It’s hardly surprising that he and the Rams have sunk a lot of resources into the offense over the last seven years, being an offensive-minded coach, but this year’s draft class could be more about helping the defense.

Just about every mock draft has the Rams targeting a defensive player in the first round, whether it’s an edge rusher, a cornerback or a defensive tackle to help fill the void left by Aaron Donald. If the Rams do draft a defensive player with their first pick, it’ll snap a four-year streak of Los Angeles taking an offensive player first – tied for the longest active streak in the NFL with the Steelers and Chargers.

Here’s a look at each of the Rams’ top draft picks under McVay.

  • 2023: OL Steve Avila (36th)
  • 2022: OL Logan Bruss (104th)
  • 2021: WR Tutu Atwell (57th)
  • 2020: RB Cam Akers (52nd)
  • 2019: S Taylor Rapp (61st)
  • 2018: OL Joe Noteboom (89th)
  • 2017: TE Gerald Everett (44th)

Going all the way back to 2013, Rapp is still the only defensive player drafted first by the Rams, so it’s been a heavily skewed toward the offense for the last 11 years. That just goes to show it hasn’t been completely because of McVay.

Les Snead, of course, has been the Rams’ GM since 2012, and he’s the primary decision-maker when it comes to draft picks – in conjunction with his head coach.

All signs point toward the Rams taking a defensive player first this year, given their needs on that side of the ball. However, no one should be surprised if they select a wide receiver in Round 1, or potentially an offensive tackle to be the long-term solution behind either Alaric Jackson or Rob Havenstein.