Detroit Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
Final Score: Rams 41, Lions 34
Writer: Cesar Escajeda
An abundance of playmakers on both sides positively lit up the scoreboard in a clash of NFC heavyweights, as the Rams outlasted the Lions in a monster display of offensive firepower.
Four Up
- Amon-Ra St. Brown — The elite wideout struck like lightning right out of the gate, racking up 120-plus yards and two touchdowns in the first half ALONE. His stats weren’t nearly as explosive coming out of the half as the entire Lions’ offense struggled, but St. Brown was consistently the hot target all afternoon. You were either absolutely delighted or outright disgusted by the numbers he put up in the late window.
- Kyren Williams — The Rams’ running game was successful just about the entire matchup, as Williams had his way with Detroit’s front seven — especially in the red zone. His physical running helped him rack up two rushing scores in short order, and in tandem with fellow back Blake Corum helped ice the game late in front of the home crowd.
- Jameson Williams — Detroit has itself quite the WR corps, to put it lightly. Williams put on quite the show against the Rams’ secondary, finding gap after gap in coverage downfield to the tune of a whopping 19.1 yards per reception. The young wideout has continued his quick ascension to fantasy stardom, finishing the day with an incredible 7-134-1 stat line. L.A. looked intent to double-team and take away St. Brown in the second half, allowing Williams to thrive all over the field.
- Colby Parkinson — Fellow pass catcher Davante Adams leads the league in touchdown receptions, but it was Parkinson who paced L.A. in TD receptions against the Lions. Mathew Stafford had no hesitation looking his way throughout the afternoon, with two second-half touchdowns sent his way to cap off the win. It was a breakout game for the TE, and with Adams potentially uncertain down the stretch with a hamstring injury its possible a number of those red-zone targets end up going Parkinson’s way.
One Down
- Jahmyr Gibbs — There were nine touchdowns scored in this matchup, but not a one was scored by Gibbs. Just 10 days removed from his stellar Thursday night performance, he was absolutely shut down by the Rams’ run defense — allowing the talented RB just 58 total yards all afternoon. Considering the mind-blowing amount of offense this game had, it’s a massive disappointment to see.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 25/41, 338 Yards, 3 TDs
A return to where it all began fueled Jared Goff‘s performance, despite the loss.
Notes
- The veteran QB wasn’t the reason for Detroit’s collapse. To start the game, the former Ram came out firing on all cylinders — slinging the football with full confidence and putting up his three scores through the air near effortlessly. L.A. adjusted in the second-half, however, and Goff could only muster a single TD drive through six possessions. It was mistake-free football, but the coverage thrown at him seemed to throw the offense off rhythm, while the Rams’ offense ramped up the pressure with three TDs of their own. It is hard to fault the QB given how explosive the weaponry surrounding him is, but it’s likely a sour loss to absorb given how well he played.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: 13 Carries, 38 Yards | 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 20 Yards
A fantasy playoff-opening letdown.
Notes
- Jahmyr Gibbs was bottled up for much of the afternoon through both the ground and in the air. It was a startling contrast to last weeks performance against Dallas, where he basically had his way on every touch. Instead, Gibbs managed just 2.9 yards per carry and four meager catches for 20 yards receiving. The daunting front seven for L.A. seemed hellbent on ensuring he would not beat them, which opened up opportunities for Detroit’s other playmakers who were happy to pick up the slack.
David Montgomery: 7 Carries, 32 Yards, TD | 1 Target
David Montgomery looked a lot more physical running the ball, and punched in his 1-yard TD as a direct result. He fared better on the ground than his fellow teammate but was nonexistent in the passing game, limiting his numbers as a result.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 18 Targets, 13 Receptions, 164 Yards, 2 TDs
An insane performance that likely made (or ruined) everyone’s weekend.
Notes
- It’s hard to put into words just how dominant Amon-Ra St. Brown was in this one, especially in the first half. On the first TD of the day, Goff found him in the perfect spot against the Rams’ cover-4 to score. His second was a WR screen that St. Brown took to the house on a nifty run. The rest of the game was filled with highlight catches across the middle and down the sideline, outracing and outgunning every defender thrown at him. It took full on double coverage and safety-bracketing adjustments to finally contain him, which paid dividends to seal the win for L.A. in the second half. Still, the volume was plenty and he managed to cause some damage regardless — though it was night and day compared to the start of the game.
Jameson Williams: 9 Targets, 7 Receptions, 134 Yards, TD
Consistently productive once again, and just as lethal opposite St. Brown.
Notes
- Jameson Williams picked up the second-half slack in the passing game, torching any and all coverage deep downfield with a litany of acrobatic catches. The nature of the game forced Detroit to air the ball out, but it felt like Williams was more a feature than a result of that as the game wore on. He looked to be the first read on multiple plays, and his involvement continued a trend of explosive seven-catch games. Given the uphill battle the Lions find themselves in the playoff hunt, I’d expect more of the same for the talented playmaker down the stretch.
Kalif Raymond: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 20 Yards
Isaac TeSlaa: 1 Target
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Mathew Stafford: 24/38, 368 Yards, 2 TDs, INT | 1 Carry, 2 Yards, Fumble (Recovered)
It was a slower start, but once he got going the command of the offense was masterful.
Notes
- The game got off to a nightmare start for Matthew Stafford with a pick plucked out of the air by DE Aidan Hutchinson, killing a promising drive and setting up the Lions in easy striking distance. It was all business from that point on, however, as the veteran MVP candidate took control against an undermanned defense and went punch for punch against the Lions’ offense. Stafford aired the ball out to nine receivers on the afternoon, slinging it around while riding the running game to keep the ball out of Detroit’s hands.
Running Back
Kyren Williams: 15 Carries, 78 Yards, 2 TDs | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
A bit of a committee-type day in the Rams’ backfield, but Kyren Williams got his share.
Notes
- Williams took full advantage of a banged-up defense to start, punching in two first-half TDs to keep the score close early on. L.A. leaned on him and Blake Corum to bang out the tougher yards throughout the game, with the two combining for 149 yards on 26 carries. The committee approach likely bothered many fantasy managers in the first week of playoffs, but it was a successful 1-2 punch for the Rams that they were happy to win with ultimately.
Blake Corum: 11 Carries, 71 Yards, TD
Blake Corum was even more effective on the ground behind a 6.5-yards per carry average. Volume-wise, he was essentially right there with Williams, and saw healthy usage late in the game when L.A. was still trying to put the game on ice. Coach Sean McVay tends to ride the hot hand at RB, and Corum has earned his playing time as the season has worn on.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Puka Nacua: 11 Targets, 9 Receptions, 181 Yards | 2 Carries, 8 Yards
It’s a given in a shootout that Puka Nacua is leading the way for the Rams.
Notes
- Nacua was the main beneficiary downfield in the passing game on an afternoon that saw 519 yards of offense. He was physical after the catch and was Stafford’s go-to read on virtually every passing down. Nacua exited the game late with what turned out to be cramps, but returned to finish out a monster day.
Colby Parkinson: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 75 Yards, 2 TDs
A TD magnet down the stretch.
Notes
- Finishing third in targets on the team, Colby Parkinson managed to do his damage late in the game with the secondary hyperfixated on Nacua and Davante Adams. His first TD was an absolute highlight-reel catch down the sideline, bringing it down above a heavily draped defender for six. His second put the nail into the coffin for Detroit, pushing the Rams to go up by 14 late in the fourth quarter. It was an impressive performance all around, and one that establishes him as a solid option at the TE position to finish the season.
Davante Adams: 9 Targets, 4 Receptions, 71 Yards
Davante Adams‘ hamstring injury obviously looms large. Adams was having a decent day before his fourth-quarter exit, though not nearly as productive in the red zone as he had been all season. Detroit keyed in on the veteran in that area of the field, putting double coverage on him and shading defenders to take away any easy route inside. L.A. managed to score regardless, but it hurt for fantasy managers counting on yet another TD for Adams.
Davis Allen: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 16 Yards
Tutu Atwell: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Terrance Ferguson: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Jordan Whittington: 1 Target
Konata Mumpfield: 1 Target