Rams-Cardinals PFF grades: Puka Nacua earns top spot for Los Angeles

Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades are in store for the Los Angeles Rams in their Week 17 win over the Arizona Cardinals. LA now has 10 wins this season and has all but won the NFC West.

The Rams would have the luxury of resting the starters in their final game of the season to prepare for hosting a playoff game at SoFi Stadium. The path forward will become clearer in the coming days.

According to PFF, who stood out in this match? Let’s take a look at the grades on both sides of the ball:

The five best grades on offense:

1 – Puka Nacua, WR: 90.3

As I wrote in Saturday night’s Winners and Losers post, Nacua accounted for half of LA’s yardage output on offense. No other Rams receiver had more than 30 yards, and it wasn’t a productive night on the ground for Kyren Williams — although the running back did do some damage in the air.

At this point, Nacua is the Rams’ offense. If they want to advance in the playoffs, they need to find a second option in the passing game.

2 – Colby Parkinson, TE: 74.9

Kyren Williams averaged over four yards per carry on the ground, and it appears that Parkinson played an important role in opening up running lanes. He posted a PFF run-blocking grade of 78.7 in 10 snaps while only running 9 routes in this game. Parkinson took over Hunter Long’s usual role, and Long only played in four snaps as a run blocker. All four tight ends were part of the rotation Saturday night.

3 – Matthew Stafford, QB: 72.9

Stafford received an above-average grade from PFF but has struggled greatly in the last three games. The veteran was credited with three turnover plays, and if the defense was able to convert them, the outlook for this game would be much different. Stafford was particularly reckless with the football in the red zone, and it appeared that Sean McVay was ordering plays to avoid losing the game rather than pushing the ball downfield.

To his credit, Stafford had two great throws and received a positive grade from PFF as a runner (72.6). He had an important fight that kept the chains moving in the red zone.

Stafford was pressured eight times on 33 dropbacks (24%). Still, he completed 17 of 32 passes for 189 yards.

4 – Steve Avila, LG: 69.5

Second-year guard Steve Avila didn’t allow any pressure. He was the only player among the first five offensive linemen to do that against the Cardinals. Avila received a near-elite pass blocking grade of 88.5 from PFF.

5 – Tyler Higbee, TE: 66.7

Higbee played just 17 snaps while getting back into the rotation after the serious knee injury he suffered in last year’s playoff game against the Detroit Lions. He earned a receiving grade of 69.4 and caught two of his three targets for nine yards. On third down, he ran a route just in front of the sticks and McVay decided to punt on the next play.

Further information about the crime:

Arizona doesn’t exactly have a vaunted pass rush, but on a day where LA ran a limited passing game plan, they seemed to outwork the Rams’ offense. The following players each allowed one pressure:

• Kevin Dotson, RG: 1
• Beaux Limmer, C: 1
• Alaric Jackson, LT: 2
• Joe Noteboom, RT: 2
• Matthew Stafford, QB: 2 (not credited to OL or others)

ROLB Zaven Collins had three of the Cardinals’ eight pressures. The rest was across the board and included a pressure on a blitz from safety Budda Baker. Stafford was not fired.

The five best grades in defense:

*Player with at least five snaps

1 – Omar Speights, MLB: 82.8

Speights earned two run stops in this game, but his most impressive contributions came in pass defense – a rare occurrence for a Rams off-ball linebacker to perform well in that facet. The rookie UDFA was targeted four times as the nearest defender and allowed three catches for 25 yards (all after the catch point).

2 – Byron Young, OLB: 76.9

A matchup against the elusive Kyler Murray allows Young to utilize his athleticism, and he usually shines in pursuit of this type of quarterback. Young ranked second in defense with five pressures. He earned a coverage grade of 84.8 and allowed one reception on his only target for four yards.

3 – Bobby Brown, DT: 72.7

Rookie OLB Brennen Jackson was technically the third-highest rated player on defense, but only played two snaps.

Bobby Brown was solid across the board, posting average to above-average marks in the run and pass.

4 – Neville Gallimore, DT: 72.1

Gallimore played 11 snaps, eight of which came against the pass. He achieved a pass-rush grade of 70.5 and generated pressure.

5 – Jared Verses, OLB: 68.6

As he usually does most games, Verse led LA in total pressures with six, although the box score reflected a relatively quiet game for him with no sacks. Verse struggled with missed tackles in the first game against the Cardinals, and this matchup made no difference. The star rookie had a tackling grade of just 27.5 (only Kobie Turner and Tyler Davis were worse) and missed a tackle on just three occasions.

Further notes on defense:

Michael Hoecht finished this game with a defensive grade of just 30.2. He performed well in run defense, but his overall grade was hurt by poor performances as a pass rusher (49.3) and in coverage (27.4). Hoecht generated no pressure in 15 runs. In coverage, he allowed catches on all three of his targets for 36 yards (31 after the catch). To his credit, Hoecht had a key play by blocking a Cardinals attempt at an extra point, leaving Arizona going for a touchdown instead of a field at the end of the game.

Special teams findings:

I don’t normally write notes on special teams, but given the relatively poor offensive output and the way LA played the field positioning game, special teams played an important role in leaving SoFi Stadium with a win.

Michael Hoecht achieved the best mark of 93.3 for special teams with his blocked extra point attempt.

Xavier Smith also achieved an elite grade of 90.0 with four punt returns. He also caught a punt from Ethan Evans over his shoulder and landed the ball at the three-yard line, something you don’t see often.

Evans has four punts that move the ball inside the Rams’ 20-yard line without a touchback.

Kicker Josh Karty converted both field goal attempts, including one from outside 50 yards, and added his only extra point.