The Los Angeles Rams are set to host the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night to kickstart Week 14. When the NFL scheduled this game, it likely expected both teams to be in playoff contention at this point of the season.
On the contrary, the Raiders are 5-7 and are in third place in the AFC West despite adding Davante Adams and Chandler Jones in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Rams boast a 3-9 record after winning the Super Bowl a season ago and are in last place in the NFC West.
With the Rams looking to end a six-game losing streak, here are five players to watch in Thursday’s matchup with the Raiders.
Cam Akers
The Rams have deployed a combination of Cam Akers and Kyren Williams in recent weeks following the release of Darrell Henderson. It was Williams who led the charge in Week 12 versus the Kansas City Chiefs, but Akers had one of the most productive outings of his career in Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Akers tallied 60 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 17 attempts a week ago. After almost being traded and released earlier this season, it would be a positive sign to see Akers string together two straight productive performances for the Rams.
Tutu Atwell
Even though Tutu Atwell’s selection in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft has been a controversial topic among fans, he’s flashed potential in recent weeks. Amid all of the injuries at the wide receiver position, Atwell has combined for 133 receiving yards and a touchdown on five receptions while he rushed for 23 yards on four carries in Week 13.
Also, Atwell should have another touchdown under his belt, but John Wolford underthrew a wide-open pass to him in last week’s loss to the Seahawks. Regardless of who is starting at quarterback for the Rams on Thursday, it’s clear that Atwell needs even more usage in the offense.
Rob Havenstein
It’s been a rough season for the offensive line of the Rams, including Rob Havenstein. After having to block Uchenna Nwosu, who is having a career year with the Seahawks this season, Havenstein will be tasked with slowing down Maxx Crosby on Thursday night.
While the Raiders have struggled this season, Crosby is quietly having another stellar campaign in 2022 with a career-high 10.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. Crosby has evolved into one of the premier edge rushers in the NFL and Havenstein will need to keep him out of the backfield if the Rams want a chance to sustain drives.
Michael Hoecht
Sean McVay jokingly said that he wishes he knew Michael Hoecht was this good of an edge rusher sooner after he logged another impressive outing in Week 13. Hoecht notched three combined tackles, two sacks, and a tackle for loss in the loss to the Seahawks.
With injuries to Aaron Donald and A’Shawn Robinson and the lack of pass-rushing production, Hoecht has logged 84 percent of the defensive snaps for the Rams in back-to-back weeks. Being that the Rams aren’t in playoff contention, finding someone like Hoecht that can produce off of the edge in the future could be beneficial.
Jalen Ramsey
It was a rough showing for the secondary of the Rams in Week 13 versus the Seahawks as D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett combined for 17 receptions, 255 yards, and two touchdowns. Jalen Ramsey was in coverage on Metcalf for a decent portion of the game, including the game-winning touchdown catch.
Even with Ramsey being criticized by many, he’s still a premier cornerback in the NFL. And while he doesn’t shadow the No. 1 wide receiver on the opposing team on every snap, he’ll be covering an elite wide receiver in Davante Adams on Thursday night for a majority of the contest.
