The Los Angeles Rams have been forced to start some players they never expected to this season, suffering countless injuries on both sides of the ball. They’ve done their best to make it work but it would be hard for any team to overcome the losses the Rams have had this year.
On Sunday against the Seahawks, they once again scoured the depth chart to find role players who could contribute in meaningful ways. There was also the return of starting running back Cam Akers after he played significantly fewer snaps than Kyren Williams a week ago against the Chiefs.
Here’s a breakdown of the snap counts from Week 13 with notes on each position group.
Offense
The Rams’ five starting offensive linemen played every snap again, which is truly an accomplishment for that group this season. It was their 12th different combination of the season but perhaps they won’t make it 13 in Week 14.
Akers played 72% of the offensive snaps, his highest share in any game this season. He hadn’t played more than 39% since Week 3, only getting 62 total snaps in his previous four games combined since he returned to the team. Williams was surprisingly held to just 18 offensive snaps after leading the backfield last week. He only carried it three times, too.
Van Jefferson played every snap for the first time this season, gradually building up his workload after returning from a knee injury. Ben Skowronek was the No. 2 receiver in playing time, followed by Tutu Atwell and Brandon Powell. Austin Trammell surprisingly got some reps, too, playing 10 snaps.
Tyler Higbee played most of the game, which left very few opportunities for Brycen Hopkins, who was on the field for 10 snaps and wasn’t targeted once.
Bryce Perkins played one snap in place of John Wolford after he left briefly to be checked for an injury.
Defense
In his first game against the Seahawks, Bobby Wagner unsurprisingly played every snap, as he does each week. Ernest Jones played 69% of the snaps as the No. 2 linebacker and finished second on the team with eight tackles.
Derion Kendrick played every snap, one more than even Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey, Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp were pulled off the field for the Seahawks’ final play, which was a kneel down in the fourth quarter.
Leonard Floyd only came off the field for four snaps, playing his usual role as the top edge rusher. Michael Hoecht was highly productive as a starter at outside linebacker, recording two sacks in 56 snaps played.Keir Thomas and Daniel Hardy were the backup edge rushers but they played a combined eight snaps.
Cobie Durant began to push David Long Jr. for snaps in this one, finally getting on the field for the first time since Week 2 and he delivered with a clutch pass breakup on second down late in the fourth quarter. Long only played seven more snaps than Durant.
The defensive line featured a bigger rotation of players than usual with Aaron Donald and A’Shawn Robinson out. Jonah Williams actually played the most of any D-lineman, followed by Greg Gaines, Marquise Copeland and Bobby Brown III. T.J. Carter got on the field for just one snap.
