After a big win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams fell to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon, 30-23. It was a disappointing loss, but one where the Rams showed plenty of fight and promise against one of the best teams in the league.
There was a clear shift in the playing time at running back Sunday with Cam Akers inactive, opening the door for Kyren Williams to be the unquestioned starter and workhorse. At wide receiver, Tutu Atwell led the way with the most snaps played, while Van Jefferson played the third-most at the position.
Buy Rams TicketsOn defense, the Rams didn’t rotate their edge rushers very much, and John Johnson III barely played at safety for the second straight week.
Here’s a full look at the snap counts on offense and defense in Week 2.
Offense
It’s unquestionably Williams’ backfield right now, as he played 76 of a possible 80 snaps on offense. That’s a massive number for a running back, and he touched the ball on 20 of those 76 snaps played. Ronnie Rivers was the only other running back to play.
Atwell and Puka Nacua played the most snaps at wide receiver, with 75 and 69 snaps played, respectively. That left Jefferson as the No. 3 option, though he still played 66 snaps. Ben Skowronek mixed in with a 25% snap share, and Demarcus Robinson was on the field for just six snaps. Austin Trammell played one.
Tremayne Anchrum Jr. replaced Joe Noteboom in the third quarter, playing the final 43 snaps at right guard. The other offensive linemen played all 80 snaps.
Tyler Higbee played 74 snaps and Brycen Hopkins got just nine snaps in the lost as the No. 2 tight end, so the Rams leaned heavily on their traditional 11 personnel groupings with three receivers and one tight end.
Defense
Jordan Fuller and Russ Yeast aren’t in any danger of yielding their starting roles at safety. They each played every snap for the second straight week. Quentin Lake, not John Johnson III, was the third safety, playing 10 snaps compared to just four for Johnson. His lack of involvement on defense is shocking but the Rams obviously like Fuller, Yeast and Lake better than the veteran.
At cornerback, Ahkello Witherspoon has been a staple on the outside, with Derion Kendrick also getting a bulk of the playing time (91%). That leaves Cobie Durant as the No. 3 cornerback, playing just 58% of the snaps. The Rams like Durant in the “star” role, covering the slot, but when they got to their base 3-4 defense, it’s Durant who comes off the field.
Ernest Jones and Christian Rozeboom were on the field together 72% of the time Sunday, with Jones playing every snap again. San Francisco wasn’t in 11 personnel very much so the Rams had to match with more base sets, which is why Rozeboom played so many snaps.
At edge rusher, it was the Michael Hoecht and Byron Young show. They each played 91% of the snaps, with Zach VanValkenburg being the only other edge rusher to see the field; he played just six snaps. That’s a bit concerning because it’s hard to stay fresh when you’re playing almost every snap as an edge rusher.
The defensive line was once again led by Aaron Donald. Jonah Williams, Kobie Turner and Bobby Brown III were the other three primary defensive linemen, with Larrell Murchison playing just six snaps behind them.
