NFL Week 7 Game Recap: Los Angeles Rams 28, Detroit Lions 19

The Detroit Lions played aggressively early and often, converting an onside kick, two fake punts and two fourth downs before the Los Angeles Rams had even possessed the ball.

The Rams proved to be the better team in the end, though, with quarterback Matthew Stafford overcoming an early 10-point deficit to defeat his former team 28-19.

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Detroit Lions

Quarterback

Stafford pitched a nearly perfect game, completing 68% of his passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns. He finished the game with at least three big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays for the first time since the season opener.

Seventeen of his 29 completions went for a first down, as he finished with his highest passing grade of the season (81.1) upon first review.

Stafford: Passing by depth

Running backs

The game script favored the passing attack, which led to limited opportunities for Darrell Henderson. Nearly half of Henderson’s carries came in the fourth quarter when he was asked to milk the clock.

He ended the game with 15 carries for 45 yards, with 96% of those yards coming after contact. Henderson also caught three passes for 19 yards but managed only three first downs on his 18 touches.

Receivers/tight ends

Cooper Kupp was nearly unguardable against the Lions, posting an 89.5 receiving grade to complement a 10-reception, 156-yard and two-touchdown performance. The Rams receiver forced four missed tackles and finished the game with a near-perfect passer rating when targeted.

Three more pass catchers finished the game with at least 40 yards, with Van Jefferson hauling in the third passing touchdown for the Rams. The four main targets combined for 16 first downs and seven explosive receptions.

Offensive line

All five starting offensive linemen played every snap and allowed minimal pressure throughout the game. They combined to allow just seven pressures, with Austin Corbett and Andrew Whitworth pitching a shutout. Both players are set to earn sub-90.0 pass-blocking grades upon first review.

Brian Allen allowed four of the team’s seven pressures while also giving up the lone sack for the Rams.

Defensive line

Five members of the Rams defensive line created multiple pressures in the game to combine for 14 total. Leonard Floyd led the unit with four while also earning the highest pass-rush win percentage. Sebastian Joseph-Day created two pressures but also earned one of the team’s two sacks in the game.

Aaron Donald played his best game against the run, accumulating two defensive stops and leading the unit in positively graded plays against the run. He earned the highest run-defense grade on the team (90.5) upon first review.

Linebackers

Both Kenny Young and Troy Reeder played poorly in coverage. They each allowed at least three receptions while conceding 55 and 52 yards, respectively. They’re both the only Rams players to grade below 50.0 in coverage upon first review.

Secondary

The Rams secondary clamped down against their former quarterback, as they only allowed two receptions when targeted beyond 10 yards. Jalen Ramsey allowed three receptions for nine yards while also coming up with a big interception near the end zone. Nick Scott intercepted Goff on their last possession, as well.

Nobody allowed over 50 yards in coverage, with five players set to grade above 65.0 in coverage.

Los Angeles Rams

Quarterback

It was a reunion game for Jared Goff in Los Angeles, and the former Rams quarterback played as well as the Lions could’ve hoped for until two late interceptions halted any chance of the Lions winning the game.

Knowing how good the Rams' secondary is, he was relatively conservative when throwing the ball, as 70% of his yards came after the catch and his average target was just 4.4 yards downfield.

Despite the two interceptions, Goff finished the game with 268 yards and one score.

Running backs

D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams split carries, and both backs were relatively efficient on the ground. Swift ran the ball for 48 yards but made a big impact as a receiver, catching and running for a 68-yard touchdown. He finished the day with eight receptions for 96 yards as a receiver.

On the other hand, Williams averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 12 attempts, with five of those going for first downs. Both backs forced a combined six missed tackles while also having four explosive carries in the game.

Receivers/tight ends

The Lions' receivers struggled to create separation down the field, which led to a lot of short passes. Kalif Raymond was the only receiver to break through often, finishing the game with six receptions for 115 yards. He moved the chains on five of his six catches while averaging nine yards after the catch per reception.

T.J. Hockenson hauled in six of his eight targets for 48 yards but couldn’t pull in a pass in the end zone that ultimately resulted in an interception. Outside of these two, no other receiver gained more than 20 yards in the game.

Offensive line

The Lions' offensive line handled the Rams pass rush adequately, as the unit only allowed 11 pressures in the game. Evan Brown was the only offensive lineman not to allow pressure and earned the highest pass-blocking grade on the team (80.1).

Rookie Penei Sewell allowed four pressures on 39 pass-blocking snaps and finished with a modest 67.4 pass-blocking grade.

Defensive line

Detroit’s pass rush combined to create 10 pressures but could only take down Stafford on one occasion. Charles Harris, Nick Williams and Julian Okwara tallied multiple pressures in the game, with Okwara earning the lone sack. The defensive line also combined for nine defensive stops against the run.

Linebackers

Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin played most of the snaps on defense, with each recording at least seven tackles and combining for six defensive stops. Anzalone earned an 81.7 coverage grade after allowing only two receptions on four targets for six yards and zero first downs. Anzalone finished with an 82.5 overall grade and was the only member of the defense to grade above 70.0 upon first review.

Secondary

The Lions tried to give different looks to guard their speedy receivers but were unsuccessful, as the secondary was picked apart. The unit combined to allow 281 yards and all three touchdown passes, with four players allowing a passer rating above 100.0 when targeted. Four players allowed over 45 yards in coverage, led by Jerry Jacobs who gave up seven receptions for 76 yards and a score.