Are the Los Angeles Rams Back? Second Half of Game vs Cards Says Yes

Are the Los Angeles Rams Back? Second Half of Game vs Cards Says Yes

16 October, 2023

At halftime, the Rams had just four first downs and six points, which appeared especially concerning for a club that has had a difficult time scoring in the second half this season. But Los Angeles began the second half with eight straight called run plays after only making three rush attempts in the first. Kyren Williams was the star of the spectacular drive, but Cooper Kupp scored the game’s first touchdown to seal the victory:

The Week 6 Sunday action is in the books, and Williams finished with an NFL-high 158 running yards despite only having two carries at halftime. Williams’ day could have been even better, but in the third quarter, he was stopped at the one-yard line and then was penalized for a false start. Eventually, the drive came to a halt as a result of a touchdown that Tyler Higbee missed. Even so, Williams finished the game with an outstanding second-half effort (despite receiving no targets for the first time this season), capping it off with a powerful touchdown run that was initially mistaken for a fumble for a touchback.

Although Kupp’s right ankle was strapped, he seemed OK while contributing 101 of the 123 yards for the Rams in the first half. This week’s No. 3 wideout in fantasy football, he would end with the second-most receiving yards (148). Due to Justin Jefferson’s injury, Kupp is currently competing with Tyreek Hill for the title of top fantasy wide receiver. Since his comeback, Kupp has an absurd 39% target share. All we need is for him to be healthy.

Although Matthew Stafford (9.4 YPA) continues to perform better than his stats would indicate, more touchdowns are on the way. Puka Nacua had a quiet game despite missing a score, but since Kupp’s return, he still has a 34% target share. Nacua is still committed to being a premium WR2. Stafford was only allowed 24 pass attempts according to the game’s storyline. Tutu Atwell only saw one target and is currently a WR4.

Although the quarterback made several impressive runs, Joshua Dobbs struggled for the second consecutive game (-10.1 CPOE in the 14th percentile). Dobbs missed Marquise Brown for a 45-yard touchdown in the second quarter (just out of bounds) then threw a poor pick early in the fourth quarter when he had an open Rondale Moore for a score. Brown’s fantasy managers have noticed this theme all too frequently lately, but at least he received 11 more targets.

The Cardinals lead the NFL in runs of 20 yards or more, but on Sunday, their productivity in fantasy football was ineffective. It wasn’t a major surprise to see Keaontay Ingram out-carry waiver wire favorite Emari Demercado (only three touches) because he had been listed as the top running back on Arizona’s depth chart all week. Damien Williams receiving three times as many touches, though, was unexpected. While James Conner is sidelined, the Cardinals are a backfield to stay away from in fantasy.

Zach Ertz caught a pass late in the fourth quarter to extend his streak of 122 straight games, which is the fourth-longest active streak. Meanwhile, Trey McBride became the team’s co-leader in receiving yards during Sunday’s defeat.