Rams snap counts: Akers is RB1, Weddle plays 19 snaps in return vs. Cardinals
Cam Akers and Eric Weddle both made remarkable returns in the last few weeks, going on to contribute in the Rams’ 34-11 win over the Cardinals in Monday’s wild-card game. Akers came back from a torn Achilles in less than six months, while Weddle came out of retirement after two years away from the game.
Both players were on the field for a good portion of the Rams’ win against Arizona, particularly in Akers’ case. Looking at the snap counts, it’s easy to see that he’s emerged as the No. 1 running back in Los Angeles and may not let go of that role for years.
Here’s a breakdown of who played how much in Monday’s win.
Offense
Seven players on offense played every single snap, and only four of them were offensive linemen. Tyler Higbee never came off the field, nor did Cooper Kupp or Matthew Stafford. Andrew Whitworth was the lone lineman who didn’t play every snap, missing about 30 plays due to a knee injury suffered on the first play of the game. Joe Noteboom replaced him on those 30 snaps, and also came in as a sixth lineman for three plays.
Akers vaulted Sony Michel for the No. 1 running back role, out-snapping Michel 32 to 24. Michel remains an important player on offense and got the start at running back, but Akersis the more explosive runner and better receiver.
Odell Beckham Jr. and Van Jefferson were WR2 and WR3 once again, though only one snap separated the two. Their playing time was slightly on the lower side because the Rams used so many different personnel groupings, using heavy packages with six linemen and also putting multiple tight ends on the field together.
Kendall Blanton and Brycen Hopkins played 12 and 11 snaps, respectively, mostly contributing on running plays. Neither of them was targeted by Stafford.
Defense
Nick Scott stepped in as the primary safety in place of Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp, never coming off the field. Darious Williams played every snap, as well, while Jalen Ramsey played 48 of a possible 56 snaps on defense. Dont’e Deayon is the third cornerback still, though David Long Jr. played 19 snaps before injuring his knee in the first half, so the coaching staff is high on him, too.
Terrell Burgess played a season-high 37 snaps as the No. 2 safety, staying on the field two-thirds of the time. He played well, too, which has fans wondering why he didn’t get a shot earlier in the season. Weddle was the rotational third safety, playing 19 snaps (34%) in his return from retirement. If Rapp comes back next week, Weddle’s role is likely to shrink.
Greg Gaines played more snaps than any of the Rams’ defensive linemen, edging Aaron Donald out by four plays. A’Shawn Robinson played 57% and stood out with a team-high seven tackles. Marquise Copeland played 15 snaps, and both Bobby Brown and Michael Hoecht got in the game down the stretch when the score was lopsided.
Troy Reeder wore the green dot as the defensive signal caller and played all but seven snaps. Travin Howard shined in his increased role, playing 30 snaps in the win over Arizona.
Leonard Floyd and Von Miller made a big impact in this game and played more than half the snaps, getting a little bit of time off late during the blowout.
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