PFF grades: standouts in good and bad ways as the Rams look towards playoffs
That’s a wrap on the regular season for the 2025 Los Angeles Rams. LA next takes the field on Saturday afternoon on the road against the Carolina Panthers, winners of the NFC South division.
Before we fully turn our attention to the postseason, let’s take a glance in the rear view mirror and assess standpoint performers (in both good ways and bad) according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades and metrics.
Team grades:
Overall: #1 – 96.2
Seahawks #2 (93.6), Lions #3 (93.3), Patriots #4 (91.9), Texans #5 (88.9)
Offense: #1 – 93.6
49ers #2 (84.5), Patriots #3 (84.2), Seahawks #4 (83.6), Lions #5 (82.8)
Defense: #1 – 87.7
Browns #2 (84.5), Texans #3 (83.0), Seahawks #4 (82.8), Lions #5 (82.0)
Special teams: #26 – 73.7
The Rams are PFF’s top team on each side of the ball and the highest graded overall team. They fall short in the third phase of the game, special teams, and this is an area that potentially cost LA up to three wins on the season. Ultimately this was the defense between making the playoffs as a wildcard entrant and winning the NFC West division.
It is notable that the Seahawks also rank in the top five on each side of the ball and overall are just behind Los Angeles overall. These are two of the best teams in all of the NFL.
The Lions must be disappointed to not make the playoffs. They also ranked in the top five on offense/defense and finished sixth in special teams. The Bears and Packers both made the playoffs while Detroit and Jared Goff now sit at home.
Notes on offense:
- Puka Nacua, WR: 96.3
- Matthew Stafford, QB: 93.5
- Kevin Dotson, RG: 86.4
- Davante Adams, WR: 85.2
- Warren McClendon, RT: 83.5
It is no surprise that Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford, and Kevin Dotson lead the Rams in grading. Nacua, when healthy, is evidently the best player on the field. His connection with Stafford deepened and the stat sheet reflects improvement from both.
LA’s offense doesn’t look the same since Dotson was injured in the most recent game against Seattle. He’s the Rams’ best offensive lineman (hands down) and excels at creating pathways for Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in the rushing game. Fingers crossed that Dotson is able to return for the playoffs.
We also cannot ignore the found money in Warren McClendon. The Rams were in a seemingly impossible position with Rob Havenstein’s play taking a major step back. They had a hole that would require either big free agent money or a top draft pick to fix, and instead McClendon grabbed the starting job at right tackle and never looked back.
Notes on defense:
- Poona Ford, DT: 86.2
- Byron Young, EDGE: 84.9
- Jared Verse, EDGE: 83.9
- Kobie Turner, DT: 83.1
- Quentin Lake, DB: 75.1
It’s somewhat rare in the NFL for free agent acquisitions to immediately prove their worth on new teams; however, that has exactly been the case for Poona Ford. Ford has transformed the Rams’ run defense (with some exceptions) and helped turnaround a unit that single handily lost games last year against the likes of Saquon Barkley.
Jared Verse and Byron Young form one of the best EDGE duos in the NFL. While PFF grading indicates Verse has taken a step back in run defense, Young has converted this from a weakness to a strength.
Lake was recently rewarded with a contract extension to keep him from hitting free agency this spring. His extended absence made the Rams and fans realize how important he is to this defense, as LA took a major downturn without their captain.
- Nate Landman, MLB: 72.3
- Ahkello Witherspoon, CB: 54.3
- Emmanuel Forbes: CB: 53.8
- Ty Hamilton, DT: 29.9
Landman doesn’t necessarily belong in this list of lowlights. 72.3 is the highest defensive grade of his career. Still, he had a rough last month of the season where he missed eight tackles over the final four games. The Rams need him to perform better and more reliably into the postseason.
Playoff opponents will lick their chops at the opportunity to face the Rams’ corners. This group, while there have been periods of promising play, have mostly performed poorly over the course of the season. We can argue whether Forbes or Witherspoon should start opposite of Cobie Durant on Saturday; however, neither are likely the long-term answer. Forbes, Josh Wallace, and Darious Williams (unlikely to return) are the only corners under contract into 2026.
Last and least, Ty Hamilton, a rookie the Rams traded up to draft, looked awful during the postseason and looked awful in the regular season as well. His supposed strength is run defense and he earned a mark in this facet from PFF of just 29.6. The Rams may not want to move on from Hamilton because of the cost paid to acquire him, but we must ask ourselves whether the sunk costs merit keeping him around.
Category: General Sports
