Los Angeles Rams: Grades for Week 1 against the Raiders

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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 10: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders is hit low by Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 10, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Defensively, if the Rams don’t play another team who use tight ends, they’d be in really great shape. To their credit, Jared Cook is awfully good, but as Week 1 can do, it exposed an issue Los Angeles will need to fix, bandage over, etc.

LA will be tremendous on defense in 2018. One thing worth noting, is AD wasn’t much of a factor last night. He just wasn’t. But over the 15 remaining games, that will change.

Beyond the players on the field, the Rams have Wade phillips, and that’s the guy who makes the adjustments that can and will tip games in LA’s favor. Against the Raiders, you heard the names of each free agents acquisition, which means their impact was felt.

That’s money well spent.

But they will have to get better. Cook made them look silly, and in the first half Derek Carr looked all world. To their credit, and over 60 minutes of football, the Rams did wear them down, and forced Carr to look like a quarterback who is working his way back to the middle of the pack of NFL QB’s.

The Rams showed enough to serve notice that 13 points might be a gift on a Sunday afternoon, or whenever Los Angeles lines up.

Defense: B-

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