8 surprisingly effective LA Rams who could do better in 2022

What about individual performances?

There will always be a moment in the careers, the season, of NFL players where they will need to dig a bit further. It doesn’t always turn out that way. But game by game, month by month, season by some season, momentums shift, opportunities appear and then vanish just as quickly. It’s not always reserved for the elites. Moments fall into the face of anyone on the football field. Some answer the call. Others do not. Why?

Some players simply outplayed their contract, while other players outplayed expectations. Of course, the expectation is that every season, the defense will be led by All-Pro Aaron Donald. And for the most part, that happens. But winning a Super Bowl requires significant contributions from unexpected players and places.

Special team specialist

One of the aspects that I truly appreciate was the sudden emergence of PR/KR Brandon Powell on the Rams’ special teams. In my humble opinion, his emergence proved to be the contribution that was measurably impactful to the outcome of several games in 2021.

Perhaps Powell illustrates why I respect the LA Front office. The folks who assemble the Rams roster each year are not episodic. They do not work frantically for the first four months of the calendar year and call it good. This group remains actively engaged with the coaches, players, and the NFL waiver wire.

Powell was a mid-season addition to the Rams’ return game, and what a difference he made. He single-handedly converted a return game from “I wonder what will go wrong this time?” into a far more positive “I wonder if he will take it to the house this time?”.

Now Powell will have a full training camp and season to follow up his stellar 2021 performance. While there are no guarantees of a repeat performance, he certainly has the makings of a much better 2022 NFL season. Until proven otherwise, we’ll remain on the optimistic side.