8 optimistic observations from LA Rams opening loss

Optimistic Observation VIII: LA Rams DB Scott

This one, in all honesty, could have been the number one bright spot on this list. But I wanted to jump right into praising the performance of LA Rams DB Nick Scott. Not only does he play old-school physical smash-mouth football, but as you can see in the video below, he clearly has at least seven stitches on his face very close to his right eye.

So why am I jumping in to defend the guy? In one play, this play, he was stiff-armed by Buffalo Bills’ 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback Josh Allen. During and after the game, it became so viral, that folks started crawling out of the woodwork to ridicule him on that play:

and yet, his play was outstanding. How can I say that?  Well, because I watched the game, that’s how. He was given an outstanding Pro Football Focus grade of 85.2 in the opener, a result of seven tackles, two forced fumbles, and one pass breakup. His performance was so outstanding, that even longtime Rams detractor Richard Sherman came to his defense

That’s just how dominating he was. And it exemplifies what is becoming a pattern of lesser-known players stepping up in huge ways for this team.