The Los Angeles Rams suffered their second loss of the season on Sunday night, and this one was much different than the first. They blew a 16-point lead to the Denver Broncos, losing by a score of 30-26 on the road. Injuries have piled up for the Rams, forcing Sean McVay and Chris Shula to dip into their depth on each side of the ball.
As a result, the snap counts look quite different than they did in Week 1 when Puka Nacua, Myles Garrett, Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen Watson were all fully healthy.
Below is a breakdown of the playing time from Sunday night's loss, including some separation at running back and a deeper rotation in the secondary.
Offense
The Rams weren't just without Puka Nacua. They also didn't have Terrance Ferguson for most of the game
after he injured his ankle. Jordan Whittington returned after missing one game but he played just 21 snaps, the fewest of any wide receiver who played Sunday night. Davante Adams led the wideouts with an 83% snap share, followed by Konata Mumpfield (73%) and Xavier Smith (44%). It's surprising to see Smith play so much despite not seeing a target or carry.
At tight end, Ferguson was limited to 22 snaps, and Colby Parkinson, who also got hurt, played just 37 snaps. As a result, Tyler Higbee had to step up, playing a season-high 71% of the snaps. Davis Allen played 36%, too.
At running back, Kyren Williams pulled away from Blake Corum, playing 71% compared to 29% for Corum. The Rams rode the hot hand, which was undeniably Williams in this game.
Defense
Injuries are becoming a problem in the secondary. With Kam Kinchens already out, the Rams turned to Jaylen McCollough and Josh Wallace again. Wallace played 87% of the snaps, and outside of one penalty, he played really well. Kam Curl played all but one snap, and Quentin Lake played all 67.
Jaylen Watson got injured in the first half and had to be replaced, which thrust Emmanuel Forbes Jr. into a bigger role. Watson played just 30% of the snaps and Forbes was on the field for a season-high 58% of the snaps.
Nate Landman played 88% and Omar Speights played 60% of the snaps, which has become their usual snap share this season. No other inside linebacker played on defense.
With Myles Garrett still out, Byron Young had to play 88% of the snaps and Josaiah Stewart played 78%. Wesley Bailey (19%) and Desjuan Johnson (18%) were the third and fourth edge rushers off the bench.
Along the D-line, Aaron Donald played 52% of the snaps, down 5% from the 57% he played last week. Kobie Turner led the way with a 61% snap share, but the Rams rotated their defensive linemen fairly frequently; Braden Fiske played 52%, Poona Ford played 31% and Tyler Davis was out there for 20 plays.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams Week 3 snap counts: How LA overcame several injuries vs. Broncos
