Rams stock up, stock down: Kevin Dotson needs to start moving forward

Which players have seen their stock rise and stock go down on the Rams since losing to the Eagles?

The Los Angeles Rams lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-14, in Week 5 to fall to 2-3. It was the second time this season that the offense was held under 20 points. Still, there were some performances worth pointing out while others were forgettable and need corrected moving forward. Here’s this week’s stock up, stock down.

Stock Up: iOL Kevin Dotson

There shouldn’t be any reason that Kevin Dotson is removed from his spot at right guard. Over the past two weeks, Dotson has been the fourth-highest graded guard according to Pro Football Focus. He only allowed one pressure against the Eagles and has been one of the Rams’ best offensive linemen.

Dotson got an opportunity on Sunday with Noteboom hurt and made the most of it against a good defensive line. He should not lose his spot once Noteboom gets healthy. Until he shows otherwise, Dotson needs to be among the starting five.

Stock Down: CB Derion Kendrick

The Derion Kendrick experience is always a ride. In the second quarter, he makes a great play on Quez Watkins for force a tackle for loss and Philadelphia to kick a field goal. Yes, Watkins could have done more, but Kendrick also made a nice tackle in space.

On the other end of the spectrum, the very next drive Kendrick gives up 27 yards in penalties, allowing the Eagles to score before the half. Kendrick would be a good depth player on a roster, but he shouldn’t be starting. Unfortunately with where things stand on the Rams defense, he’s a starting cornerback.

Stock Up: P Ethan Evans

It was one of those weeks where it’s time to give the punter his dues and give him some credit where it’s deserved. Evans had four punts on Sunday and three of them were inside the 20. His 53.8 yards per attempt ranked third in the NFL in Week 5.

There have been some concerns about Evans out-kicking his coverage and his 17.5 yards per return was the second-most for the week. However, Evans had a good day and continues to show improvement.

Stock Down: Second-Half Offense

The Rams offense in the second half of games needs to be better. It’s that simple. You can’t play 30 minutes of offense and expect to win games, especially when your team is build around the offense.

After a promising first-half, the offense was completely shutout against the Eagles. Since Week 2, the Los Angeles offense has completely disappeared in the second-half of games. The Rams offense ranks 31st in the NFL in second-half offense EPA in Weeks 2-5. They are averaging just -0.268 EPA/play in that time span. Only the New England Patriots led by Mac Jones and Bill O’Brien are worse.

Stock Up: EDGE Ochaun Mathis

Going under the radar last week was Ochaun Mathis being activated from injured reserve along with Cooper Kupp. Mathis was active for the game, taking Nick Hampton’s spot. While he only played 10 snaps, those snaps should lead to more moving forward.

Despite playing just 10 snaps, Mathis had two pressures and his 14.3 percent pressure percentage ranked tenth among edge rushers with at least five pass rush snaps. This isn’t to say that Mathis should be starting, but he should work his way into Michael Hoecht and Zach Van Valkenburg’s reps.

Stock Down: CB Cobie Durant

It’s time to start talking about Cobie Durant’s sophomore slump. He had two more missed tackles on Sunday to bring his season total up to four. His missed tackles on Kenneth Gainwell and Jalen Hurts both came on third downs and allowed conversions. That’s not scheme, but rather lack of player execution.

The player in the star role needs to be physical and be able to make those tackles in space. If that’s not Durant, he needs to go back to the role that he was in last year. As of right now, Durant is a liability as a tackler in space and in the run game.