Dart Break: The Rams Beat NY and Week 2’s Winners

Fullback Alec Ingold, whom Mina Kimes placed on her all-pro list, has been 'horrible' in execution this season; despite Kimes' regard for his talent, his blocking performance in the Chargers' run game has been a significant liability.

Mina Kimes criticized the Chargers' fullback group, noting that the fullbacks have been awful and horrendous. She specifically called out Alec Ingold as part of the execution flaws plaguing the Chargers' run game, where every play features somebody different making a mistake.

Corum shared the Rams backfield with Kyren Williams on 24 combined carries at 6.8 yards per carry. Mina Kimes repeatedly noted that Corum looks significantly more effective than Williams and questioned why Sean McVay continues to favor Williams as the primary ball carrier despite Corum's superior performance and Williams' fumble issues.

Mina Kimes provides a nuanced assessment of Bo Nix's Week 2 performance and offensive ceiling. She notes Nix will never match Jared Goff's high percentage of between-the-numbers throws, but Week 2 vs Jacksonville showed progress: 12 of 13 completions for 66 yards between the hashes. Kimes' core critique is that Nix has sufficient arm talent to rip intermediate throws but remains too cautious and quick to check down, avoiding the middle of the field despite having the arm strength. She frames the Jacksonville game as a turning point where Nix finally deployed velocity in the intermediate zone with Waddle, suggesting this is the key to unlocking a 'super bowl caliber passing attack.' Her stance: Nix's ceiling depends on consistent willingness to attack the middle, not arm talent.

Cody White is exploiting the Chargers' defensive weakness in tight window throws; the Chargers have the second-highest tight window throw rate in the league (only Bills higher), and White is dunking on defenders for touchdowns because the secondary is late and not big enough to break up passes.

Connected with James Winston on a huge play in Week 2; highlighted as a key target option for Winston going forward, particularly in single-high coverage situations where the offense needs to create explosive plays.

Darnell Mooney is positioned as a key target for Jameis Winston in the Rams passing game, particularly on one-on-one and single-high coverage situations where the offense needs to create explosive plays. However, his upside is contingent on Malik Neighbors' availability; if Neighbors is unavailable, defenses can load the box and dare Winston to beat them with accurate throws to Mooney and Malachi Fields.

Adams dominated the Giants secondary with 10 targets, 8 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown, showcasing elite route-running, contested catch ability, and body control. Mina Kimes noted his automatic performance on fades, back-shoulder routes, and a remarkable catch where he extended fully to pluck a Stafford bullet at the rim after the quarterback initially missed him. Against rookie cornerback Colton Hood at the goal line with no safety help, Adams' technical mastery and hand placement remain elite despite reduced athleticism at this stage of his career.

Singletary is part of the Giants' running back rotation alongside Cam Sands and Najee Harris. Mina Kimes noted that the team is still figuring out the touch distribution and doesn't yet know who they want to be the primary back, with the situation complicated by Jackson Dart's injury.

Likely had 8 catches on 8 targets in Week 1 against Dallas' weak linebacker group, but in Week 2 against the Rams, his limitations became apparent. Mina Kimes characterized him as an 'incomplete player' without three-down impact; he was forced into short-yardage and goal-line situations where he doesn't belong (pinning Aaron Donald on a goal-line play), creating tendency problems for the Giants offense. Unlike Terrence Ferguson, who blocks and catches to enable diverse offensive schemes, Likely's narrow skill set limits the Giants' offensive flexibility.

Jacoby Brissett and the Raiders offense torched the Chargers' defense in week 2; Mina Kimes credits offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak with a great game plan that found ways to get the most out of skill players, including getting Trey Tucker opportunities downfield.

Winston was thrust into a Monday Night Football start in Week 2 as a backup and looked completely unprepared. Against the Rams' blitz, he went 1-for-10 for 15 yards and an interception on 13 snaps with five-plus rushers (10 pressures). Mina Kimes noted that while backup quarterbacks often look good in their first start, Winston's performance was particularly poor, and the Giants' offense is not built to play from behind, which forced them away from their preferred two-back sets and run-heavy approach.

The Rams were unafraid to blitz James Winston in Week 2, sending multiple blitzes because they had little concern for his ability to handle aggressive coverage. Mina Kimes notes the Giants appeared unprepared for this defensive approach, suggesting Winston's limitations as a passer influenced the Rams' defensive game plan.

Mina Kimes believes Winston will deliver a better version of his performance than what was shown in Week 2 against the Rams. The upcoming schedule (Titans, Cardinals, Commanders, Saints, Ducks, Eagles) features teams with weak run games, which should allow the Giants' pass rush to operate more effectively and create more explosive plays for Winston to connect on downfield.

Jameis Winston's ability to run the ball is limited compared to other quarterbacks, which constrains the Rams' offensive flexibility. When defenses load the box to stop the run game—which they can do if Malik Neighbors is unavailable—Winston must make accurate throws to Darnell Mooney and Malachi Fields without turning the ball over. This is a historically difficult ask for Winston, as defenses have consistently won this bet against him throughout his career, even during his better seasons.

Mina Kimes expects Jalen Waddle to see significant slot usage in an upcoming matchup (likely Week 3), and notes that if the Rams can get L'Jarius Sneed on Waddle in the slot, it would be a key defensive advantage. This suggests Waddle's slot role is a focal point of the offensive game plan.

Mina Kimes highlights Waddle's emerging role in the Broncos' intermediate passing attack after Week 2 vs Jacksonville. Bo Nix completed 12 of 13 passes for 66 yards between the numbers in this game—a significant development after Week 1 showed minimal middle-field usage. Kimes emphasizes that Waddle was brought in specifically to coax intermediate throws from Nix, citing an anticipatory dig route on third down where the ball was out between the hashes before Waddle broke, plus a post-crosser completion. Kimes argues this middle-field presence, though not the primary attack, is critical to respecting the offense's geometry; without it, defenses can stack the perimeter. She concludes: 'If you can do this with Jalen Waddle, you become a super bowl caliber passing attack immediately.'

Mina Kimes expressed regret about not questioning the fit between Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel's offensive system in the offseason. She noted that Herbert is uncomfortable in the Chargers' pocket structure, doesn't want to throw timing routes blind as McDaniel's scheme requires, and takes too many hits. The combination of a poor pocket shape, uncomfortable quarterback, and timing-route demands creates an unmitigated disaster on every play.

Herbert's performance is hampered by systemic offensive line and run game execution failures; Mina Kimes emphasizes the marriage between quarterback and play caller is broken, with execution flaws on every play involving different personnel—fullback Alec Ingold described as 'horrible' despite being on Kimes' all-pro list, center Cole Strange a 'complete liability in pass protection' and providing no run-game value, and left guard Trey Pipkins dealing with knee injury that may force Trevor Penning into the starting role.

Kirk Cousins exploited the Chargers' zone coverage vulnerabilities in week 2; Mina Kimes notes that Cousins has a history of throwing into open windows against zone coverage (citing his Tampa Bay experience), and the Chargers' previously strong zone windows are 'just open for business right now,' allowing him to attack the defense effectively.

Kirk Cousins played really, really well in Week 2 against the Chargers despite early-season skepticism; Mina Kimes credits him with smart play-calling execution alongside Clint Kubiak's offensive scheme.

Williams and Blake Corum combined for 24 carries at 6.8 yards per carry, running the ball effectively against the Giants' weak run defense. However, Williams fumbled twice in the game (recovering one himself), continuing a pattern of ball security issues that has plagued him. Mina Kimes expressed frustration that Sean McVay continues to deploy Williams as the primary ball carrier despite his historic fumble problems, while Corum consistently looks more effective.

Kyren Williams' impact on the Rams running game is substantial. The speaker notes that Williams 'really does impact the numbers a lot' and wants to see how the running game performs without him. In Week 1 against the Cowboys, Williams generated four yards before contact per carry, a metric that typically indicates either a dominant offensive line or a defense on its heels. This efficiency suggests Williams is a key driver of the Rams' ground attack.

Nabers got hurt during the game and fought through it to return, but was out for a significant portion of the contest. Mina Kimes noted that the Giants' receiving group is still limited and that Nabers 'still doesn't look quite like Malik Nabers yet,' suggesting he has not yet reached his expected performance level.

Stafford threw for 300 yards while being pressured on just 15% of dropbacks (2-for-4 for 25 yards on pressured plays), benefiting from the Rams' dominant run game and clean pocket. Mina Kimes' thesis is that Stafford remains one of the best quarterbacks in football as long as he stays clean; however, his efficiency drops significantly when facing teams that can pressure him, as will be tested against Denver next week. She also noted his tendency to force unnecessary throws late in the first half, suggesting he needs to trust the running game more.

Harris is part of the Giants' running back rotation alongside Cam Sands and Devin Singletary. Mina Kimes noted that the team is still figuring out the touch distribution and doesn't yet know who they want to be the primary back, with the situation complicated by Jackson Dart's injury.

Ricard had only 16 snaps in Week 2 as the Giants were forced to abandon their preferred two-back sets and run-heavy approach after Jackson Dart's injury forced Jameis Winston into the game. Mina Kimes noted that the Giants' offense is built to play from ahead and lean on play-action passing, making them ill-equipped to operate from behind. Ricard is a 'needle-moving guy' who puts defenses in a bind with heavy personnel, but the Giants' offensive limitations and multiple coaching voices (Nagy, Callahan, Roman, Harbaugh) create an incomplete skill-position group.

Nakua was not available for the Week 2 game against the Giants, forcing the Rams to lean more on 13 personnel and increase targets to Terrence Ferguson. Mina Kimes noted that while Nakua will return, he and DeVante Adams are likely to miss more games at some point this season, making Ferguson's development as a third option critical for the Rams' offensive depth.

Johnston went 1-for-5 on targets for 7 yards in Week 2 against the Rams; Mina Kimes detailed all five targets: first was a tip pass, second a perfect hole shot he didn't catch, third he tripped, fourth a four-yard screen in legal formation, fifth Herbert missed him. Kimes characterized this as encapsulating the Chargers' broken passing attack.

Ferguson received 9 targets (second-most on the Rams) with 6 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown, but struggled with drops and contested catch technique. Mina Kimes noted the Rams were intentionally developing Ferguson as the wide receiver three in the offense, committing to high-volume opportunities despite his inconsistencies. His usage shifted dramatically from year one (96 air yards per target as a vertical threat) to year two (short routes, flats, arrows, outs as a safety valve), requiring him to develop softer hands and catch-away-from-frame reliability when Devante Adams or Puka Nakua miss time.

Trey Tucker received downfield opportunities from the Raiders offense in week 2 against the Chargers; Mina Kimes credits offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak with finding ways to get the most out of skill players, including Tucker.

Trey Tucker is still running downfield between the safeties in the Chargers' defensive scheme, exploiting the secondary's inability to stay sharp on tendencies and tight windows.

Tyson Bagent was characterized as better than previous Bears backup options and capable of putting up a fight in the upcoming Bears-Eagles Monday night game, suggesting he can provide competitive play despite being a backup quarterback.

Marks was stuffed on 50% of his runs in Week 2 against the Bengals; Houston's running backs combined for 14 carries for 18 yards (1.3 yards per carry) with only one successful run, indicating severe offensive line and run game struggles.