LOS ANGELES — Sometimes all it takes is a dropped pass for a quarterback to lose faith in a receiver. But when Rams receiver Tutu Atwell dropped a ball Sunday, quarterback Matthew Stafford went right back to him on the next play, finding Atwell on a crossing route for a first-down conversion.
Stafford’s trust in Atwell didn’t waiver in the Week 3 win over the 49ers, connecting with Atwell on a critical, 50-yard post route to set up the game-tying touchdown.
“It means a lot. It’s just something I’ve been building since Day 1,” Atwell said, “and I’m just going to keep building and keep moving forward, keep making plays.”
After his four-catch, 93-yard performance – not to mention drawing a 48-yard pass interference penalty – on Sunday, the Rams are looking for more ways to incorporate Atwell into their offense.
The fourth-year receiver received only 16 total snaps across the first two weeks of the season. But injuries to Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) left the Rams in need of playmakers to weather the storm during that duo’s extended absence.
Atwell gave the Rams what they were looking for during his 43 snaps last weekend. His speed downfield and behind the line of scrimmage as a motion guy kept the 49ers defense’s attention, as even a short pass could turn into a big gain with his quickness.
“It makes you realize he probably should have gotten other opportunities. He’s always been called upon and he’s always kind of delivered,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said in the immediate aftermath of the victory over the 49ers, rubbing his forehead during the admission. “I think this is a steppingstone for him, but I’m proud of him. I think it’s a real tribute to his work.”
Atwell similarly stepped up for the Rams last year when Kupp started the season on injured reserve. His six-catch, 119-yard game in the opener was overshadowed by Nacua’s rookie breakout, but Atwell recorded at least 50 receiving yards in each of the first three games in 2023.
But he only had one similar performance for the rest of the season, a 76-yard game in Week 12. A concussion sidelined him for a week, and in his absence Demarcus Robinson climbed into the No. 3 receiver job for the Rams.
Now the Rams will look to keep Atwell involved in the offense moving forward. The former second-round pick doesn’t have a typical NFL body at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds. But his speed makes him different from the other receivers on the Rams roster and can present different looks to stress opposing defenses.
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“There is a lot of trust. I think he and Matthew have a good trust. He did a lot of really good things for us last year and let’s see if we can build on that,” McVay said Wednesday. “Tutu made some big plays for us. He knew that he was going to get an opportunity and he delivered. Again, just happy for him and now let’s see how we move forward the right way.”
Briefly
Rams tight end Davis Allen (back spasms) is expected to play in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, though McVay cautioned that would depend on how his day of practice went Friday.