Davante Adams’ stat line from Week 1? Brutal. Three catches for 26 yards, zero touchdowns. That’s a straight-up gut punch, and the advanced metrics only make it worse, with a shocking -1.7 total EPA generated (per RBSDM) and a -9.9% catch rate over expected (per NFL Pro). Yeah, the Los Angeles Rams lost their season opener to the San Francisco 49ers, and while you can’t pin it all on Adams, you also can’t ignore those numbers if the Rams want to hit their offensive peak this season.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, Even If Week 1 Does
Look, it’s fair to assume Adams will crank out high-level production again. His game should totally age well, and honestly, it already has. And let’s be real, barely anyone on the entire Rams roster showed up at The MCG, so it’s not like his lackluster performance was some glaring anomaly. Plus, as Kyle Brandt from Good Morning Football always says, Week 1 is a liar. We see insane results and head-scratching performances every single year. Given how unique this specific game was, maybe it’s easy to just flush it and chalk it up to a weird situation. But deep down, the version of Adams that hit the field on Thursday night just ain’t gonna cut it for the Rams’ offense to be at its best. Forget the “hall of fame credentials” talk from the offseason, the counting stats and the advanced analytics are screaming disappointment from that season opener.
Red Zone Woes and Rising Concerns
Here’s where it gets hairy: the Rams’ Red Zone play-calling in that game was a head-scratcher. They ran nine plays in the Red Zone, and seven of them were runs! Only two were pass plays, and Adams was only in for half of those. Six of those nine Red Zone plays came in 13 personnel, with five runs and just one pass play. That kind of usage, or lack thereof, is something Domain Fantasy Football was calling out on September 11, 2026, even looking back at Adams’ 2025 13 personnel usage on pass plays. It’s not just about one game, though. There are real, surface-level concerns about what Adams can deliver in 2026. His age, plus a noticeable increase in injuries lately, make this scenario a bit nerve-wracking for the Rams. If Adams starts to decline faster than folks expect, is there even enough talent with Puka Nacua and the other role players to pick up the slack? Add in any lingering questions about Matthew Stafford, and suddenly that Los Angeles offense is in a far more tenuous spot than anyone in the NFL world could have imagined.
The point is clear: you don’t have to believe the Davante Adams we saw in Week 1, 2026, is the one the Rams are stuck with all season. The odds are still low. But that performance shines a blindingly bright spotlight on how absolutely critical it is for him to play at a much higher level as this season continues. The Rams built a receiving corps around Nacua, Adams, and some role players, and they need Adams to be the superstar he’s been.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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