WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell came up clutch time after time in Sunday's comeback win over the 49ers. There's no other way to put it.
With 2:43 remaining on the clock, Atwell simply outran veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward on the drive's first play to haul in a 50-yard bomb from quarterback Matthew Stafford. That set up the game-tying touchdown and added 17.5 percentage points to the Rams' win probability, via NFLverse data.
"Ah man, we'd been talking about that (play) all week," Atwell said postgame.
But that wasn't his only big time catch – each of Atwell's four receptions added at least 2.6% to Los Angeles' win probability on Sunday. He had some spectacular grabs in key moments to keep the offense moving and, ultimately, get their first win of the season.
Atwell's 93 receiving yards marked the second-most of his career as he erupted from the depths of an injury-riddled receiver room. He didn't score a touchdown, but that didn't stop him from adding 27.5% to the Rams' win probability on Sunday, the fourth-most of any wideout in Week 3. Without Atwell, the Rams may not have won that vital game to avoid an 0-3 start, which will likely earn him more targets moving forward.
"I wouldn't say I'm surprised," head coach Sean McVay said postgame. "It makes you realize he probably should have gotten other opportunities. He's always been called upon and he's always kind of delivered."
Win Probability Added (WPA) and Expected Points Added (EPA) are estimated by models that analyze the results of past NFL games in order to predict the outcome of current and future games in NFLverse data. As shown in the graph above, Atwell was among the top receivers in the league in both WPA (x axis) and EPA (y axis) in Week 3, adding a projected 27.5% to the Rams' chances of winning, and an estimated 7.8 expected points to the Rams' total score on Sunday. But even without that statistical corroboration, there's no doubt that Atwell made a massive impact on this game's outcome.
"He stepped up for us," Stafford said. "All week he was telling me, 'I got you, I got you.' And you know what? I'm so happy for him."
Stafford also acknowledged that Atwell made multiple "crucial catches on third down," some of which were overlooked due to his massive catch at the end of the game.
In the second quarter, Atwell converted a 3rd-and-8 from the Rams' 15-yard line with a 24-yard snag over the middle. Stafford threw a heater to Atwell on a crossing route, and he was able to stay on his feet despite fully extending his arms to make the catch. Atwell racked up an extra 13 yards on the play, setting the Rams up near midfield on a drive that ended in the Rams' first points of the game.
That was a difficult play that was somewhat overshadowed by the game's insanity down the stretch. That was only the Rams' second first down of the game, and it gave Los Angeles some momentum that would have been tough to build without it. That play added over five points to the win percentage and 2.8 more expected points.
Atwell then completed another first down on a third quarter drive which, you guessed it, also led to a Williams touchdown. This one was a 3rd-and-9 in San Francisco territory, and Atwell juggled the ball short of the marker, corralled it and then ran six yards for a gain of 11.
Earlier on that same drive, Atwell drew a 48-yard pass interference call that basically flipped the field from the Rams' 25 to the 49ers' 27-yard line. McVay called those "hidden yards" that Atwell's speed enabled them to take advantage of.
For those keeping track, Atwell had massive pickups on all of the Rams' touchdown drives to either keep them alive or set up the red zone score.
Atwell said it "means a lot" for him to deliver in the moments when his team needs it the most, and McVay added that "there's a lot of trust" in Atwell between himself and Stafford to make those plays in crunch time. Don't be surprised if Atwell continues accumulating targets in big moments down the stretch.
