Rams snap counts: Major defensive changes, deep WR rotation

The Los Angeles Rams were shorthanded on Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons, missing starters such as Davante Adams, Kevin Dotson, Alaric Jackson and Josh Wallace. They were forced to go deeper down the depth chart than usual and unfortunately, they were unable to come away with a win on the road.

On offense, the Rams kept leaning on 13 personnel, using a rotation of young receivers alongside Puka Nacua. Defensively, they shook things up in the secondary, making Darious Williams a healthy scratch and inserting Ahkello Witherspoon back into the cornerback group.

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Here's a look at the full snap counts on both sides of the ball in Week 17.

Offense

TEs lead the way (again): For the first time this season, Colby Parkinson led all skill players in snaps played. He was even on the field more than Puka Nacua, which is a shocking development but the Rams keep leaning on 13 personnel, so he continues to see a lot of playing time. Terrance Ferguson was second at the position with 32 snaps played and Davis Allen played 27 snaps.

Mumpfield and Smith were co-WR2s: With Adams out again, the Rams had to turn to their backup receivers. For the second straight week, Konata Mumpfield played the second-most snaps (43) at WR but Xavier Smith was close behind with 33 snaps played. He even led the game with 67 yards receiving. Jordan Whittington only played 13 snaps, as did Tutu Atwell, so they're clearly behind Mumpfield and Smith.

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RB injuries impact the backfield: Both Blake Corum and Kyren Williams got banged up in this game. Corum exited with an ankle injury and did not return, while Williams left briefly with an ankle injury of his own. Williams played his highest snap share since Week 6, while Ronnie Rivers subbed in for three snaps.

Defense

Shakeup at CB: The Rams started the night by making Darious Williams a healthy scratch, which allowed Witherspoon to be active, along with Roger McCreary and Derion Kendrick. But what's interesting is that no cornerback played more than 72% of the snaps, a rarity for the Rams. Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Cobie Durant and Witherspoon all played about the same snaps, with McCreary only playing 11 snaps.

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Fiske still not 100% healthy: Fiske was questionable to play due to an ankle injury but he was still able to suit up. He didn't play his usual snaps, though, seeing the field for just 13 of the 53 plays. Tyler Davis played a bigger role with 34 snaps played, as did Ty Hamilton (12 snaps).

McCollough gets bigger role with Kinchens' snaps decreasing: With Quentin Lake and Wallace injured, the Rams gave McCollough a shot to cover the slot. He played a team-high 11 snaps in the slot, per PFF, and was on the field for a season-high 83% of the snaps. Kam Kinchens' role decreased, with the second-year safety playing just 57% of the snaps.

Linebackers see the field a ton: Nate Landman and Omar Speights were on the field a lot, likely in an attempt to slow down Bijan Robinson. It didn't work, though. Robinson rushed for 195 yards against the Rams, despite LA doing its best to counter the Falcons' personnel with heavier packages. Landman played 96% of the snaps and Speights was out there for 87% of the plays, a new season-high for him.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams snap counts: Playing time breakdown vs. Falcons