Colby Parkinson — Week 1: One Catch, to the Three, on the Drive That Died at the One

Colby Parkinson's catch Thursday put the Rams at the San Francisco three. First and nine from the nine, five 37 left in the third quarter, Los Angeles down 17 to seven, Matthew Stafford short left to Parkinson, pushed out of bounds at the three for six yards. The next three plays went one yard, one yard and no yards, and San Francisco took over at its own one.

That was one of two targets. The other was second and 13 from the Los Angeles 48 with three oh five left in the half, incomplete short right. One catch, six yards, no touchdowns, and the two throws his way came out at −0.3 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position, and the catch itself was a positive play; the incompletion is the whole of the minus.

The tight-end room split six targets four ways. Tyler Higbee caught both of his, for eight yards and for five — the second was the fourth-quarter catch Fred Warner knocked loose, recovered by San Francisco. Davis Allen caught a 13-yarder on third and one that was the drive's first third-down conversion, and was injured on the play. Terrance Ferguson's one target was the fourth-and-five incompletion that ended the Rams' last real possession. Parkinson's was the only throw to a tight end inside the 10, and the Rams' one touchdown was a Kyren Williams run.

Back in June the preview's read on Parkinson was that a TE15 season had rested on eight touchdowns rather than on a role, and that a touchdown rate is one of the least repeatable inputs a season can rest on. Thursday was one game with no touchdowns, two targets, and the goal-line throw the offense did make — third and two from the two — going to Puka Nacua. One game cannot say the role is gone; it can say that on the first night the role was two targets and a tackle at the three. Los Angeles is home to the Giants on Monday the 20-first.

_Data via nflverse._