The Rams will face their toughest test yet on Monday night when the Baltimore Ravens come to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It’s a prime-time matchup between two teams that are at very different points in their season.
The Ravens are trying to lock up an AFC North title in the next few weeks, while the Rams are simply trying to survive in the NFC playoff race. They need this win more than Baltimore, but the Ravens are rolling and have won six straight.
Here are the Rams’ three biggest causes for concern against a red-hot Ravens squad.
Containing Lamar Jackson
Jackson is a headache for every opposing defense and coaching staff. Wade Phillips said it himself, adding that he’d have white hair from preparing to face the Ravens if he didn’t already. Jackson is the cog that makes this engine go, and he’s truly one of the most dangerous players in the NFL right now.
Commit to stopping the run and he’ll throw accurately all over the field. Drop back and play extra defenders in coverage and he’ll dominate as a runner. With Jackson, it’s about picking your poison, and neither is a good choice.
The Rams have to be worried about keeping him at bay because so few teams have been able to do that. They do have good athleticism and speed all over the defense, but Jackson is a different player than the quarterback they face twice a year in Russell Wilson.
Ravens’ opportunistic secondary
The Ravens have forced at least two turnovers in each of the last four games, scoring five defensive touchdowns this season. Marcus Peters has two pick-sixes in four games and Marlon Humphrey has returned two fumbles for scores.
The Ravens’ secondary is very opportunistic and their defenders consistently make plays on the ball. If Jared Goff struggles with his accuracy and decision-making, it’s going to be a long night. The Ravens are going to make him pay by deflecting passes and creating turnovers.
Baltimore has allowed a passer rating of just 79.5 this season, third-best in the league, and has picked off nine passes, which is tied for seventh. Goff has to be on top of his game Monday night and for the receivers, ball security is crucial. The Ravens have recovered seven of the eight fumbles they’ve forced.
Offensive line play
The offensive line appeared to play significantly better against the Bears, and on the surface, it did. There were more double-team blocks, bigger running lanes and better pass protection. However, the Rams also used two tight ends often to help protect the offensive line from getting beat by the Bears’ pass rushers.
Bobby Evans only had one rep against Khalil Mack where he was left on his own and Mack walked him back into Goff for a near-sack. David Edwards also had a one-on-one rep against Mack and nearly allowed a sack.
As a team, the offensive line did well, but the Rams also only threw the ball 18 times – the fewest in Goff’s career. Expect McVay to get back to a more pass-heavy approach against the Rams with Brandin Cooks back, and possibly Robert Woods.
The offensive line has to step up against the Ravens’ pass rushers, which aren’t among the best in the league but take advantage of the time they’re given by the coverage behind them.
