Samson Ebukam was somewhat of an afterthought for the Rams early in the season, getting replaced by Clay Matthews as the starting outside linebacker. His role grew after Matthews broke his jaw in Week 5, but he didn’t have much an impact.
On Monday night against the Ravens, though, he was clearly the Rams’ best defender on the field – which admittedly isn’t saying much, since they allowed 45 points and 285 yards rushing. He had 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss, making seven total tackles. He also hit the quarterback three times, which is the same number he had on the year entering Week 13.
Ebukam played 44 snaps, which was just six fewer than Dante Fowler Jr. and 10 fewer than Matthews. He’s making a push for more playing time as the Rams continue to rotate their edge rushers, putting together one of the better performances in the NFL this past week.
The Rams’ next opponent has a quarterback with similar speed and agility as Lamar Jackson, and on Monday night, Ebukam’s athleticism was apparent against Baltimore’s offense. He’s always been explosive, but that really stood out in Week 12.
The Rams could use that speed on the edge against Kyler Murray, so don’t be surprised if Ebukam gets more playing time after his standout performance in Week 13. He can have an impact on this game, even without playing every snap.
