The Los Angeles Rams are set to take on the Las Vegas Raiders today as both sides look to end losing streaks. The Rams have lost two straight and sit at 2-4 on the year, while the Raiders have lost three straight, dropping them to 3-3.
Here are five keys for the Rams if they want to end their current losing skid.
A pair of dynamic duos
The Rams are already entering the game without Myles Garrett, Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, and now Nate Landman, who is out with a concussion. The Raiders, led by head coach Klint Kubiak, run a Shanahan-style offense that uses zone blocking and quick passes to manipulate the defense, exposing the secondary to the deep throw.
The foundation of their offense is built around their amazing tight end duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Their
ability to double as blockers and pass catchers has given Kubiak the ability to use a variety of formations out of 12 personnel to manipulate space and tire out defenders.
To supplement that attack is their running back duo of Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. Jeanty is an amazing talent with blistering speed, tremendous footwork, and a shiftiness that will make defenders tackle air in one-on-one situations. Washington, a rookie, also has speed, and defenses often take their eyes off him, causing him to end up open in slow-developing plays. Washington is questionable, so if he can't play, that will likely increase Jeanty's usage.
With Trent McDuffie questionable and their team's best tackler sidelined, the Rams have to look to erase those three or four players schematically. My suggestion: attack the line of scrimmage to stop Jeanty before he gets momentum, and speed up Kirk Cousins' time to throw. Every other attack will lead to Cousins picking the Rams apart, as the others position themselves advantageously to make plays.
Stop Bowers at all costs
Mayer is a problem too, but Bowers is the Raiders' best player. He's simply incredible, and considering how the Rams struggle with the Shanahan offense, tight ends, and dealing with play action, Los Angeles will need to force the action. A one-on-one matchup with Bowers is the easiest thing to get a first down the team will be able to muster.
Do not let the Raiders isolate Quentin Lake or Jaylen McCollough on Bowers, and bait Las Vegas into throwing the out route. They always look for it; setting it up will give a defender inside leverage to stop those attacks, and Cousins throws it blindly.
Regardless, if the Rams stop Bowers, their offense should do enough to win.
Change the picture
With the Rams already running a fairly high amount of nickel and dime defense, Landman's absence should only inflate those calls. Matching personnel will be key, but pass-rush designs will be the difference. The Raiders upgraded their offensive line, most notably signing Tyler Linderbaum to be their center.
On passing plays, the Rams should stack the line of scrimmage, continually mixing up which defenders rush and which defenders drop. The reason goes back to what I said about Cousins. Not only does he throw blindly, but he gets reckless when put under pressure. At this point in his career, he always suffers a mid-year lull. Continually confusing him by feigning how much pressure he's facing will have him panicked and throwing to his hot reads consistently.
They also love to counter blitzes with Tre Tucker's speed. Faking the blitz could lead to chances to pick Cousins off on a screen or crossing route if the Rams can jump the throw.
Williams, Williams, Williams
With Davante Adams out and Puka Nacua being questionable, the Rams will likely have to rely on their tight ends and running backs to get consistent offensive production. Regardless, their attack should be predicated on Kyren Williams. Why? Because when they have had to grind out wins in the past, Williams is who they go to.
Use him as a workhorse running back, especially in multiple tight end formations, while incorporating him in the passing attack, especially when Tutu Atwell is on the field. The defense will read whatever he does, and when he goes on routes, Williams should be able to take advantage of the space Atwell's speed naturally creates.
The exciting part about that is that while Atwell is stretching their field vertically, Williams can move linebackers out of position, providing space for the interior passing attack.
It's also my opinion that Williams and Blake Corum need to see more time on the field together. The defense has to respect Corum's speed coming out of the backfield, while Williams poses a realistic dual-threat scenario that teams have to account for. With Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen as run blockers, there are a lot of ways the Rams could attack.
Regardless, the Rams need to stay ahead of the chains, and Williams gets that done.
Five-man rushes
Jumping back to what was written about changing the picture, the Rams should consider putting Josaiah Stewart more in the Michael Hoecht role, using his coverage skills to make up for Landman's absence, allowing Wesley Bailey more snaps outside on pass-rushing downs.
With Aaron Donald, Braden Fiske, and Byron Young drawing the attention of the defense, there are a lot of creative things – stunts and delayed blitzes – that the team can do to get Cousins on the ground. He's a stationary target, and the goal is to collapse the pocket. Bailey is the Rams' ace card, and it's time to use it.
Bailey and Young force Cousins to step up and navigate a closing pocket with Donald and Fiske in pursuit, while Stewart has the speed to drop into coverage, while being fast enough to bring Cousins down, should he find an opening.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' 5 keys to victory vs. Raiders on Sunday
