3 ways LA Rams CB Jalen Ramsey helps Rams sack totals

The LA Rams 2020 sack number my be in question, but cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s presence will help that out. Here are 3 ways that will happen

The LA Rams began the 2019 season with starting cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. By the end of the 2019 season, the Rams had traded Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens and traded Aqib Talib and a draft pick to the Miami Dolphins. Talib was injured and was lost for the season, Peters was simply not a good fit for the Rams defensive scheme.  Neither played up to their reputation as great pass-defending cornerbacks.   In fact, upon their departure, the Rams’ secondary actually improved in the latter half of the 2019 football season.

Perhaps no game defined the Rams pass defense woes as much as the shootout on game four for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs QB Jameis Winston torched the Rams for 385 yards and four touchdowns.  He dropped back to pass 41 times.  On that day, the Rams defense could only come up with one interception and two sacks.  The reason? Winston had open receivers all day. While Peters came down with the only interception for the day, he defended just two passes and recorded one tackle.  Talib recorded just three tackles on the day, and no passes defended.

Things will be different in 2020.  The LA Rams will start safeties Taylor Rapp and John Johnson, and line up cornerback Troy Hill at the right, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the left.  Good for pass defense, but how will that help the Rams sack numbers?  Well, Ramsey brings a lot to this Rams defense.

Now it’s up to new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley to get the most out of it.  Here are some ways the Rams sack count will rise in 2020.

Reason 1 – Coverage sacks

One of the least common reasons for quarterback sacks by the LA Rams defense in recent years has been coverage sacks. A coverage sack is simply a sack which happens by the offensive pocket breaking down because the quarterback cannot find an open receiver.  The reason that does not happen often for the Rams is simple – receivers were open.

Ramsey plays a better pass defense. In 2017, he was graded at 90.6 by Pro Football Focus. A very good score is 70-80. In 2018, he graded at 72.8.  In 2019, he graded at 71.5. I’d look for his 2020 season to grade at better than 80. He’s in his contract year, and the Rams invested heavily to obtain him, which means the defense structure will play to his strengths.

Ramsey is very versatile. He arrived at the Rams at 3-3, and the team finished with a 9-7 record with a duct-tape offensive line and a running game on life support.  While he didn’t fix everything, he is tenacious on defense and creates good lines of communication among his defense back teammates.  Better communication = better coverage.

With his opportunity to train and practice with the LA Rams for a full season, look for the Rams pass coverage to improve significantly.  Better coverage on receivers means more time for DT Aaron Donald and the rest of the front four to get to the quarterback.

Reason 2 – Disguised defenses

The LA Rams, like many defenses, will use certain standard pass coverage schemes. The two main categories are either zone or man coverage. But some defensive backs excel at one, and not the other.  The reason?  Defensive backs who excel at man coverage lock in on one receiver, challenge them at the line-of-scrimmage (LOS) and can stay in their back pocket. Zone defenders may have less speed but can read the quarterbacks eyes and track the ball in the air.

Only a select few excel at both. Jalen Ramsey is one who can.

In one of our introductory articles discussing new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, we talked about his tendency to mix and disguise coverages.  By giving outside coverage a man-to-man assignment, while keeping zone coverage for interior pass defenders, the quarterback is confused by what he sees and what he keys on to interpret the defense he is facing.

Since Ramsey can play either man or zone, Ramsey is perfect to run that type of camouflage.  The quarterback will not readily know which defense he is facing and force him to pause in his release.  Once more, more time in the pocket to throw the ball means more time for the pass rush to get to the quarterback.

Reason 3 – Blitz packages

A common way for most NFL defenses to apply pressure to the quarterback is to send additional defenders to rush the quarterback. That was not a staple of the LA Rams defense. Not that Wade Phillips did not like to rush the quarterback. It’s simply that the Rams pass defense needed to be fully staffed to be fully effective.  With Jalen Ramsey in the defensive backfield, the Rams will have more options.

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When fans think of blitzing the quarterback, the image of a linebacker is likely the first image to appear. Consequently, the opposing quarterback looks for linebackers creeping up to the line to get a jump on the play.

With Jalen Ramsey, the Rams will have other options for blitz packages.  Sending a safety through an A gap (either side of center) is a direct path to the quarterback and limits their time to find an open receiver.  Only a few corners can be counted on to defend a receiver without help over the top.  Yes, you guessed it. Jalen Ramsey is one of those corners.

A solid defense means more than a vanilla formation and counting on your team’s strengths to win the day.  In the NFL today, much of the skill is insight and intelligence.  Coaches must be able to place their players into winnable situations.

As the Rams try to fill the void left by OLB Dante Fowler Jr., perhaps they simply need to add someone who can pressure the quarterback.  They’ll play alongside DT Aaron Donald, which will give them one defender to beat.  The Rams will simply need to make the quarterback hold the ball long enough for the pass rush to get there. And with a full season of Jalen Ramsey in the Rams defense, that becomes easier for everyone. And with Jalen Ramsey playing for his next contract, you can bet that the Rams will see his best.