How will NFC West receivers fare on LA Rams’ Ramsey Island?

How can the best NFC West receivers survive against LA Rams Jalen Ramsey, on Ramsey Island?

The LA Rams know that the team needs some key ingredients to win an NFL Super Bowl. The team must have a franchise quarterback, an elite pass rusher, a wall protecting the quarterback’s blindside, and a shut-down cornerback. For now, the debate as to whether the LA Rams have a franchise quarterback in Jared Goff, an elite pass-rusher in defensive lineman Aaron Donald, or a wall protecting Goff’s blindside in left tackle Andrew Whitworth, lets train our eyes upon the latest addition to the team of that fabulous four: cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Jalen Ramsey is not an average cornerback, any more than Aaron Donald is just an average defensive lineman. He is one of the few players on defense that each offensive coordinator will single out by name and plan around. He is a decisive defender, a player who possesses a rare combination of audacity, talent, and intimidation. His ability to defend the pass begins as soon as receivers and quarterbacks know that they will be facing him.

Faith, love, but no charity

He is relentless in both word and deed. A player of faith who believes in God as much as he believes in his own talents. Faith, filed with God’s love and peace. But as to charity on the football field? That’s not happening.  He will make you earn everything.  That faith is the self-confidence to some, intimidation to opponents, and one heckuva player to the Rams defensive coaches. In the end, Jalen Ramsey knows all about what it takes to perform at an elite level in the NFL

What will it all mean for the LA Rams fans? Pure entertaining enjoyment, that’s what. Football will be fun, thrilling, and a highlight of the week once more.  The Rams will likely be pitting Jalen Ramsey against the best of the NFC West. So let’s do a sneak preview, shall we?

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals made a rather impressive trade for Hoston Texans’ wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins with the intention of making up ground against the LA Rams in the offseason. But this is not making up any ground at all, merely reigniting one of the hottest NFL rivalries of the modern era. Was the reason why the Houston Texans were so modest when they set the price for Hopkins from the Cards?

The Landry Hat

In any case, the LA Rams fans will see one of the fiercest and most flammable rivalries to set foot on an NFL field.  Often heralded as the “Game within the game”, the battle between the two is always fierce and competitive. Per Garry Smits of Jacksonville.com, the battle between the two oftentimes determines the outcomes of games. Against Ramsey, Hopkins averages seven receptions for 83 yards in four victories and 5.5 receptions for 67.5 yards in two losses, both coming in 2017. Of course, that was when Ramsey played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Hopkins was catching passes thrown by Houston Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson. Is Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback in Watson’s league yet?  I don’t think so.

Pass rush and Murray  will make up the difference

While many defenders in the NFC West are strangers to Hopkins, Ramsey and Hopkins faced off twice a year. If you want a preview of what we’re talking about, here is a video of the matchup of their first meeting in week two of 2019. Those types of competitive battles result in complete respect. Hopkins is one of the best receivers in the game today. But he will only be as good as the quarterback throwing to him. The Jaguars learned that defending Hopkins is as much about generating a pass rush as defending the receiver. Does Ramsey agree?  Catch what Hopkins said about Ramsey before they faced each other last year?

"“He’s my favorite corner to play against. He’s the only corner in the NFL that actually follows me everywhere I go, so you gotta respect that,” Hopkins said, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston."

And Ramsey has called Hopkins the complete receiver. Even in losses, holding Hopkins to under 90 yards on average is a good defense. Holding him to under 70 is an outright miracle.  But keep in mind that Deshaun Watson completed 67.3 percent of his passes in 2019 while throwing for 3,852 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Kyler Murray 64.4 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,722 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In two meetings against the Rams, Murray completed 45 of 76 passes for 488 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions, and was sacked seven times.

San Francisco 49ers

The most dangerous receiver on the San Francisco 49ers roster is their tight end, George Kittle. His superpower is winning battles against smaller slot corners or slower safeties. Jalen Ramsey is neither.  This ought to be good.  After all, Kittle is a massive 6-foot-4 250-pound target, and he completely outsizes, outmuscles, or outruns the coverage assigned to him.

In two contests against the LA Rams in 2019, he caught 13 of 16 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. Of course, many will recall the 3rd and 16 completion to Emmanuel Sanders in what appeared to be blown coverage by Ramsey. In reality, the blown assignment was Taylor Rapp, who overshot the play. Of course, Sanders is now playing for the New Orleans Saints, and the 49ers offense will sorely miss him on offense. With his departure, many expect Ramsey to neutralize Kittle.

Defendable? Yes, with a plan

Can he?  That’s a good question. In the two games of 2019 where Kittle had sub-par performances versus both the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Football team, the greatest factor was his trying to playing in the Eastern Time Zone.  In the NFC playoffs, he was the focus of the defenses of both the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. In those two games, he was a combined four of six passes caught for 35 yards and no touchdowns.

While both Minnesota and Green Bay shut down Kittle, neither team could stop the 49ers running attack.  The Rams seem to defend the 49ers running game a bit better. In two games, the Rams held the 49ers to 218 yards on 64 rushes but surrendered four rushing touchdowns.  Ramsey is strong enough is pass defense to neutralize Kittle in man coverage. With a strong run defense, the Rams could sweep the 49ers this year. We know that 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garappolo will throw off balance. Once more, pressure the quarterback, and let Ramsey do the rest.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have some great offensive weapons. But much like the LA Rams, injuries have played a significant role on their team. They have a promising tight end in Will Dissly, who has only played on average 20 percent of the offensive snaps in the past two years.  They have a dominating running back in Chris Carson. They have a solid wide receiver in Tyler Lockett, who is entering his sixth NFL season. He stands 5-foot-10 and weighs in at 182-pounds. But the difference-maker on that offense is 6-foot-4 229-pound second-year receiver, D.K. Metcalf.

While he was only eight of nine catches for 122 yards and 0 touchdowns, he is a rapidly rising star in the NFL and will only be better in 2020.  While the Rams have other players covered, Metcalf could prove to be a significant offensive threat if he gets hot. How so?  If the Rams need to shuttle defenders to slow down Metcalf, both Carson and quarterback Russell Wilson will have open running lanes. Then, it gets ugly quickly.

Ramsey island

Thankfully, the Rams have Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey is a seasoned veteran, a defensive back who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 208 pounds. He can stick with Metcalf stride for stride, and can immediately switch to attacking the ball as soon as it begins the long arc down the field.  Wilson is the best quarterback of the NFC West bunch, so counting on mistakes will likely not pay off. Even amping up the pressure can help, but it’s no guarantee as Russell Wilson is incredibly elusive, and can make throws on the run like Patrick Mahomes. No, this battle must be won by Ramsey. Of course, that assumes that Seattle targets receivers his way.

That was not the case when the Rams played the Seahawks. In fact, Wilson tends to throw away from Ramsey, having tossed an interception his way in 2017. With the plans to mix up coverages, disguising the coverage, and putting Ramsey into a rogue defensive back role, the Rams may pry another interception or two out of Wilson.  When Ramsey arrived in 2019 mid-season, he knew how to play pass defense, but he didn’t know much about his teammates. Now, knowing who his teammates are, and working closely with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, he should be able to be that impact player Rams players have hoped for.  Ramsey Island is open for business. But don’t look for visitors to enjoy their stay. They are likely to have a miserable time and return home empty-handed.