5 ways LA Rams DC Brandon Staley attacks Cowboys in season opener

Four-man defensive fronts

The Dallas Cowboys have practiced all week against the LA Rams three-man defensive front.  What if the Rams threw them a monkey wrench and lined up in a four-man defensive front with Aaron Donald at or nearly over the offensive center? What if the Rams slide fireplug Greg Gaines in the interior to gobble blockers?

The Rams defense no longer needs to be the strong man defense that simply lines up and absorbs everything the offense can throw at them. Now, this defense is about dictating to the offense. One of the ways to dictate is to give the offense something that they have not seen and have no way to know instinctively what to do. And with two offensive linemen learning how to play alongside three veterans,  messing up their timing is not as difficult as you think

Mix and match mismatch

Of course, with no A’Shawn Robinson on the active roster, it’s quite easy to forget that the Rams had a devastating defensive line in 2019, good enough for the third-best defensive line in the NFL. Now, adding a player like Morgan Fox, Greg Gaines, or Eric Banks allows the Rams the opportunity to create mismatches along the defensive line.   If the Rams go with a four-man defensive line, Micah Kiser or Kenny Young cover the middle, and both Leonard Floyd and Samson Ebukam cover the flat for running backs or tight ends.

The Eagles shut down the Cowboys running game with a four-man front. Other teams did too. While it’s not the Rams forte, it’s worth running a 4-3 version just to throw the Cowboys offense on their sides. The more the Rams give the Cowboys to think about, the more the Rams have an advantage in this one.