LA Rams Von Miller could be huge plus for post season play

If you thought that the LA Rams were going to rush outside linebacker Von Miller onto the football field from the moment that the team traded for him, you were likely disappointed. If you had hopes that the debut of Miller in an LA Rams uniform would be a career-high performance for the All-Pro veteran from the Denver Broncos, you are likely doubly disappointed.

Von Miller was on the field for 45 plays in his debut for the LA Rams defense. He ended the day with three tackles and no pressure on the quarterback.  Not much of a debut for a headlining trade at the NFL Trade Deadline, was it? Well, it was not about making a difference in Week 10, but rather making a difference in the post-season.

Of course, in the minds of analysts and fans, all eyes focused upon Miller and the hot-takes after his first performance has bordered between disappointment, disgust, and a bit of disenchantment.  But if you view the embedded video where NBC Sports analysts Mike Florio and Peter King discuss the Rams addition of Von Miller, you get a different perspective.

Their view is more realistic and is not surprising how the season is playing out for the team so far. Von Miller played about two-thirds of the team’s defensive snaps. No, he didn’t make much of a difference in the game, a game in which the Rams lost in a humiliating fashion. But here’s a perfect spot in the season where we can attempt to reframe all of this.

The LA Rams absolutely needed a win in Week 10 to have any shot of winning the NFC West Division. Not doing so automatically drops the team into the NFL Playoff Wild Card track, the same track used by the Super Bowl LV winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Winning playoff strategy

Last year, the Buccaneers fell to 7-5 before a late-season winning streak propelled the team to an 11-5 finished and the fifth-seed in the 2020 NFC Playoffs. The Buccaneers had to win games on the road against the Washington Redskins, the New Orleans Saints (who had beaten them twice in the regular season), and the Green Bay Packers before returning home to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Championship game.

The regular season, all 17 games, ends up doing two things. First and foremost, the regular season divides up the 32 NFL teams into the 14 teams that will advance into the Playoff win-or-go-home round.

3 phases of NFL football

To NFL fans, the game of football does not vary from preseason to regular season to post-season. But to the players and coaches on the teams, the difference is dramatic. In the preseason, everything is basic vanilla, and the objective is to determine the ranking of unfamiliar players. From the player’s perspective, the goal is to knock off the rust, become familiar with the playbook, and remain healthy.

So the real ‘test’ to any NFL football team is the NFL Playoffs. Did anyone detract from the Buccaneers for losing five regular-season games? Of course not. Once the Bucs defeated the Saints in the playoffs, nobody cared about their two previous losses. The Buccaneers roster was injured early but got healthier as the season moved along.

Is that what the LA Rams are up to with these late-season additions? Was this about winning more regular-season games? Or did the team take a view of building the best playoff team for 2021?  Let’s look at why the Rams likely have added Von Miller for the postseason:

NFC Playoff picture

If you haven’t turned your attention to the likely playoff picture by now, you are already behind schedule. NFL general managers take a look at the likely playoff scenarios after about four weeks of the NFL season.  The current projected top four NFC teams are as follows:

NFC West – Arizona Cardinals
NFC North – Green Bay Packers
NFC South – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC East – Dallas Cowboys

If the current seeding holds, the Rams could end up traveling to face the Cowboys, the Buccaneers, and either the Packers or Cardinals (save an upset in the playoffs). If the dominoes all fall the right way, the team will face a trio of veteran pocket passers.  Of the possible playoff opponents, the Rams could face two of the top four passing offenses in the NFL.  Likewise, the Rams could face two of the top ten rushing offenses in the NFL.

Von Miller upgrades Rams roster in playoffs

Adding Von Miller for the second half of the season helps this defense to stop both. Miller’s pass rush is difficult to contend with in an NFL Playoff, plus his ability to read blocking schemes gives him a solid advantage in stuffing the run. The young edge rushers for the Rams continue to be pass rush specialists.

But putting another veteran defender on the football field helps the team throughout the course of the game. Von Miller is a quality teammate, and he can help the coaches keep younger players focused, build confidence and squelch nervousness. Amidst the peaks and valleys of the game momentum, the Rams will enjoy the presence of a stabilizing influence.

When the playoffs begin, the dynamics change for all NFL teams that are fortunate enough to advance. It’s about winning and advancing. There are no chances to regroup. There are no more mulligans.  It’s about outwitting, outflanking, and outperforming the competition. Can the Rams do that this season? We’ll find out in two months. For now, the Rams have to find a way to become a more physical team. But don’t confuse the regular season with post-season football.

If the LA Rams earn a playoff berth, throw out everything that you thought you knew about this team. Players chase the Lombardi in the playoffs. Star players want to shine in the spotlight. The LA Rams want to win Super Bowl LVI. If all of the stars align at Los Angeles, the Rams could succeed.