4 players who must shine for the LA Rams in Week 13

Big boost off the edge

The addition of veteran outside linebacker Von Miller is far more than bringing a pass rusher to the team. It’s even more than bringing a quality defender. Von Miller. Well, why stop there? Adding Miller to the LA Rams starting lineup is even more than bringing a veteran bookend to play opposite Leonard Floyd.

Von Miller is a safe veteran who has mastered the play at any NFL linebacker position and is the type of approachable mentor who can raise the quality of the entire unit. Since the Rams use a 3-4 and have plenty of young players on the roster who can benefit from the exposure and experience to Miller, he brings investment into the entire team.

Of course, in the instant gratification world that we now find ourselves in, the fact that Von Miller hasn’t delivered a multi-sack game for the Rams defense has already begun to generate skeptics. Of course, they are the same skeptics who believe that a double and triple-teamed Aaron Donald must put up four quarterback sacks per game, or he is washed up. So you can judge accordingly.

A legend shall lead them

Still, if Miller is to lead this team, then he will need to go out and earn the respect of his teammates. That means delivering in a game with eye-popping results. Even though he is getting back on track in terms of tackles, he has not brought a quarterback to the ground since Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.  Curiously, he faced the Jacksonville Jaguars as a member of the Denver Broncos and now gets to face them again as a player for the LA Rams.  He will repeat that when he faces the Ravens for the second time this season.

In recent years, Miller has specialized in bringing down mobile quarterbacks. So far, he’s faced pocket quarterback, but that will soon change. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the Jaguars’ second-leading rusher. That’s an ideal quarterback for Miller to whet this sacking skills against.

To help lead this LA Rams defense, Von Miller will need to capture the attention of the younger players. A multi-sack game would do the trick, and that means that is something you should look for from Von Miller in Week 13.