LA Rams pass rush could dominate against Ravens in Week 17

Back on the hunt

Is it any small coincidence that the sudden return to winning ways for LA Rams happens as OLB Justin Hollins returns to the fray? Perhaps the fact that the LA Rams are 6-0 when Hollins is playing really is not an accident at all? It was Hollins that started out the 2021 NFL season on fire, and now that he is back the Rams defense has most definitely taken it up a notch.

Hollins was good enough to start for the team earlier in the season, but now he is the Rams’ primary rotational player. His workload is gradually increasing, as is his production. Right now, he is almost, but not quite, back to where he was before his injury. But the Ravens game could be exactly the type of opportunity to propel Hollins back to a rising-star career track in the NFL.

Versatility Incorporated

Hollins is a very versatile linebacker. His 6-foot-5 height and reach make him a very dangerous defender when he charges the quarterback off the edge. His long arms make impressive meat hooks at grabbing a quarterback on the way through the pocket, either in bringing him down altogether or simply disrupting his throwing motion and timing.

But his 248-pound build makes him agile enough to slide into the middle of the defense, where his height and powerful build make him ideally suited to create insurmountable obstacles in the quarterback’s field of vision and throwing lanes. He is even powerful enough to stuff anyone trying to rush past him with the football.

It’s tough not to like Hollins. He’s simply a guy who shows up, does everything that the coaches ask of him. Makes great football plays. And then, when it’s all done, he is eager to line up to do it all over again.