LA Rams pass rush could dominate against Ravens in Week 17

Sacking QBs is what he does

After the LA Rams lost free agent OLB Dante Fowler Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons, the team signed up a solid, if not stellar, replacement free-agent outside linebacker from the Chicago Bears in the form of Leonard Floyd to a one-year prove-it deal.

While the signing at the time did not create a lot of buzz among LA Rams fans, Floyd was clearly hand-picked by then Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley. You see, Staley had coached Floyd when he served as the outside linebacker positional coach for the Bears, and he loved what Floyd brought to the table.

Floyd is truly an upgrade

His instincts were spot-on. Over the past two seasons, Fowler has accumulated 53 tackles, 7.5 QB sacks, and 35 quarterback pressures.  Over the same time frame, Floyd has 117 tackles, 19.5 QB sacks, and 65 quarterback pressures. Is it too soon to call this an upgrade? Sacking quarterbacks is what Leonard Floyd does.

The Rams were so happy with Floyd’s 2020 performance, that he was one of the few players extended with a multi-year deal. Unlike other players who have been extended and then failed to deliver, Floyd never skipped a beat. He has been relentless in his pursuit of NFL quarterbacks, and that pressure has been an excellent complement to that of DT Aaron Donald.

Floyd has been one of the toughest defenders against mobile quarterbacks on this Rams defense. He sets a good edge and is elusive enough to close on the quarterback while avoiding pass-blocking offensive linemen. He was not with the Rams when the team faced the Ravens in 2019. But look for him to make his presence known to Lamar Jackson in this one.