LA Rams pass rush could terrorize Tom Brady in Divisional Round

Rams pass rush is red hot

The LA Rams finished the regular season with a record of 12-5, and have won their lone playoff game so far. Over the course of 18 games played, the Rams have racked up 52 quarterback sacks, which averages out to 2.9 quarterback sacks per game. But the Rams have not brought down the quarterback at the same rate throughout the season.

September 2021
3 games – 9 QB sacks – 3.00 average
October 2021
5 games – 16 QB sacks – 3.20 average
November 2021
3 games – 5 QB sacks – 1.67 average
December 2021
4 games – 12 QB sacks – 3.00 average
January 2022
3 games – 10 QB sacks – 3.33 average

After a nadir in November, the Rams pass rush is back on track. Fueled by the arrival of OLB Von Miller and combined with the raw brutality of DL Aaron Donald, the Rams’ defensive front is once more imposing their will on offense lines. Right now, the combination of A’Shawn Robinson, Leonard Floyd, Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, and Von Miller threatens quarterbacks without the necessity to blitz.

The Rams rush is gonna getcha

Now the LA Rams arrive, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may need to face the Rams pass rush without one, if not two, Pro Bowl offensive linemen? Yikes.

The timing seems to favor the Rams, doesn’t it?

That could make the Buccaneers lean more heavily upon the running game. But any playoff game that involves less of Tom Brady passing the ball is trending in the right direction in my book.

The New Orleans Saints defeated Tom Brady twice in the regular season before losing to him in the Divisional Round of the 2020 NFL Playoffs. Let’s hope that the Rams study that playoff game inside and out and are ready to counter any playoff adjustments the Buccaneers may make in this one.