LA Rams DL Coach Henderson will sick Dawgs on the Bengals

Greg the Gazelle

The LA Rams got a pleasant surprise when they learned just how good backup defensive lineman Greg Gaines can play. But they were outright impressed when he proved just how quickly he can close on some of the more mobile quarterbacks in the NFL.

Right now, his sole focus is closing in on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. And for the sake of winning Super Bowl LVI, that is exactly as it should be. Burrow is remarkably poised for a young man in his second season in the NFL. But he’s never faced a game like this, or an NFL defense like this, before.

Gaines can run down any quarterback in the NFL.

Fast-moving fireplug

Gaines is that guy who is built like a fireplug. He is a short-statured, low center-of-gravity guy who is fiercely resistant to being bullied off the ball, even when facing a double team. His power allows him to hold his ground, and sometimes even slice through to meet the running back or quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

In three playoff games, Gaines is remarkably versatile. He’s racked up nine tackles, 0.5 quarterback sacks, a tackle for a loss, and even deflected two passes. But most of all, he is that guy whose snarling growl sets the tone. Even as the Rams go the way of Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines has proven to step up as well in big moments of the game.