LA Rams QB pressure starting to show up

The concerns by the LA Rams fans over the LA Rams 2022 season before the opening kickoff came in two main categories. Fans were concerned about the LA Rams offensive line’s ability to protect veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford as well as open running lanes for the smallish and rehabbing Rams running backs. On the defensive side of the football, concerns were primarily focused on the Rams’ pass rush.

From what we saw in Week 1, the concerns over the Rams’ offensive line were warranted.  But from the LA Rams pass rush? So far, the Rams have five quarterback sacks and plenty more pressures where that came from.

Who was responsible? For the Rams, they are led by veteran inside linebacker Bobby Wagner with two. He is joined by OLB Justin Hollins, DL Aaron Donald, and DB Cobie Durant with one apiece. That’s a great start for the Rams’ defense to open the season.

LA Rams’ defense is on the cusp of finding the range

How did that translate into the weekly performance grades by the LA Rams’ individual players in Week 2?

The Rams had four defensive players with performances that were graded better than 75.0 for the week. The Rams are at a fairly brisk pace already, sacking opposing quarterbacks at a 34 QB sack pace now. But the Rams had been averaging 51 quarterbacks sacks over the past three seasons. That averages out to 3.0 sacks per game. In that context, the Rams’ pass rush needs to zero in on the range and timing to get to opposing quarterbacks at a much faster clip.

Can the Rams find more rush? I believe so, as OLB Leonard Floyd, DL Greg Gaines, OLB Terrell Lewis, and even DL A’Shawn Robinson have some sacks in them. And let’s not forget that All-Pro DL Aaron Donald typically has a solid game or two with multiple quarterback sacks.

The LA Rams will face the Arizona Cardinals and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in Week 3. What a great time to burst onto the scene with a 4+ quarterback sack game. The defense is starting to heat up, so it won’t be long until it happens.