Jared Verse flourishes in Week 16 pressure, which is exactly what Rams count on

The 11-3 Los Angeles Rams have enjoyed plenty of success this season. With 11 wins, the team has smashed the 10-win plateau it achieved in each of the past two NFL seasons. But even as the team has gotten a bit of surprising production from the offense, the defense has been . . . inconsistent. In the last three games, opponents have scored 82 points, an average of 27.3 points per game.

And here come the 11-3 Seattle Seahawks. Seattle's offense averages 28.9 points per game. Uh-oh.

Before you start wrangling over a set of worry beads, there is a silver lining to this tale. One of the unsung heroes of the defense is second-year outside linebacker Jared Verse. Typically, Verse is content to stuff the run and apply a basic complement of quarterback pressure. But he has the same ability as other NFL elite players to take it up a notch.

If you are paying attention, he just did.

Verse is not a normal outside linebacker. He loves pressure, fans' cheers and jeers, and big moments. The tougher the competition, the better he seems to perform. And in the most critical games, he is happy to be the lightning rod to spare his teammates. In Week 16, the defense may rely upon Verse to deliver.

Look for Jared Verse to show up big for the Rams in Week 16

Verse does not fear the spotlight, nor the boos of hostile fans. He powers his best performances on the football field from the stuff. It was the former Seminoles pass-rusher who taunted Philadelphia Eagles fans before their clash in the NFL playoffs. He then went out and had an incredible performance.

Now he is getting chatty again, but this time he's calling out the Seattle Seahawks and their fans. Unlike some players who wilt under the bright lights, Verse seems to photosynthesize the NFL spotlight into highlight reels.

Seahawks starting left tackle Charles Cross is struggling with a hamstring injury that could bench him in Week 16. Even if he does start, he will have a handful with a motivated Verse.

Verse can take over a game. While he has been a bit more conservative this season to handle all of the responsibilities of the edge rusher, he has that switch that he can flip to dominate at any point in the game. Right now, he is galvanizing his focus to show up in Seattle in a big way.

He can dominate the best NFL offensive tackles. But he doesn't do so maliciously or deceptively. He simply goes out and pits strength against strength. That usually results in advantage: Verse. There is a lot riding on the outcome of this one. That's why the defense needs Jared Verse to deliver. And when the team needs him most, he delivers.

As always, thanks for reading.