Rams’ breakout star flipped the switch at the perfect time to crush Ravens

The Los Angeles Rams understood that as they entered M&T Bank Stadium, victory wouldn't come easily. After being trounced by the Houston Texans in Week 5, the Baltimore Ravens were eager to show up with a big home victory. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is in the middle of a two-game road trip with stops in Baltimore and across the pond in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But to win Crab Country, LA needed the defense to show up. We're talking the stingy physical style of play that has become its trademark. And to do that, the team needed its best players to show up. And would you be surprised to learn that the best player on the field was outside linebacker Byron Young?

Young is more than a sack master. While his 7.5 sacks in six games are already just 0.5 sacks shy of his season-long best, his 37 tackles tie him for fourth-highest on the team. He's tackling everybody with the football who strays into his vicinity. He has three run stuffs, a forced fumble, and a bit of a mean streak. Best of all, unlike past seasons, he is a sure-handed tackler, missing just once for a 2.6 missed tackle rate.

Byron Young records two sacks in second half of Ravens game to secure victory

The Rams selected Young with the third-round pick acquired from the Miami Dolphins in their trade for Jalen Ramsey. The Horns drafted the former Tennessee standout 77th overall, and haven't looked back since.

And they haven't had reason to. In Sunday's 17-3 win, Young got the victory party started by coming alive in the second half. After not recording a sack in the first 30 minutes of the game, he reassessed at halftime and came out like the second-highest sack recorder he truly is.

Young is not just the key to sacking the quarterback. When he gets going, the entire defense seems to shine. Many of the questions about the secondary for the Horns were answered in Week 6, because the third-year pro came alive in the second half to ensure a win.

He was such a terror in the final 30 that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh opted to make a quarterback change in the second half.

But neither quarterback Cooper Rush nor Tyler Huntley was particularly effective.

His two-sack performance continues to propel him towards flirting with the All-Time single-season record held by former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan (2001) and Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt (2021) at 22.5 quarterback sacks.

Young may not reach those heights, but he has 11 more games remaining. If he can continue his second-half Week-6 effort across the next 22 halves, the sky is the limit. As always, thanks for reading.