Titans' No. 1 weakness must have Rams' Jared Verse licking his chops

The Los Angeles Rams have multiple elite playmakers on the defensive side of the football. But as is often the case, the unit is more about teamwork than funneling everything to one or two stars. That’s certainly true for second-year EDGE rusher Jared Verse, whose impact continues to dwarf his sack totals.

In Week 1, the defense generated three quarterback sacks, but last year’s DROY was not among them. Instead, pressure came from some unexpected sources: DE Tyler Davis, DB Jaylen McCollough, and OLB Byron Young. Young was particularly effective, logging nine tackles and one sack. That kind of production will only motivate teammates like Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, and Verse even more heading into Week 2.

Will Verse get to the quarterback in Week 2? While no fortune teller’s crystal ball scrys to that level of detail, history suggests that elite players like Verse will get his sacks over the course of the season. While NFL fans and Fantasy Football GMs view defenses from a holistic view, the action of sacking quarterbacks is more intimate. It’s the contest between a defender and an offensive lineman (or, in the case of Jared Verse, as many as three offensive linemen).

The Titans’ offensive line is asking for trouble in Week 2

While the Houston Texans’ offensive line allowed three quarterback sacks, it was not the worst-rated offensive line in Week 1. That dubious distinction falls to the Tennessee Titans, the Week 2 opponent. The Titans allowed six quarterback sacks in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. And the Rams defense would love nothing better than to tie or better that sack total.

Is that a realistic possibility? Absolutely. DC Chris Shula is an aggressive defensive play-caller and loves to mix and match pass rush and coverage schemes to confuse quarterbacks. And rookie QB Cam Ward is still learning how to manage the speed and physicality of the NFL. He’s about to get another lesson.

The Rams may not have gotten many sacks, but this pass rush impacted the outcome. It was the combination of pass rush and coverage that limited the opponent to just 151.0 net passing yards. And WR Nico Collins, an NFL wide receiver who put up over 1,000 receiving yards in the past two seasons, was held to three of five catches for 25 receiving yards.

Titans WR Calvin Ridley, a veteran who put up over 1,000 receiving yards in three of the past four seasons, had similar challenges in Week 1, catching four of eight passes for 27 yards. There is no rest for the weary, because he will face similar challenges when facing the Rams secondary.

All this adds up to making Ward uncomfortable in the pocket. And that definitely gives the advantage to the defense and the relentless pass rush. Jared Verse is licking his chops, and rightfully so. This pass rush has a golden opportunity to put up some lofty numbers.

As always, thanks for reading.

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