TONY’S TAKE – A PREVIEW OF RAMS-LIONS

by Tony Fiorello

INGLEWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 21: Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on from the sideline during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Welcome to the 2023 NFL season’s Wild Card Weekend. Here at Buffalo Sports Page we will attempt to inform and educate our readers about the upcoming playoff games and what each team might do to emerge victorious.

One of the NFC’s wild card games will take place at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan as the Los Angeles Rams will face the Detroit Lions. Here’s what you should know:

INGLEWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 21: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes the line of scrimmage during an NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

RAMS’ DEFENSE IS UNDERGOING A MAKEOVER

Former Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, one of the greatest defensive minds the game has ever known, favored a 3-4 scheme that asked his front seven to control one gap and play matchup-zone coverage behind it. Yet his unit between 2017-19 was merely so-so, leading to him being replaced by former Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley. Staley’s success led to him getting the Los Angeles Chargers’ coaching job in 2021 and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers skipper Raheem Morris now runs this side of the ball.

Despite employing the league’s undisputed best defensive tackle in Aaron Donald, the Rams’ defense needed to rebuild in the worst way. Following their Super Bowl win two years ago, a salary cap crunch led to the team letting various veterans walk out the door and general manager Les Snead decided to go with a youth movement on this side of the ball.

Donald’s compatriots in the Rams’ front seven include Jonah Williams, Kobie Turner, Michael Hoecht, Byron Young, Ernest Jones IV and Christian Roseboom. Cornerback also saw much change with Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick and Ahkello Witherspoon playing major roles. Veterans John Johnson III and Jordan Fuller are the team’s primary safeties.

This scheme – characterized by a four-man rush, Cover Four zone coverage and twists and stunts on the defensive line to help get Donald into opposing team’s backfields – can be excellent. Those games along the defensive line usually come from loaded fronts, with three linemen on one side of the formation and another on the opposite side. This helps create a lot of one-on-one opportunities when pass rushing – and for someone like Donald, this can be lethal.

Given all the new faces on defense, the Rams were expected to struggle this year and they have. Los Angeles ended 2023 20th in total yards and passing yards given up, 12th against the run and 19th in points surrendered. They were also 24th in sacks and third last in takeaways.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 03: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams throws a pass on the run to Cooper Kupp #10 of the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Browns at SoFi Stadium on December 03, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

GREATEST SHOW ON TURF, PART TWO

After Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace, Torry Holt and Issac Bruce roamed the Rams’ sidelines 20 years ago the team didn’t field a good offense again for a long time. That changed when Sean McVay took over in 2017 and he has created an offensive juggernaut in the City of Angels.

Prior to being hired by the Rams McVay spent 2010-13 working with Mike and Kyle Shanahan in Washington, and was also on the staffs of both Jon and Jay Gruden. The Shanahans were the most influential when it comes to McVay’s preference in the running game.

The McVay-Shanahan system relies on smaller, quicker linemen who can work in unison and push defenders towards the sideline on outside-zone running plays while leaving backside lanes for running backs. It has long been a staple of those coaches and countless tailbacks have had success in it – from Todd Gurley to Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers, to the current starter in Kyren Williams Williams, in his second NFL season, finished third in the league in rushing yards and tied for seventh in touchdowns on the ground despite missing five games. In front of him are offensive linemen Kevin Dotson, Alaric Jackson, Brian Allen, Steve Avila and Rob Havenstein, and they have helped the Rams execute most of their runs out “11” personnel (one back, one tight end, three receivers) and “12” personnel (one back, two tight ends, two receivers).

One tactic that McVay and company love to use in the running game is to pull their tight ends (also known as split-flow action) along with sending their wide receivers behind them on fake end-arounds before giving the ball to their tailbacks. This is used to create hesitation for opposing linebackers and safeties, and the Rams’ love for sending wideouts in motion has expanded greatly to give their receivers the ball on handoffs and screens, to become crack-back blockers on running plays and to identify coverages.

Passing-wise the Rams are aligned with the West Coast offense’s principles. A ball-control passing game that can eat up clock while stretching teams horizontally rather than vertically, this version of the system features mobile quarterbacks who can move within the pocket. It also will have its skill players line up anywhere on the line of scrimmage to try and get defenses to declare their coverages and will align wide receivers close to the offensive line to give them more space to operate and to block on running plays.

Their passing game makes excellent use of intertwining route combinations, especially ones involving posts, crossing patterns and flood concepts with option routes at the deep, short and intermediate levels. These are mostly executed out of “empty” shotgun formations with “bunch” and “stack” alignments by their receivers, with many of their run-action plays performed under center.

Due to inconsistencies in his game former first overall draft pick Jared Goff was shipped to the Detroit Lions in 2021 in exchange for ex-Pro Bowler Matthew Stafford, who remains one of the NFL’s most dangerous passers. Possessing one of pro football’s strongest arms and uncanny pocket mobility, he has also developed a mind and accuracy to match. According to former MMQB/SI writer Andy Benoit, “Stafford continues to make the big-time, tight-window passes that he has always made – he’s especially deft throwing deep outside against Cover Two…. His bold throws are now also good decisions.”

The weapons that Stafford has at his disposal are wideouts Cooper Kupp, rookie extraordinaire Puka Nacua (who set the NFL record for catches and receiving yards by a first-year player in 2023), Demarcus Robinson and tight end Tyler Higbee. Higbee is effective in the screen game and on wheel routes along the sideline opposite play-action bootlegs (also known as “leak” concepts).

Kupp, who accomplished the rare feat of leading the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns in 2021, is particularly great out of the slot, especially on corner routes out of their previously mentioned flood concepts. His quick feet, elite separation skills at the top of his pass patterns and understanding of coverages help him defeat man concepts, and Los Angeles also likes to use Kupp and company in what are known as “high/low” plays – with one receiver being the low man on short routes to influence defensive backs to cheat down low and take him away while creating open space for Kupp on deep dig routes in the vacated “high” area.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 30: Sam LaPorta #87, Jahmyr Gibbs #26 and Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions warm up prior to their game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Ford Field on October 30, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

LIONS’ OFFENSE PRODUCTIVE

Before the 2021 NFL season, new general manager Brad Holmes – originally from the Los Angeles Rams – sought to instill toughness in his team by hiring Dan Campbell as Detroit’s head coach. Campbell, an 11-year NFL veteran and former tight end (not to mention an ex-Lion), has helped the Motor City’s pro franchise make progress in that area and in results on the field, as evidenced by the Lions winning their division for the first time in 30 years.

Quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft who came to Detroit along with Holmes in exchange for Matthew Stafford, is very good when it comes to the timing and rhythm portion of the passing game. He gets the ball out on time, has good synchronicity with his receivers, is accurate, intelligent and throws a better deep ball than people realize. However, when under pressure Goff’s footwork can get a bit sloppy and isn’t always at ease when bodies are flying around him.

Goff is also sometimes a tad late when it comes to exploiting coverages. According to USA Today’s Doug Farrar, “(Goff) throws with anticipation to a degree, but he’s often throwing guys open when they’re already open, meaning that he’s throwing them closed and allowing defensive backs to jump and pick routes. The problem gets worse when his receivers are challenged.” 

Fortunately for Goff he has a talented cadre of wideouts that execute a scheme that’s similar to the one he had with the Rams – one with plenty of play-action and downfield option routes. Amon-Ra St. Brown has cemented himself as one of the game’s better receivers while sharing targets with D.J. Chark (currently injured), Josh Reynolds and former first round pick Jameson Williams. Rookie Sam LaPorta, one of the league’s most physically gifted players at his position, has taken over as the starting tight end following the trade of T.J. Hockenson last year to the Minnesota Vikings.

A year after employing a solid running back tandem in Jamall Williams and De’Andre Swift, Detroit let the two walk in free agency and promptly replaced them with ex-Chicago Bear David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. The two are frequently used on the field at the same time (also known as a “pony” package), and are a classic thunder-and-lightning combination. Montgomery runs with power and has a nose for the end zone while Gibbs has been compared to the New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara. Quick and explosive with good balance and receiving skills, Gibbs complements Montgomery well.

The two run behind an offensive line that has relied on mostly gap rushing schemes and is anchored by three former first round picks in Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell. Guards Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow complete one of the NFL’s best line combinations.

Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have led the Lions to top-five finishes on this side of the ball in back-to-back years. Third in total yards, second in passing, fifth in rushing and scoring, Detroit has certainly been productive.

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 30: Aidan Hutchinson #97 of the Detroit Lions lines up during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

DETROIT’S DEFENSE NOT AS STELLAR

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn – a former NFL cornerback for 15 years – has had his hands full in trying to turn around this unit. The Lions’ defense hasn’t performed consistently over the last couple of years and 2023 was no exception as Detroit ended the season 19th in total defense, 27th against the pass, 23rd in points allowed and sacks, and 18th in takeaways. However, they were second against the run.

It's not as if Glenn’s charges are completely bereft of talent though. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, a product of the nearby University of Michigan, has been a revelation in his first two NFL seasons with a combined 21 sacks (averaging 10.5 a year).

Hutchinson is joined on the team’s defensive line with Josh Paschal, Alim McNeill and Benito Jones, and the team’s top linebackers are ex-New Orleans Saint Alex Anzalone, Malcom Rodriguez and Derrick Barnes (rookie Jack Campbell has also gotten playing time).

On the back end, Detroit is held down by Cameron Sutton, Kindle Vindor and rookie Brian Branch at cornerback. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, one of the game’s rangiest and smartest centerfielders, holds down the fort at safety along with Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu and can also play in the slot.