McVay lauds Rams’ defense against Ravens

(News4usOnline) – The Los Angeles Rams showcased their Top 10 defense against the Baltimore Ravens. Ranked No. 8 in total defense, the Rams handled whatever the Ravens threw at them offensively to post an impressive 17-3 win on the road. 

“It was awesome,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said of the team’s defensive performance during a Zoom press conference call. “I think there were a lot of instances where you could really have said… I thought we picked up our energy and just our sense of urgency after really that first drive. To be able to get three takeaways is unbelievable. A bunch of those fourth-down stops, shoot, it works just like takeaways.”  

It’s the second time this season that the Rams have put the brakes on an opposing offense from reaching paydirt during a game.  

The first time this happened was during the home and season opener when the Rams played the Houston Texans. The Rams held Houston to three field goals in a 14-9 win. Against a Lamar Jackson-less Ravens team, the Rams’ defense dictated the flow of the game. 

There was a red zone fourth-and-goal rebuke. Quentin Lake came up with a timely interception. The Rams came up with multiple turnovers. That defensive unit also got after the quarterback pretty good with four sacks. 

“Our defense was instrumental in being able to really control and win that football game,” McVay said. “The way that they were playing and the way that we were able to start off that second half where you score offensively, you get a turnover and you score two plays later, it felt like as long as we took care of what we were supposed to, that game was going to be in hand. That’s what was reflected.”

Whether it was Cooper Rush or Tyler Huntley, the Rams squashed anything Baltimore tried to do offensively. Despite the Ravens having more plays (75 to 51) and dominating the time of possession (37:55 to 22:05), it felt like the Rams were in total control of the game. 

Two touchdowns in the third quarter were all that the Rams needed to win their fourth game of the season. In a toss-up game and on the road in a hostile environment and with the offense not really clicking on all cylinders, the Rams’ defense had to step up and win this one. 

It did. Outside of Derrick Henry running for his usual 100-yard game (122 yards), Baltimore’s offense was kept in check all afternoon. Rush and Huntley posed no real threat against the Rams’ defense and threw for just 140 yards combined.    

What the Rams managed to achieve defensively against both the Texans and the Ravens is not about their opponent, but it has more to say about the unit that McVay and defensive coordinator Chris Shula field for every game. 

And it starts up front. The Rams have perhaps the youngest and most talented defensive front line in the NFL. With their relentless pursuit of opposing quarterbacks and wreaking chaos in offensive backfields, Byron Young, Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, and Poona Ford can all bring the pain on that defensive frontline.  

Throw in the steady play from Omar Speights and ball-sniffing linebacker Nate Landman, and the Rams have as good a front seven as any in the league. Landman is a straight ball-chaser for the Rams. It was Landman’s forced fumble at the end of the game against the Texans that the Rams were able to secure that win. 

Against the Ravens, Landman left his imprint on the game with 17 total tackles. McVay gave kudos to Landman for his exceptional play, but he also credits the defensive unit as a whole in playing as well as it has.  

“Nate’s been an instrumental part of a lot of good things,” McVay said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys that are glue. I think this is the greatest team sport there is. I give our defense as a whole, all three levels of the defense [credit]. I was so proud of the way our secondary played. I thought our corners really stood up and played excellent.” 

“Nate was awesome. He set a Rams single-game record for tackles. He got another punch out on [Ravens’ wide receiver Zay] Flowers. He’s a freaking stud and we have a lot of other studs around him. That’s why our defense has been what it is,” McVay went on to say.  

Featured Image: Los Angeles Rams linebacker Nate Landman (53) lines up against the Baltimore Ravens. Photo credit: Los Angeles Rams