Rams feel Byron Young, Kobie Turner’s impact

(News4usonline) – It’s safe to say that the hammer effect that the defense of the Los Angeles Rams put on the Seattle Seahawks during their 30-13 road win, was no small feat. The Rams limited Seattle to just 13 plays for three yards of offense in the second half of the ballgame. As a result, Los Angeles dominated the time possession. 

Rams head coach Sean McVay talked about how the offense controlling the clock helped balance the team’s defensive play.  

“I think it’s a combination of the offense was able to sustain possession, but when they play 16 snaps defensively, there’s a couple things that go into that,” said McVay during a Zoom conference call the day following the team’s win. “That means they’re playing excellent third down defense, or really first, second and third down. They’re forcing punts. They’re getting off the grass, so they did an outstanding job. 

“For the offense to be able to sustain possession is key and critical. We talk about playing complimentary football all the time. I thought that was really on display yesterday. I was really pleased with the way that the defense played, especially with the way that the first half unfolded.” 

Setting the Tone 

While the Rams dealt with a slew of injuries and struggled to get back their Super Bowl mojo from the previous season, the Seahawks behind the inspired play of quarterback Geno Smith, made a postseason run in 2022. 

Smith was even picked as the AP Comeback Player of the Year. None of that mattered in the first game of the regular season. In perhaps the biggest surprise in Week 1, the Rams gave a stern warning to the Seahawks and the rest of the NFC West contenders that they’re not going anywhere.  

By putting the squeeze on Seattle’s offense, the Rams also rendered the Seahawks’ potent passing attack ineffective. For the game, the Rams held Seattle to just 95 passing yards. After scoring 13 points in the first half, the Seahawks were blanked in the final two quarters as the Rams scored 23 unanswered points.

 The defensive dominance by the Rams was so profound that Seattle could only muster 3.9 yards per play and had just 180 yards in total offense for the entire game.

New Blood  

Yes, Aaron Donald was his usual disruptive self. Linebacker Ernest Jones led the team in tackles. But the play of rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young among the Rams’ front seven could be something that opposing teams will have to reckon with now and for a long time to come. Both players recorded the first sacks of their careers. 

McVay thought their play was exceptional. 

“Yeah, I thought they both did really well,” McVay said. “I thought the relentless strain, the effort, the overall understanding of what we were trying to get done, but I think these are two relentless competitors. They’re two conscientious guys. It’s never perfect, but football isn’t perfect and we don’t expect that, but I thought Kobie was really outstanding the way he affected and influenced the game. I thought Byron made his presence felt.”

Getting Drafted 

The No. 77 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Young has the speed (4.43 40-yards) to cause all kinds of chaos in backfields across the NFL. In his pre-draft evaluation, Young, coming out of Tennessee, was labeled as an “explosive edge rusher with disruptive qualities, according to NFL.com. Turner, whom the Rams picked at the No. 89 slot of the 2023 NFL Draft, made quite an impression himself. 

The Wake Forest alum was tagged as being “extremely powerful,” during his draft profile by NFL.com. Some of the other attributes that put Turner on the Rams’ wish list are that he is described as having a “motor, exhibits toughness and determination, among other traits Both Young and Turner have immediately turned their strengths into solid contributing roles in the Rams’ defense. 

“I thought it was really cool to see both those guys be starting players for us, play up, play the way they did, bring the energy, bring the relentless effort, the pursuit to the football and play with the techniques and fundamentals that they’ve been showing and I think both of those guys have really hit their stride over the last month at the right time,” said McVay.  

The A.D. Factor 

Helping speed up Young and Turner’s learning curve has been the veteran leadership around them. For Young and Turner, it’s an added bonus to get on-the-job training while being in the same film room and standing next to a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Donald. 

“Tremendously. Just the example that A.D. sets, a lot of these guys set, I’ve been able to see their process and try to emulate that the best as I can, and add that into my process has been huge,” Turner remarked. “Even with the way those guys play on the field I’ve been looking at different techniques. I’ve been studying A.D.  for many years now, and being able to see that in person is really crazy. You realize that there are a lot of stuff  he can do that you can’t do, but there’s definitely a lot of things that I can try to emulate to make my game better.”

When it comes to showing leadership and helping Young, Turner and some of the other players improve their game, Donald has his own unique way of doing things, McVay said.   

“Aaron has got a special way about himself, but I think Aaron also picks and chooses his spots to be vocal,” McVay quipped. “But I think there’s nothing more powerful than showing instead of saying and so he shows what it looks like. He shows what it looks like to do right in the meeting room, on the practice field, the way that he competes relentlessly in every single opportunity he gets. The great ones elevate people around them and I think we would all be in agreement and in alignment that certainly Aaron is checking all those boxes.”

Expectations 

Being tapped as a starter in the National Football League is an honor. For a rookie that mantle might bring along the pressures of not wanting to make a mistake as expectations of production grow. 

Both Young and Turner admitted that they would initially come down hard on themselves if they made a mistake. Now, both players realize it’s part of the journey to getting better. Young said he would dwell on his miscues. 

“Honestly, starting off I was, you know as a young guy not trying to make a mistake as a young guy,,” Young said. “So I used to, but now it’s like more paying attention and noticing that you’re not perfect. You’re going to make mistakes. I promise you’re going to make mistakes. It’s like, okay, next play. You can’t just stick on that one play and it results in you making another bad play. So it’s like you got to keep on going and put it behind you.”        

Turner believes the best remedy to correcting a mistake is to learn from it and then move on. 

“Coach McVay said don’t fear failure but attack success,” Turner said. “So, for me, like I’m a bit of a perfectionist. Anything that I do wrong I’m watching over and over again at the house. I’m like, I don’t need to do this. How can I can I change that? Sometimes that can lead to a little bit of timidity or like not playing super comfortable or swagged out.”