The Los Angeles Rams have made it clear that they’re tired of coming up one play short in the playoffs and are ready to do whatever it takes to hoist another Lombardi at SoFi Stadium.
Recently, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan detailed the best-case scenario for the team this season.
“It’s 2021 all over again, with the Rams hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl LXI champions,” wrote Sullivan. “The powerhouse roster L.A. built this offseason lives up to the hype, with Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie elevating the defense into one of the best units in the league. Matthew Stafford continues to play at an MVP level, making the Rams the wire-to-wire best team in the NFL.”
While Sullivan is correct, it’s the work that the Rams did with the rest of their roster that has set Stafford, McDuffie, and Garrett up for success.
Les Snead’s vision has amplified the impact of his playmakers
While the Rams were already a good team, especially after adding McDuffie and Garrett, it’s the other moves the Rams did that should ensure the best-case scenario that Sullivan illustrated comes true.
McDuffie is a brilliant talent and despite his All-Pro status, he hasn’t hit his prime yet. Already an exciting thought for the franchise, the decision to add McDuffie’s Super Bowl-winning teammate in Jaylen Watson was an even bigger move.
With A.J. Brown out of the conference, the most notable big, physical receiver in the NFC is Atlanta’s Drake London. There is not one matchup in the conference that should put Watson or McDuffie in danger. McDuffie is perfect for speedy, shifty playmakers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Amon-Ra St. Brown, while Watson can deal with bigger threats like San Francisco’s Mike Evans and London. On top of that, Emmanuel Forbes Jr. has proven he can go toe-to-toe with Seattle’s best, forcing the Seahawks to reinvent their approach to Los Angeles.
Why Jaylen Watson is the Rams’ most important move of the offseason
Watson is the key to everything. Not only does he allow the Rams to give McDuffie the more favorable matchup, but he also brings a physical presence who can also defend against the run. With Watson on one side, the Rams will be able to place Garrett in position in case an opponent attempts to run against McDuffie’s side.
When the Rams were able to stop the run, especially with their dime package, they had the most explosive defense in the NFL. Thus, opponents forced the Rams to place their run defense on the field, designing passing concepts off that thought. The ability to have Watson on one end with Quentin Lake, the Rams’ star safety, on the other, the Rams have an underneath barrier that will force teams to either run inside or pass.
That allows McDuffie to operate in the way he excels, while Garrett will have more opportunities to attack the quarterback.
Put simply, Watson allows the Rams to dictate the pace on defense, which should give Stafford and company as many chances as possible to score.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Jaylen Watson is key to Rams achieving best-case scenario
Reporting by Brock Vierra, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brock Vierra, Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
