INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Rams secured their second win of the season on Sunday in a defensive battle against the Las Vegas Raiders. They didn't allow a single touchdown and yielded their fewest rushing yards in a game this year (122).
Running back Kyren Williams extended his rushing touchdown streak to nine-straight regular season games with two scores on the ground, and also tied his season-high of five missed tackles forced, according to Pro Football Focus, capitalized by a nasty stiff-arm in the fourth quarter. On the other side of the ball, the Rams blitzed the passer 47.8% of the time, their highest rate of the season according to Next Gen Stats, and it resulted in their highest pressure total of the year (21). That's what a successful strategy looks like.
There were so many fun numbers from this game that I had to slip in some extras into the intro. Here are five interesting stats from the Rams' 20-15 win over the Raiders:
The Rams doubled their defensive turnover total from four to eight on Sunday
The Rams came into the game with four turnovers in their first five games. They doubled that against the Raiders with three interceptions and one fumble-six. This was the second-straight game where the defense scored a touchdown – the last time they had at least that many defensive scores in a season was 2020.
Undrafted rookie safety Jaylen McCollough secured two picks, totaling three in his last two games, while cornerback Cobie Durant forced the fumble and had a pick of his own. The defensive backfield led the way for a defense that head coach Sean McVay said "carried the torch" against Las Vegas.
Matthew Stafford was pressured only seven times against Las Vegas, tied for his season-low (via Next Gen Stats)
McVay on Monday said that the Rams chipped Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby on virtually every pass play because limiting him was "the number one goal" against the Raiders, and it paid off. Stafford's pocket was clean on most of his pass attempts, and although he only threw for 154 yards, he kept the Rams ahead of the sticks and was only sacked once.
Crosby earned that one sack, but was otherwise stifled by veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein, who McVay said "competed really well" in the win. Meanwhile, left tackle Alaric Jackson didn't allow a single pressure, according to PFF. It was a complete performance from the offensive line, and that started with the tackles in pass protection.
The Rams ran to the right (toward Crosby) only five times (20.8%), and ran to the left 19 times (via Next Gen Stats)
The Rams had a clear point of emphasis on Sunday: Don't let the game-wrecker (Crosby) wreck the game. And they didn't. Los Angeles ran away from his side and toward their star left tackle, Jackson, and although it wasn't Williams' most efficient game, he got the job done. He finished with 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, while rookie running back Blake Corum added 11 yards on three rushes.
Jared Verse's nine quarterback pressures is tied for fourth-most by a player in any game this season and is the most for a rookie (via Next Gen Stats)
Verse recorded nine pressures on Sunday, as Los Angeles pressured Raiders quarterbacks on 45.7% of its dropbacks. After the game, he said it doesn't matter how big or fast the player across from him is, Verse plays his game, starting with speed and then going to the bull rush. He tries to "keep you on your toes" the whole game, and he did that on Sunday, winning with quickness and power. According to Next Gen Stats, Verse now has the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL among qualified players (19.6%).
McVay had been emphasizing the pass rush and defensive backfield playing cohesively, and Verse said they achieved that on Sunday. They played "11 as one," he said, and the turnovers flowed because of it.
Durant's strip sack was the 11th fastest sack so far this season (2.67 seconds) and fastest for a defensive back (via Next Gen Stats)
With less than two minutes left in the first half, Durant came screaming through the "B" gap completely free, and his only thought was "attack the ball," he said postgame. Durant slammed his body into quarterback Gardner Minshew on his blind side, which led to a fumble and subsequent recovery from safety Kam Curl, who ran 33 yards into the end zone for a score.
The Rams have had some speedy sacks this season, but Durant's was, quite literally, one of a kind. He is the only cornerback in the NFL this season to sack the quarterback in less than 2.9 seconds. After the game, he jokingly said that was why he cramped up and had to leave in the third quarter. Still, the "landshark" made his presence felt all over the field before that happened.
