WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – After practices, Rams rookie linebacker Omar Speights can often be found watching film at his locker, his nose buried in a tablet. Speights played just five snaps in Week 9 against the Seahawks, but he made them count by preparing diligently for every possibility.
In overtime, when Seattle lined up to go for it on 4th-and-1 in enemy territory, Speights manned the middle of the defense. As running back Kenneth Walker III followed his blockers to Speights' right, he shuffled his feet to match the play's pace. And when Walker turned the corner and put his head down toward the line to gain, Speights was there to meet him in the hole with his shoulders squared.
"They motioned a little bit before, so I just kind of knew wherever that motion ended up going, that was where the run was gonna go," Speights said. "So I ended up just being a cut back, so I just checked my gap first and then flew over the top just looking for an open gap to hit and I found it, and (the defensive line) did a great job up front of getting penetration… so it was easy for me to just clean up."
Walker fell short of the first down, and the Rams won four plays later on a game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.
With linebacker Troy Reeder on Injured Reserve, Speights, an undrafted rookie out of LSU, has played in two-straight games. He totaled six tackles on 27 snaps while displaying sound fundamentals and shooting gaps with instinctual speed and power, a product of his assiduous film study and comfort in the Rams' defense.
Speights said his observation of Seattle's motion indicating the direction of their overtime run play was something he saw a bit of on tape, but was also a reactionary response to the offense's circumstances.
"Playing ball for a long time, you get a feel for certain things," Speights said.
On top of all the game film that he studies with the team and position group, Speights watches film on "a couple games a week" along with cut-ups targeting his potential matchups. He said he studies until he feels comfortable with the opponent's offensive identity and how their drives tend to unfold.
"For me, it's really once I get to that point of just being comfortable (with the opposing offense) because then at that point, it's kind of like, I just know when it's that time, I can cut it loose," Speights said.
That's what happened in overtime against Seattle. Speights did his homework, recognized the play and "cut it loose." He had only five opportunities to translate his knowledge into production on the gridiron against the Seahawks, and he did just that in the game's most consequential moment.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula said "every single detail matters to him," and the effort he puts in reflects that care. Shula said that Speights was still in linebackers coach Greg Williams' office at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday night. He could have gone home after media availability closed at 5:30 p.m., but he stayed to put in extra work with his position coach.
Speights said he stays late every week to "overload" his mind with film on the first day of practice each week and then he can sleep on his observations so when game time comes, he can just focus on getting in his zone. He often stays late because he said he would watch film at home regardless, so he opts to stay at the facility to get another perspective.
"I've seen a guy that's consistently put in the work," head coach Sean McVay said. "He's got a routine and a rhythm that he has established where he's doing extra work, taking care of his body, he's got film, very conscientious, and this guy is a pro."
The extra effort Speights puts into his craft has caught the attention of the coaching staff. McVay was "not surprised" that Speights has made his impact felt with increased playing time. Heading into Week 10, Speights' football IQ could serve as a boost against a fast and complicated Dolphins offense, and he'll be overly prepared, as always, for that matchup.
"Especially since I've been in (the game more), I want to get as much film in as possible," Speights said.
