The Seattle Seahawks passing offense has been a machine all season. Quarterback Sam Darnold is flirting with MVP numbers, and wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba is on pace to finish as the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.
The Rams, however, have quietly been one of the NFL’s elite defenses thanks to a front four loaded with violent pocket pushers and a defensive coordinator in Chris Shula who knows exactly how to weaponize the talent he has both up front and in the secondary.
That combination propelled the Rams defense to a four-interception day against Darnold, securing them a critical NFC West win over the Seahawks.
A huge part of the Rams formula in this game was getting a flash of color across Darnold’s face in the pocket.
Time and time again, the Rams would loop the outside defensive end back inside to get a free defender running at Darnold. That sudden burst from a pass rusher not initially lined up in that spot can be really disruptive to some quarterbacks, and that’s certainly true of Darnold.
Darnold was now forced with a dilemma for the rest of the game: Be patient as a decision-maker and risk the Rams’ pass rushers getting to him, or start getting a little aggressive to beat the pass rush and risk throwing the ball into tight windows.
Darnold chose the latte,r and it really started to cost him on his second interception of the day.
Even after some mistakes, Darnold continued to be aggressive with his throws. He wanted to beat the pass rush, which led to him letting go of the ball pretty early.
On the one hand, I respect it. Shooters shoot, and you need to make tough throws to beat a great defense. At the same time, this Rams defense is one of the best for a reason, and they weaponized Darnold’s aggressiveness against him.
Being one of the best defenses in the league isn’t just about having the right players; it’s about playing the right cards. In the case of shutting down the Seahawks, it was all about speeding up Darnold’s process and weaponizing it against him. The Rams do an excellent job of identifying exactly what’s going to make their opponent uncomfortable and pulling at that thread. How well they keep that up for the rest of the season just might determine if they hoist another Lombardi Trophy or not.
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