Styles make fights, right? That’s been said about boxing for decades, and it’s more true than ever in an NFL that is now a matchup league above all else. Yes, scheme plays a major part in what teams do on offense and defense, but when the playoffs come around, there’s enough tape on every team and every player to go around. You’re less likely to be surprised schematically at this point, which brings it down to one thing — one great player against another.
When the Packers and Rams match up on Saturday afternoon in the divisional round, the obvious matchup to watch will be Green Bay receiver Davante Adams against Los Angeles cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Adams has been trouble for every cornerback he’s faced this season with his speed, understanding of defenses, and next-level route-running. This season, he’s caught 115 passes on 149 targets for 1,374 yards, 11.9 yards per catch, and a league-high 18 touchdowns.
Ramsey has been nightmare fuel for most every receiver he’s faced this season, and here are his numbers:
— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) January 13, 2021
“I think it changes the math in how you can approach covering their eligible receivers,” Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said this week regarding the value of having a true shutdown cornerback. “Traditionally, if you need to help a cornerback on a premium wideout, there are going to be individual matchups elsewhere that affect the other players on your defense. When you have a corner like Jalen, it affects the math. You know when you have a player who is as versatile as Jalen, where you can put him several different places within a formation, it increases his value and the value he creates for his teammates.”
So, yeah. Game on. How it turns out will go a long way to deciding who advances to the NFC Championship… and based on Ramsey’s and Adams’ skill sets, Staley’s comments about Ramsey’s versatility could be very telling.