When Brandon Staley, Troy Hill, John Johnson and Morgan Fox all left the Rams this offseason, a regression was to be expected. Few people believed the Rams would have the No. 1 defense in the NFL again after suffering those losses, and now 11 weeks into the season, it’s clear that this isn’t the same unit that carried the team last year.
Opposing offenses are figuring out ways to attack the Rams’ weaker players rather than going at guys like Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd. They’re getting the ball out quickly and targeting linebackers and safeties in coverage, which is something Aaron Rodgers and the Packers did quite often on Sunday afternoon.
Ramsey and Davante Adams was supposed to be the marquee matchup at Lambeau Field but when they were lined up across from each other, Rodgers only targeted Adams five times – completing five passes for 41 yards – the most yards allowed by Ramsey to a single receiver since Amari Cooper in Week 1 of the 2020 season.
After the Rams’ 36-28 loss, Ramsey shared some insight on how offenses are attacking Raheem Morris’ defense by picking and choosing their matchups strategically.
“Offenses are definitely trying to get matchups where they think may be best for them. They’re definitely trying to scheme up certain little things a little bit differently to have us potentially playing things a little bit differently. I mean, they’re doing their homework. They’re being an offense,” Ramsey said. “And then when you have a guy like Aaron Rodgers who, Hall of Fame guy, one of the best to do it, he also has a command with his offense to be able to even at times have communication with his receivers and they just go out and make it happen. So it is tough but it’s NFL football, it is what it is.”
The Packers used a lot of pre-snap motion to keep Adams away from Ramsey in coverage, which worked in their favor. On a key third down in the first half, Adams lined up across from Troy Reeder, who was in zone coverage and didn’t get outside quick enough to prevent the reception. Later in the first half, Ramsey was lined up across from Adams in the slot, but the Packers motioned Josiah Deguara to that side of the field and split him outside. That caused Ramsey to follow him to the perimeter, keeping Dont’e Deayon in the slot on Adams, one-on-one.
The result was a 43-yard catch over the top with Deayon trailing Adams from behind, setting up the Packers’ second touchdown of the game to go up 20-10.
DEEP BALL TO @tae15adams!#LARvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/QhDlAfxxL0
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 28, 2021
The Rams tried to adjust by keeping Ramsey on Adams more often in the second half, but the Packers still figured out ways to keep the ball away from No. 5 by targeting players such as Taylor Rapp, Troy Reeder and Deayon.
Ramsey said that no matter what the Rams did to adjust, the Packers responded by winning other matchups.
“We’re trying to figure it out, we’re trying to adjust, which we did. We made a lot of adjustments but every play’s not going to be perfect,” Ramsey said. “Things are just gonna happen. No matter how many adjustments we make, they’re still gonna figure out a way and an opportunity to get their favorable matchups, as well. As many times as we were lined up, I’m sure there were just a number of times where they thought, ‘Cool, I got this matchup here or I got this look there and I’m gonna go there, I’m gonna attack there.’ And like I said, A-Rod has a good connection with his receivers, so they talk pre-snap and make up routes or do whatever they need to do to try to win the game. So it is what it is, NFL football, right?”
Ramsey wasn’t necessarily at his best in this one, allowing seven catches on seven targets for 48 yards. It wasn’t a bad performance, but he wasn’t necessarily the lockdown corner he’s been all season – partly because of the fact that he had to cover the best wide receiver in football, and also because Aaron Rodgers was throwing dimes at quarterback.
“We all gotta step up and take advantage of our opportunities, whenever they may come,” he added. “I have to take better advantage of my four opportunities that I got to get the targets lined up against him and his other targets, we gotta take better advantage of them. And it’s not just him. Like I said on Friday, it’s a whole team game. They had other guys who played well today and had some nice catches, explosive catches and touchdown catches that we would like to limit – and let me not say limit. We would like to just not (have them) happen.”
Ramsey sounded like a player who wanted to be matched up with Adams throughout the game, which isn’t surprising given his competitiveness. He always wants to go against the best, but sometimes the game plan doesn’t allow that to happen.
He’ll admit he didn’t make enough plays when given the chance to cover Adams, and that’s something that he’ll work to correct in the coming weeks.
“Like I said on whatever day it was when I did media, of course I would like for all games to have a certain matchup or do whatever it is, but regardless of if I get that or don’t get that, I’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities that I get on those certain matchups.”
[listicle id=658766]