Key to slowing Lamar Jackson down is something Rams are best at

The Rams pressure QBs without blitzing at a higher rate than any other team in the NFL.

Slowing down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense is as difficult a task as any in the NFL right now. They’ve scored a league-high 157 points in their last four games, winning by an average of more than 25 points per game.

In that span, Jackson has thrown for 751 yards and eight touchdown passes with zero interceptions, and also rushed for 321 yards and four touchdowns on 47 carries. He’s very clearly emerged as one of the favorites to win NFL MVP this season, proving to be one of the most dynamic players in the league.

The Rams defense has played extremely well in the last four games, allowing a league-low 44 points and ranking first in rushing yards allowed. Granted, their competition in that span has been unimpressive, but the defense is hitting its stride at the right time with the Ravens coming to town.

Neutralizing Jackson and slowing Baltimore’s offense is nearly impossible, but the team that’s come closest to doing that is Pittsburgh. In Week 5, the Steelers held Jackson to 161 yards passing and 70 yards rushing with one total touchdown and three interceptions.

They have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL and against the Ravens, they didn’t blitz as much as they normally do. Why? Because blitzing Jackson is a recipe for disaster.

This season, Jackson has been unbelievably good when facing five or more rushers. Against the blitz, he’s completed 54 of 90 passes (60%) for 757 yards with 15 touchdowns and only one interception. He’s been sacked eight times on such plays, but he’s averaging 8.4 yards per attempt against the blitz (7.9 against a normal rush). Additionally, he’s rushed for 112 yards on only six carries, an average of 18.7 yards per rush.

For comparison, he’s thrown just four touchdown passes and four interceptions against a normal rush this year, with a passer rating of 91.2 (122.1 vs. blitz).

This is good news for the Rams, who are better at getting pressure on the quarterback without blitzing than any other team in the league.

This season, the Rams have only blitzed 104 times, or at a rate of 25%. That’s the 11th-lowest rate in the NFL, but they’ve also hurried quarterbacks on 68 of their dropbacks – the most in football.

If the Rams can pressure Jackson with only four rushers, the second-year quarterback is going to have far more trouble than he would against the blitz. Take a look at this play where the Steelers are able to pressure Jackson with only four defenders, getting quick penetration up the middle while T.J. Watt gets wide outside.

The only thing that went wrong on this play was Stephon Tuitt failing to wrap up Jackson, which is understandable.

The Steelers got pressure on Jackson here, as well, by only rushing four. Watt gets deep upfield and forces Jackson to step up in the pocket, which lands him in the arms of Javon Hargrave.

It was good discipline by the Steelers’ defenders to maintain their gaps and keep their eyes on the quarterback. That’s something the Rams will need to do, specifically Aaron Donald and Sebastian Joseph-Day in the middle.

Another aspect of this game that favors the Rams defense is limiting explosive plays. No team in the NFL has allowed fewer explosive plays (15-yard rush, 20-yard pass) than the Rams this season.

It’s a staple of their scheme, which employs a bend-don’t-break mentality. They force teams to inch their way down the field, taking away deep passes and long runs. Offenses have to earn their yardage against the Rams.

It’s why they only rank 17th in plays per drive by their opponents, but they’re sixth in yards and fifth in points per possession. The Ravens, on the other hand, have the third-highest explosive play rate in the league, consistently creating big plays on offense.

This isn’t to say the Rams will have an easy time against the Ravens. No defense does. But the Rams are the best team in the league at generating pressure with only four rushers and limiting explosive plays.

Los Angeles will still need to contain Jackson as a runner and avoid making colossal mistakes when the Ravens utilize zone reads and RPOs. A defensive end or outside linebacker crashing down when he should key on the quarterback can be the difference in a tackle for loss or a 30-yard run.

This will be a monumental test for the Rams, who have faced a very low level of competition in the last four games.

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