There’s no denying how well the Los Angeles Rams defense has played in the last four games. Defensively, they rank first in points allowed (44), first in rushing yards allowed (644) seventh in passer rating against (78.9), fifth in sacks (16) and seventh in third-down conversion percentage (31.7%).
Yet, it’d be unfair to mention those numbers without saying which quarterbacks they’ve faced in that span. The last four quarterbacks to take the field against the Rams are Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. Of those four, only Matt Ryan is having a decent season, and Dalton has since been benched.
Things are about to change dramatically in the next four weeks, though. The Rams’ new-look defense with Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill as the starting cornerbacks will be tested by three MVP candidates and another dynamic quarterback in the next month.
It all begins with Lamar Jackson on Monday night, followed by matchups with Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott. Jackson, Wilson and Prescott are considered the front-runners to win NFL MVP, and while Murray isn’t in the running, he’s one of the more difficult quarterbacks to defend because of his mobility and speed.
The combined numbers of those four quarterbacks are absolutely outstanding this season, especially compared to those of the previous four quarterbacks the Rams have faced. Jackson, Murray, Wilson and Prescott have combined for 77 touchdown passes and only 21 interceptions, with each completing at least 64.6% of their passes. Wilson and Prescott are Nos. 1 and 2 in touchdown passes, while Jackson and Murray have more rushing yards than any other quarterbacks in the league. Jackson is 10th among all players, and Murray is 26th.
From the previous group of Ryan, Rudolph, Dalton and Trubisky, only Ryan ranks in the top 20 in passing yards. Together, the four have combined for 48 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions, and only Ryan has completed more than 62.4% of his passes.
The Rams defense has deservingly received a lot of praise for the way it has played since acquiring Ramsey, but there hasn’t exactly been a quarterback to challenge the Rams much lately.
Now, the Rams will have to face three teams that rank in the top six in yards, and four teams that are in the top 10 in scoring. For comparison, the Steelers, Bears, Bengals and Falcons all rank 20th or lower in scoring.
If the Rams are going to make the postseason and potentially contend for a title, they’re going to have to earn it in the next four weeks.
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