Tag: Greg Gaines

Metrics show the Rams are dominating the trenches on both sides of the ball

The Rams have been dominant in the trenches on both sides of the ball through the first nine weeks.

There’s no debating that the Los Angeles Rams got outclassed by the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, especially in the trenches. Matthew Stafford was sacked a season-high five times, but not all of them should be pitted on the offensive line.

Even after Week 9’s collapse versus the Titans, The Athletic’s Ben Baldwin created charts that show just how well the Rams have performed in the trenches on both sides of the ball this season.

Aside from this past week, the interior of Brian Allen, David Edwards, and Austin Corbett was keeping pace with Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein. It should come as no surprise that Whitworth (89.4) and Havenstein (76.5) have the Rams’ highest pass-blocking grades, according to PFF.

While Stafford has had plenty of time to set up shop in the pocket, the offensive line has also created plenty of running lanes for Darrell Henderson. All five of the starters on the offensive line have run-blocking grades on PFF of 62-plus, with Havenstein boasting the highest grade at 72.5.

Rushing the passer hasn’t been an issue for the Rams, as having Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd makes life easier for everyone else. It’s still surreal to think that we’ll see Von Miller join this defense soon. And it has been a positive sight to see Greg Gaines incite pressure from the interior, as he’ll see more time with Sebastian Joseph-Day potentially out for the year.

Over the years, we’ve seen the run defense of the Rams waver as an average or below-average group. However, while allowing the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game and the 10th fewest yards per carry, Los Angeles is consistently imposing their will on the defensive front in the running game this season.

A’Shawn Robinson, Donald, Gaines, Floyd, and even Jalen Ramsey all have run-defense grades of 71-plus over at PFF. While there are. plenty of games to be played still, it will be interesting to see if the Rams can remain near the top in all of these metrics when the season is over.

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Greg Gaines puts together stellar performance in Week 8 vs. Texans

Greg Gaines played exceptionally well for the Rams in Week 8, posting the highest pass-rush win rate of any defensive tackle.

The defense of the Los Angeles Rams was remarkable in Week 8 versus the Houston Texans. While the Texans produced 22 points, all of their points came in garbage time when the Rams pulled the majority of their starters.

With Sebastian Joseph-Day sidelined for Los Angeles on Sunday, Greg Gaines made the most of his opportunity to start.

Joseph-Day missed Sunday’s contest with a chest injury, allowing Gaines to see a season-high 69% of the defensive snaps against the Texans. The third-year defensive tackle would find himself in Houston’s backfield consistently, recording a 44% pass-rush win rate in Week 8.

That was the best win rate of any defensive tackle in Week 8, excluding Sunday night’s game and Monday’s Chiefs-Giants matchup.

 

Gaines finished the game with four combined tackles, a quarterback hit, and half a sack. He now has three total sacks in his career as he’s mostly known for his ability to stop the run in the interior. Gaines led the team with six total pressures, also a career-high.

It was an outstanding showing from the Rams defense in Week 8, especially for guys like Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, and Ernest Jones. Even though he may not be a pass-rushing specialist, it was a positive development to see Gaines flash as a pass rusher against the Texans on the road.

If Joseph-Day is unable to return in Week 9, Gaines would have a favorable matchup against a Tennessee Titans team that has surrendered the fourth-most sacks in the NFL through the first eight weeks.

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What Brockers’ return means for A’Shawn Robinson and Rams D-line

With Michael Brockers returning, the Rams’ defensive line is suddenly crowded.

The Los Angeles Rams appeared to find their replacement for Michael Brockers after the veteran agreed to terms with the Ravens, landing former Lions defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson. He agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal with the Rams, joining a defensive line that featured Aaron Donald and a pair of young nose tackles, Greg Gaines and Sebastian Joseph-Day.

Fast-forward a week and it turns out the Rams don’t actually need to replace Brockers. He’s returning to Los Angeles on a three-year contract worth up to $31.5 million after his deal with the Ravens fell through. Brockers’ physical with an independent doctor raised concerns about his ankle for Baltimore, which then pulled its offer.

So what does this all mean for Brockers, Robinson and the rest of the Rams’ defensive linemen? Brockers’ return certainly gives Los Angeles a crowded defensive line, but also one that features a lot of versatile players.

Aaron Donald will remain at 3-technique, most often rushing the passer from his traditional defensive tackle position. At nose tackle, it’s likely that Robinson will replace Joseph-Day and Gaines, who were the primary contributors inside last season.

There’s no doubt Robinson has the size to play nose tackle in the Rams’ scheme – he’s 6-foot-4, 320 pounds – but his length looked like an asset at defensive end with Brockers gone. Robinson is a space-eater and a great run defender, though, which will help the Rams plug up the A-gaps.

At defensive end, Brockers will reclaim his starting spot. The Rams aren’t paying him more than $10 million a year to be a backup, nor did they give Robinson $9.5 million guaranteed to ride the bench and play behind Joseph-Day.

There are only so many snaps to go around on the defensive line, and the Rams are deep across the front with players who deserve to get on the field, but that’s not a bad thing. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley now has countless options along the defensive line.

The Rams could use a defensive line with Donald at 5-technique, Robinson at nose tackle and Brockers at 3-technique. They could also kick Joseph-Day outside to defensive end with Brockers at nose tackle and Donald at defensive tackle.

Their rotation will be deep, allowing them to keep players fresh over the duration of a game. That’s important and helps in the fourth quarter, especially when the Rams are trailing and teams are running the ball to kill the clock.

Brockers’ return will hurt the development of Joseph-Day and Gaines, since they won’t be getting nearly as much playing time as expected, but the Rams’ run defense has been upgraded with Brockers coming back – as has their depth.

After being hired, Staley emphasized the importance of versatility on the defensive front and in the secondary. He’s getting his wish with the Rams’ current group of linemen, almost all of which can play any position up front. All that’s left is to see how Staley utilizes all this talent.