Tag: Kobie Turner

How Rams rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young are crushing enemy quarterbacks

The Rams’ underrated defense is led by two rookies — edge-rusher Byron Young, and interior force Kobie Turner. Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar explain.

For a franchise that has leaned toward an “F Them Picks” philosophy in recent years, the Los Angeles Rams are certainly doing a fine job getting their draft selections on the field at a ridiculous rate of value in the 2023 season. Fifth-round receiver Puka Nacua is on pace to shatter several rookie records, and second-round guard Steve Avila has allowed just two sacks and 31 total pressure this season. Outside of Nacua and Avila, the Rams’ two most impressive rookies have been edge-rusher Byron Young from Tennessee, and defensive lineman Kobie Turner from Wake Forest.

Only Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans and Tuli Tuipulotu of the Los Angeles Chargers have more total pressures among edge defenders than Young’s 46 (seven sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 25 quarterback hurries), and no rookie interior defensive lineman has more pressures than Turner’s 45 (11 sacks, five quarterback hits, 29 quarterback hurries). Even Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles, thought by many to be this year’s “Annual Generational” defensive prospect, hasn’t disrupted quarterbacks at Turner’s rate.

Not bad for a couple of second-round under the radar guys.

“Didn’t know about the sack totals,” defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said on Thursday of his two first-year stars. “I just kind of go about the deal and they’ve really gotten better watching those guys go since they’ve been here. They came in young rookies. Kobie came in, super smart, super intelligent with an unbelievable motor. Byron just coming in really showing us stuff right off the bat with some explosiveness — being just a violent rusher, and he’s really developed some of his tools to get even better and now developing as a dropper as well, being at the outside backer position. They have been so much fun to work with and be around. I couldn’t be happier with the two young guys.”

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Young often gets his sacks and disruptions in space and with second effort. Against the New York Giants last week, Young was faced with a six-OL set, and guard Mark Glowinski motioning to his side. Young outlasted Glowinnki to the edge, and took quarterback Tyrod Taylor down.

In Turner’s case, the 6-foot-3, 290-pound powerhouse gets it done in the pit with great leverage, nasty hand technique, and some terrifying tackle/tackle stunts with that Aaron Donald guy, who’s still pretty good. Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco found himself on the wrong end of that concept for a safety in Week 13. These are not the gentlemen you want to see coming at you from either side, and this will continue when the Rams hit the postseason.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys detail what Young and Turner bring to the table, and how they’re leading the charge for an underrated Rams defense. You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Kobie Turner feels he’s done enough to be in Defensive Rookie of the Year race

Kobie Turner thinks he’s done enough to be in the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he also knows there’s work to be done

Kobie Turner was overlooked in the pre-draft process, as well as in the lead up to the 2023 season. He was a third-round pick, but no one expected him to have the season he’s put together thus far.

He has nine sacks and 57 tackles, both of which are more than Aaron Donald has this year. His nine sacks are tied for the Rams rookie record and the most by any rookie defensive tackle in the NFL.

Despite having the best numbers of any defensive rookie this year, Turner isn’t the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has the third-best odds and was only available to bet this week after getting inexplicably left out of the conversation.

Turner was asked about his candidacy for the top rookie award and he feels he’s done enough to be in the race, but there’s still work to be done.

“I definitely think that I have put in the work to put myself into the conversation, but that’s not for me to decide, of course,” Turner said, via ESPN. “All there is for me to do is just keep working, take it each day by day and just put out tape that’s going to make it not questionable that that’s where I should be. So I don’t have any say as far as I should be this, I should be that.

“What I know that I should be doing is getting right back to work, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do throughout this next week and now throughout the next week after that as well.”

Turner has one game left to prove he’s the best rookie defender in the NFL this season. He also has one game left to break Donald’s rookie sacks record, potentially reaching double-digits if he can add one full sack to his resume in the finale.

Turner will need a big game if he’s going to overtake Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr. for DROY, but he has his sights set on helping the Rams win.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing Week 18’s biggest NFL matchups

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys preview the final week of the regular season with tape and metrics.

It’s time for Week 18 of the 2023 NFL campaign — the final week of the regular season — and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, are here to get you ready for the most important games, playoff scenarios, and interesting matchups:

Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Chargers — Why the Chiefs wouldn’t even be a playoff team without Steve Spagnuolo, and how Kansas City’s defense got four sacks in five plays against the Bengals on Cincinnati’s final drive.

Philadelphia Eagles-New York Giants — The Eagles had best fix their leaky run defense before the playoffs, and the Giants could be a stern test in that regard.

Houston Texans- Indianapolis Colts — C.J. Stroud is back for the Texans, and he’ll face a Colts defense with a lot of underrated players. The winner takes the AFC South.

Los Angeles Rams-San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers have wrapped up the NFC’s one-seed, so they won’t play many of their starters, but it’s time to recognize a Rams defense defined by two rookies, and more underrated players.

Buffalo Bills-Miami Dolphins — Two up-and-down teams are fighting for control of the AFC East, and it could come down to which unit figures itself out: Buffalo’s offense, or Miami’s defense.

Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers — The Bears won’t make the playoffs, but they have a fascinating decision to make about Justin Fields’ future. Meanwhile, Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been as good as anyone at his position in the second half of the season.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar” right here:

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Rams DL coach says Defensive Rookie of the Year is ‘so rigged for 1st-rounders’

Rams DL coach Eric Henderson is pounding the table for Kobie Turner to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he says “it’s not close”

No one is pounding the table for Kobie Turner to win Defensive Rookie of the Year more than Rams D-line coach Eric Henderson. He’s had a front-row seat for Turner’s development and flat-out dominance as a rookie this year, watching the stud defensive tackle rack up nine sacks (tied for the most ever by a rookie DT), eight tackles for a loss and 15 quarterback hits.

Despite Turner’s eye-popping numbers, he wasn’t even among the favorites to win Defensive Rookie of the Year until the books adjusted on Wednesday and listed him with the third-best odds behind Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr.

Henderson caught wind of the updated odds and he shared his unfiltered opinion, calling the award “so rigged for 1st rounders to win.” He says Turner is being penalized for being drafted in the third round and “can’t stand it.”

Peter Schrager of NFL Network is aboard the “Turner for Defensive Rookie of the Year” train, too. Henderson replied to Schrager’s argument in favor of Turner winning the award, and he said again, “it’s not close.”

Add Andrew Whitworth to Turner’s corner, as well. He wants everyone to show Turner some respect during this remarkable season.

Henderson replied to Whitworth’s tweet and said Turner is “better than the majority of the league for an interior guy, let alone this year’s rookie group.

The guy Turner tied for the most sacks in a season by a rookie defensive tackle, Aaron Donald, also wants to see The Conductor win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

If Turner doesn’t win Defensive Rookie of the Year, Henderson might run on stage at the NFL Honors show in February and let everyone know who should’ve taken home the hardware.

Kobie Turner is inexplicably being left out of the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation

Kobie Turner has the most sacks among rookies, yet you can’t even bet him to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. Why is he being left out of the conversation?

There isn’t a single rookie in the NFL with more sacks this season than Kobie Turner. Yet, at BetMGM, there are nine players with better odds to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

In fact, odds for Turner to win the coveted award aren’t even available to bet. Even if his odds were on the board, it probably wouldn’t matter much because Jalen Carter is -700 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, with Will Anderson Jr. holding the second-best odds at +375.

It’s bad enough that Turner isn’t among the favorites, but it’s egregious that you can’t even bet on him to win the award despite him leading all rookies in sacks with nine – a number that’s tied with Aaron Donald for the most sacks ever by a rookie defensive tackle.

His candidacy goes well beyond just his sack total, too. Pro Football Focus’ numbers can help his case, too. PFF credits him with 11 total sacks, three more than any other rookie. His 45 total pressures rank fourth among all rookies and lead first-year defensive tackles. His pass-rush win rate of 12.9% is lower than Carter’s 16.9% win rate, but Turner has five QB hits to Carter’s four.

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Turner leads all rookies with 36 stops, which are categorized as “tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense,” according to PFF. Carter only has 13 stops. Turner’s 72.8 run-defense grade is 11th among rookies regardless of position, better than Carter’s 65.2 run-defense grade.

Anderson has put together a terrific season for the Texans, too, and has an 80.1 run-defense grade, 57 total pressures and a win rate of 16.3%, but his four sacks (per PFF) are four behind Turner.

The common theme between Carter and Anderson is they were first-round picks. Turner, as we all know, was not. He was selected in the third round, therefore is much more of an unknown to casual fans. Yet, he’s arguably been the best rookie defender in football.

His standout performance of the year came against the Giants on Sunday, recording 2.5 sacks and 10 total pressures. The season-high for both Anderson and Carter is eight each.

Turner has been a revelation for the Rams this year, exceeding all expectations as a third-round rookie. And he’s doing all of this while playing alongside Aaron Donald, who he has more sacks than. Maybe it’s because Turner plays alongside Donald that he’s getting overlooked in the Rookie of the Year race.

No matter the reason, Turner deserves to not just be in the conversation, but leading it.

Kobie Turner has a chance to break Aaron Donald’s rookie sack record in Week 18

Kobie Turner tied Aaron Donald’s record for the most sacks by a rookie DT in NFL history and he has a chance to break it in Week 18

All the rookie talk has been about Puka Nacua this season, and rightfully so, but Kobie Turner is quietly having an outstanding first season in the NFL, too. The third-round pick came into Week 17 with 6.5 sacks, which was a half-sack behind Byron Young for the rookie lead.

Turner added 2.5 more sacks on Sunday against the Giants, giving him nine total on the year. That tied the NFL record for the most sacks by a rookie defensive tackle, matching Aaron Donald’s nine sacks in 2014.

The good news for Turner is he has one more week left in the season. therefore, if he records even just a half-sack against the 49ers in Week 18, Turner will set the record for the most sacks by a rookie in a single season.

Turner had already ranked second in NFL history with 6.5 sacks, edging out Chris Jones and DeForest Buckner among rookie defensive tackles, but now he has Donald in his sights. Any record that’s held by Donald is an impressive one, which shows how dominant Turner has been in his rookie season this year.

Turner was somewhat overlooked as a third-round pick but “The Conductor” has exceeded all expectations and been a force on the interior.

Rams’ defense has been playing lights out since Week 10 bye

The Rams have held all three of their opponents since their bye week in Week 10 to 19 or fewer points.

Much was made about the inexperienced defense the Los Angeles Rams trotted out to begin the 2023 season. Following the departures of Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, and Bobby Wagner, the Rams elected to start plenty of first- and second-year players instead of replacing those players with veterans.

There have understandably been growing pains for a new-look defensive unit since the season opener versus the Seattle Seahawks. Raheem Morris and the rest of the coaching staff have had to adjust on the fly and make alterations to the starting unit, whether it be due to injuries or because of a player not performing up to the team’s standards.

Aside from Aaron Donald, Jordan Fuller, John Johnson III, and Akhello Witherspoon, the other seven starters on defense in Week 13 have played three or fewer seasons in the NFL. And after a few rough patches early in the season, the defense has begun to round into form since the Rams had their bye week in Week 10.

In their last three games against the Cleveland Browns, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Seattle Seahawks, the defense has held each of their opponents to 19 or fewer points. All three phases of the defense have done their part in evolving into a formidable group, with rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young emerging as key contributors alongside Donald.

Ernest Jones has become a leader in the middle of the defense, and Ahkello Witherspoon has continued to be a solid signing for the Rams in the secondary. Quentin Lake has been dealing with an injury in recent weeks, but he was also becoming a marquee fixture in the secondary as he was playing the ‘star’ role in Morris’ defense.

When it comes to advanced numbers, the defense has allowed an EPA per play of -0.086 (10th-best in the NFL) since Week 11. The pass defense specifically has been dominant, permitting a dropback EPA per play of -0.132 in the last three weeks, which is the sixth-best mark in the league in that span.

The last time the Rams had a three-game stretch of allowing 19 or fewer points was from Week 5 through 7 during the 2021 season. Besides the young players who have performed well to help the defense drastically improve, credit deserves to go to Morris, Sean McVay, and the rest of the coaching staff for the job they’ve done with this current group.

Worst of the Week: Clete Blakeman, Jamal Adams, Ron Rivera, Broncos in the red zone

Jamal Adams, Ron Rivera, Broncos in the red zone, Joe Flacco’s last two plays, and more bad officiating! It’s the NFL’s Worst of the Week!

Football is a wonderful, thrilling, inspiring game that can lift us to new heights in our lives.

But football is also a weird, inexplicable, at times downright stupid game that may force you to perform Keith Moon-level furniture destruction in your own living room.

So, as much as we at Touchdown Wire endeavor to write about what makes the game great, there are also times when it’s important to point out the dumb plays, boneheaded decisions, and officiating errors that make football all too human.

Folks, it’s time for the Worst of the Week for Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season.

Kobie Turner credits offense for Rams defense’s success vs. Cardinals

Kobie Turner credited the Rams’ offense for defense’s success in the team’s Week 12 win over the Cardinals.

Kobie Turner put together his best performance of the season on Sunday, logging a season-high two sacks. Despite his notable outing, the rookie interior defender took the time to credit the offense for helping the defense in the team’s convincing 37-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12.

“It feels really good, their first drive(s) of the game (were) really long drives, so we’re able to go through each one of those plays (on defense), talk adjustments,” Turner said, via The Athletic. “And they’re still running the ball. It means a lot to be able to sustain some long drives, it gives us rest (and) allows us to be fresher when we go out there and get after the passer. Feels incredible. It gives you a lot of momentum, too, when you’re running the ball like that. You’re physically exerting your will on the other team.”

After the Rams began the game with a 75-yard drive to go up 7-0, the Cardinals matched it with a 12-play, 75-yard drive of their own. And the Cardinals would convert a two-point conversion to secure an 8-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Following Arizona’s opening scoring drive, the starting defense of the Rams held the Cardinals to 54 total yards and they didn’t allow another point. The Cardinals would score their second touchdown of the game with under six minutes remaining when the Rams already pulled their starters on defense.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams won the time of possession battle by possessing the ball for 34:52. The ground game imposed their will, with Kyren Williams and Royce Freeman combining for 220 yards on 29 attempts.

The combination of running the ball successfully and sustaining drives helped a young defense settle into a game that appeared to have a chance of being a shootout at the start. At the same time, Turner and the defense deserve a ton of credit for stifling a Kyler Murray-led offense.

Watch: Kobie Turner hits the ‘conductor’ celebration after sacking Kyler Murray

Kobie Turner lived up to his “conductor” nickname with this celebration

Kobie Turner is a third-round rookie for the Rams but you wouldn’t know that by watching him each and every week. He looks like a seasoned veteran, recording his third sack of the season against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

After taking down Kyler Murray for a 6-yard loss on third-and-7, Turner pulled out a fantastic celebration. Nicknamed “the conductor” for his singing chops, Turner pretended to lead an orchestra after his sack to force a Cardinals punt.

Turner took advantage of all the attention paid to Aaron Donald on the play by quickly beating his block and sacking Murray.