Both the Rams and Ravens have players on their side who spent time with the opposing team. The Rams actually have two with Eric Weddle and midseason acquisition Kenny Young, who was a starter for the Ravens earlier this season. The Ravens have Marcus Peters, though, who the Rams traded to Baltimore before the trade deadline.
Weddle has already said he won’t be sharing any inside knowledge of the Ravens with the Rams, having too much respect for his former teammates and coaches. It’s unclear how much Young can offer Sean McVay and Wade Phillips, but it’d be reasonable to expect him to share at least some insight.
With the way Peters’ tenure in Los Angeles ended – being traded during the season – you can bet he’ll be giving his current team everything he can on his former squad. After all, Peters knows the Rams defense like the back of his hand, spending a season and a half in L.A.
McVay is well aware of Peters being on the other side, and while he wouldn’t definitively say the Rams will change things up because of it, he knows they have to be careful.
“It does [impact game planning] because he’s a great player. You look at the production that he’s had and how quickly he’s picked up some of the things that they’re doing schematically. He’s always been a guy that has great ball production. You look at him in his first game, getting an interception against Seattle. He has one against Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. He’s very comfortable,” McVay said on Wednesday. “He’s a guy that whether he was here or not, you’ve got to be mindful of because he does have such elite ball skills. You do want to be careful about some of the things that he might be familiar with. He’s a great player and I’m really happy to see him doing so well.”
Peters is a smart player and while he might allow big plays at times, he also has the ability to completely change a game. Just in the four games since being acquired by the Ravens, he’s picked off two passes and returned both of them for touchdowns.
The Ravens are undefeated since acquiring Peters and their defense ranks second in points allowed since Week 7. The Rams are first in that category in the same span, but there’s no denying how well Baltimore’s defense has played.
With the added knowledge of the Rams’ scheme, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if Peters makes a big play or two in this game.