The Los Angeles Rams have now made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The Rams finished the season with a 10-7 record and won the NFC West. The team will play host to the Minnesota Vikings from the NFC North. They are set to play against each other in the NFL Playoffs Wild Card round on Monday Night at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
The Rams have played all season with a young defense. The defense has got better as the year went on. And they closed out the season playing their best football. Now in the playoffs they will need to do the same to help the team advance. For many of them, this will be their first time in a playoff environment.
The defense's pass rush has been led by rookie Pro Bowler Jared Verse. In his first year in the NFL, Verse has had a great year and will give the Vikings offense problems on Monday Night.
"The Vikings offensive line has struggled throughout this season in pass protection," said NFL Films Senior Producer Greg Cosell on The Herd. "The reason that Sam Darnold has been good this year because he is willing to stay in the pocket and deliver the ball. But this Rams defensive line is particularly their front. They have [Kobie] Turner and [Braden] Fiske on the inside and [Byron] Young and Jared Verse on the outside. I think that is going to cause problems for this Vikings offensive line."
"And you can make the argument right now, as a rookie, Jared Verse is the best speed to power rusher in the NFL. He is going to give problems to this offensive line. So that to me, it will be an outlook element of this game because everyone focuses on the quarterback and skill players, but I think that can be where this game is won and lost."
During the Rams winning streak in the regular season, the defense led the way and helped the offense stay in games. If the defense stays playing well in the playoffs and the offense takes advantage of opportunities, this team can make a run deep in the playoffs. The Rams are a dangerous team and know how to get it done.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams DE Jared Verse Will Present Problems for Vikings.