{"id":3127,"date":"2016-09-30T12:23:50","date_gmt":"2016-09-30T16:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=3127"},"modified":"2016-09-30T12:23:50","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T16:23:50","slug":"los-angeles-rams-week-four-keys-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/09\/30\/los-angeles-rams-week-four-keys-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Rams Week Four Keys to Victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Rams<\/strong> fought their way to a big win last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/strong>. The team not only put up their first touchdown of the year, they scored an additional four for good measure. Head coach\u00a0Jeff Fisher<\/a><\/strong> and his group are beginning to find their stride, but they have a major test in this Sunday\u2019s road game against divisional rival, the Arizona Cardinals. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Though struggling, Arizona has an excess of talent in all three aspects of the game. The Rams will need to focus on three particular assets of their game to take their win streak to three and return back to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum<\/strong> comfortably atop the NFC West. Below are three Rams Week four keys to victory.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams Week Four Keys to Victory<\/h2>\n

Pass Defense<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yes, the Rams contained Jameis Winston<\/a> <\/strong>enough to grab the win, but had the Los Angeles\u00a0offense not exploded, the Rams could have lost. Winston put up week-leading numbers, including 405 passing yards, and two of his receivers surpassed 100 yards. These number would make any defensive coordinator cringe. Combine this with the Next Gen stat<\/u><\/a> that recorded Rams defenders running a total of 16,576 yards last Sunday, and one can see how the Bucs came so close to handing the Rams their second loss.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles defensive coordinator Gregg Williams <\/strong>is one of the best in this league and he outsmarted the Tampa Bay gunslinger by using deep safety formations, thereby cutting off the home run play. However, Winston countered by hitting his targets just above the linebackers\u2019 drops or on hitch routes. This allowed\u00a0receivers like\u00a0Mike Evans<\/a> <\/strong>and Adam Humphries<\/a> <\/strong>to rack up smaller completions and then make moves for yards after contact. Tampa Bay didn’t look for many really deep throws, though the longest reception was a 33-yard grab by running back Charles Sims<\/a><\/strong>.<\/a><\/span> Despite the Rams not allowing many big plays at all, the Bucs still managed to work down the field far too often and put up 32 points of well-earned offense.<\/p>\n

The Rams can avoid this same situation when they go up against dangerous threats like Larry Fitzgerald<\/a><\/strong>, John Brown<\/a><\/strong>, and Michael Floyd<\/a><\/strong>, by being more aggressive at the cornerback position.\u00a0The Rams\u00a0need to avoid having their safeties make tackles and focus more on their corners breaking up passes and fighting for interceptions. Speed will be a big factor in the passing game this Sunday. Cornerback E.J. Gaines<\/a><\/strong> looks like he\u00a0will be\u00a0ready to suit up, and his aggressiveness in coverage, and his ability to jump routes\u00a0could change momentum quickly and substantially.<\/p>\n

Cardinals uarterback Carson Palmer<\/a><\/strong> is not exactly praised for his short term memory, often carrying mistakes with him across quarters and even across games. If the Rams pick him off early, there is a good chance\u00a0Palmer’s confidence erodes\u00a0and the reticence will show in more conservative throws or more ill-advised ones. Either way, the Rams will gain the advantage.<\/p>\n

Neutralize\u00a0David Johnson\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

No matter where running back David Johnson <\/strong><\/a>lines up on the field, he will do some damage. The Rams best bet is to work towards limiting his influence on the game. Last week, Bucs second string back, Charles Sims<\/strong> <\/a>broke a few big runs against LA.\u00a0Johnson is more elite than any of the Rams backs and, his quick, wily running style has the ability to put this game out of reach very early.<\/p>\n

Every football game is a measure of tackling and blocking. Solid, disciplined tackling will be crucial to limiting Johnson on his runs. Tampa Bay was able to hold him to only 45 yards in their match up. The Bucs\u00a0accomplished that by completing tackles upon first contact. If a defender is quick enough to catch Johnson,\u00a0they must bring down the\u00a0Cardinals back immediately. This is especially true in\u00a0the red zone, where Johnson ran for two touchdowns last week. As a very aggressive and very young player,\u00a0Johnson will fight for a score when\u00a0the Cards offense\u00a0gets anywhere near\u00a0the red zone. LA\u2019s defense will need to shed blocks, pursue, swarm, and above all bring the star running back to the ground as quickly as possible on every single touch.<\/p>\n

Of course, neutralizing Johnson will also open the game for Palmer, who has struggled so far this year. But it’s better to put the strain on the struggling, aging veteran than the hungry young star.<\/p>\n

Special Teams <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Special teams are often overlooked, but they will be absolutely key in Sunday\u2019s contest. Last week, the Rams had some noticeable miscues on punts.\u00a0Once example was when return specialist Tavon Austin<\/a><\/strong> tried to return a late fourth quarter punt instead of letting it bounce\u00a0in the endzone for\u00a0a touch back. Austin wound up getting tackled deep in\u00a0Rams territory . That led to a Rams punt that put Tampa Bay in position to make one final run for a game-winning score. Understanding field position and having a strict game plan on special teams can help a team stay in control of\u00a0the field\u00a0for the duration of the game.<\/p>\n

Punter Johnny Hekker<\/a> <\/strong>has continued to play excellently, enabling his defense to start in good position and putting a little insurance in the minds of his offense. Kicker Greg Zuerlein<\/a> <\/strong>has also been impressive to start the season. Zuerlein hasn’t\u00a0missed a field goal yet this season.<\/p>\n

However, the Rams need to focus on seeing as little of these two on the field as possible. They snuck in a win on solely field goals in Week two, but as last week taught them, that will rarely be enough. As well as these special teams\u2019 stars have played, Los Angeles would appreciate limited participation from both.<\/p>\n

Arizona has had its own struggles<\/u><\/a> on special teams with their kicker Chandler Catanzaro<\/a><\/strong>, missing a potential game winning field goal\u00a0against the New England Patriots <\/strong>in Week one. Sure it was off a bad snap, but the Cards need to\u00a0convert field goal attempts into points. Catanzaro missed\u00a0an extra point as well in that game.<\/p>\n

Punter Drew Butler<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>also\u00a0<\/strong>had protection problems last week and will miss time due to a severe ankle injury. Arizona has replaced both their long snapper and punter,\u00a0and there will no doubt be a period of transition that the Rams will be able to properly exploit.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Rams have a lot to prepare for as they head to Arizona\u00a0to take on the offensive behemoth Cardinals.\u00a0LA will have to find advantages in shutting down receivers, neutralizing David Johnson, and winning the special teams match up. Last week, they proved that their offense had some flash and that their defense is as stingy as they come. Thus, Los Angeles simply needs to do what they do best and stay focused through the noise to come back home with a proud and well-earned 3-1 record.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n