The Los Angeles Rams picked up one of the most dominant victories of Super Wild Card Weekend on Monday night over their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams won the game 34-11, as they buried the Cardinals early.
The defense was dominant, as they held Kyler Murray in check, as he threw for only 137 yards and rushed for only six. In total, Los Angeles allowed only 183 yards, which was the fewest of the season, the fifth-lowest in any game that Sean McVay has coached and the third-fewest in a playoff game in the last 10 years.
Now, the Rams will be taking on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a great matchup. The Rams will have their hands full in this one, but they have a talented coaching staff and roster that cannot be counted out.
Los Angeles will be on a short week, as they played Monday night and will now play Sunday afternoon. But, you know that they will be ready to perform. Here are three reasons that the Rams will upset the Buccaneers in the Divisional Round.
3. Rams Have Confidence Heading Into Game
This is the second time the Rams and Buccaneers will be matching up this season. The Rams won the first meeting, at SoFi Stadium, in Week 3, 34-24. While both teams look a little different now than they did back then, the Rams should have confidence knowing that they can not only hang but beat, the Bucs.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford got the monkey off his back as well, winning the first playoff game of his career against the Cardinals. While the Buccaneers and Tom Brady will present new challenges to overcome, he has to be confident knowing he lit Tampa Bay up in that first matchup and played a solid game against the Cardinals.
Given how thoroughly the Rams defeated the Cardinals, they should be riding high entering the game against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay always plays with confidence but the Rams should be able to match that on Sunday.
2. Plethora Of Weapons Offensively
The game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a strength vs. strength matchup. The Eagles had the best rushing offense in the NFL, while the Buccaneers had the best rushing defense.
Tampa Bay won the battle on the ground, which set the tone for the entire game. However, the Rams have the weapons to take advantage of a shaky Buccaneers’ secondary with Matthew Stafford leading the way.
Stafford has a ton of weapons to get the ball to. Cooper Kupp had a record-setting season, but there is a lot of help behind him. Odell Beckham Jr. has shown that he still has plenty left to offer, even throwing a 40-yard completion against the Cardinals.
Van Jefferson and tight end Tyler Higbee are excellent complementary pieces behind Kupp and Beckham as well. Cam Akers has looked very explosive out of the backfield, making a miraculous return after tearing his Achilles in July.
The Rams have a solid rushing game with Sony Michel and Akers, but they know they can air it out if need be. In the first matchup, Stafford was excellent, throwing for 343 yards and three touchdowns.
1. Pass Rush Against Hampered Offensive Line
The battle in the trenches is where a lot of NFL games are decided. Whichever team can control the line of scrimmage will have an excellent chance to win the game. For the Rams, this is where they could have their biggest advantage.
Los Angeles has not only the best defensive player but arguably the best player in the NFL in defensive tackle Aaron Donald. He draws double and triple teams regularly, but given the injury to Tristan Wirfs, the Buccaneers may have to adjust their plan.
If they single-team Donald, it will be a long night. If they send extra help to him, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd could be rushing the quarterback in one-on-one situations against backup players.
The Eagles struggled against the Buccaneers in Wild Card Weekend, but they were able to get some consistent pressure on Brady following Wirfs’ exit from the game. If he is hampered or unable to go at all, the Rams have the pieces to take full advantage and put immense pressure on Brady throughout the game.
