If the Los Angeles Rams want to beat the New England Patriots on Super Sunday, they have to pressure — and sack — Tom Brady.
The late, great Al Davis had a theory. In the first 10 plays of a game, the quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard.
The Los Angeles Rams should heed that credo on Sunday.
If the Rams want to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history — and their first Los Angeles-based title since 1951 — everything starts with getting to Brady. While the tact sounds simple enough, the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs both proved it’s anything but. Despite having a pair of dominant edge rushers in Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa, the Chargers went without a sack. The Chiefs, who led the league in said category, also came up empty.
To pressure and eventually bring Brady down, Los Angeles needs to limit the effectiveness of running back James White and slot receiver Julian Edelman.
New England has continued getting the ball out quickly this season, a hallmark of Josh McDaniels’ offense. White and Edelman are the main cogs that make the machine hum, accounting for 35 of Brady’s 64 postseason completions in 2019. Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will need to employ a defense that largely takes away those initial reads, likely with Nickell Robey-Coleman on Edelman and a combination of linebackers and even safeties on White.
In the regular season, Los Angeles did a masterful job against backs in the passing game, not allowing any back more than six catches or 48 yards in a contest. However, the New Orleans Saints exploited the Rams in this department a week ago, with Alvin Kamara totaling 11 receptions and 96 yards on 13 targets. You can bet McDaniels and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will be going to school on that tape to replicate what New Orleans did to Phillips’ scheme.
This season, Brady was only sacked 21 times, ranking New England third fewest in that department. However, in their five losses, the Patriots allowed 10 sacks, while surrendering only 11 in their 11 victories. In four of its defeats, New England gave up at least two sacks.
Phillips’ teams have faced Brady eight times with mixed results. Phillips has only won three of the tilts, including a 1-1 postseason record. Brady has averaged 292 yards on 6.98 YPA. In Brady’s three loses against Phillips, he was sacked eight times, including four occasions in the 2015 AFC Championship Game. In the five wins, he was dropped nine times in total.
By getting sacks and not just pressures, the Rams are driving the Patriots into longer down-and-distance scenarios. In those cases, White and Edelman become less important to negate, and New England is forced to win matchups that involve Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett against Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. It also gives more time for NFL sacks champion Aaron Donald and sidekick Ndamukong Suh to get home and create a potentially game-changing turnover.
This isn’t a new theory. In both Super Bowl losses to the New York Giants, Big Blue got pressure with four and created chaos. Brady wasn’t able to steer high-powered attacks, and the result was defeat.
In this matchup, pressuring Brady won’t be enough. He’s smart enough to avoid the interception and deft enough to move within the pocket and still make a play. No, the Rams need to sack him and force New England into a position it hasn’t been in all postseason.
Los Angeles must force the Patriots into playing a vertical game, one they are ill-equipped to win.
Power rankings
Top 10 Super Bowls of all-time
1. Super Bowl XXV – Giants beat Bills in upset as Scott Norwood misses wide right
2. Super Bowl XXXIV – Rams hold off Titans by a mere yard on final play
3. Super Bowl XLII – Giants end Patriots’ dreams of a perfect season with Tyree helmet catch
4. Super Bowl XLIX – Malcolm Butler makes the play of a lifetime
5. Super Bowl III – Joe Namath and the Jets stun the Colts in epic upset
6. Super Bowl XXXVIII – Vinatieri finishes off Panthers in thrilling fourth quarter
7. Super Bowl XXIII – 49ers win again over Bengals as Montana finds Taylor late
8. Super Bowl XIV – Steelers escape against Rams with Bradshaw bombs to Stallworth
9. Super Bowl XLIII – Steelers get one for the thumb on laser from Big Ben to Santonio
10. Super Bowl LI – Patriots rally from 28-3 down to topple Falcons
Quotable
"“I’ve been thinking about it. It’s been a whole year, two years really, coming, so — my contract was up last year, had the option, and this year now it’s really up so the possibilities I feel like are endless and I could be anywhere. I want to be back, like I’ve said throughout the last year, but like I’ve been saying also I know my worth and I know what I’ve got to do I’ve got to do it for me.”"
– Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr on impending free agency
Barr is one of the premiere players hitting free agency this spring, even in a loaded defensive class. After five years in Minnesota, Barr is a four-time Pro Bowler with the size (6-foot-5 and 255 pounds) and versatility to play in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. Although he only has 13.5 sacks in his career, Barr will command good money as a terrific run-stuffer who can drop into coverage as well.
Podcast
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Random stat
The only Super Bowl not to see a passing touchdown? Super Bowl III. Broadway Joe won the MVP anyway, all but punching his ticket into the Hall of Fame.
Info learned this week
1. Bell wants Dolphins. Do they want him?
Running back Le’Veon Bell is ready to play in Miami. The question is whether the Dolphins are willing to pay him.
On Thursday, FanSided reported that Bell prefers to sign with Miami provided the money is at least even with top offers elsewhere. Bell, 26, is one of the league’s elite playmakers, having notched more than 2,500 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2016 and ’17 before holding out all of last season.
The free-agent-to-be would offer a huge boost to the Dolphins, but is that what general manager Chris Grier wants? After years of watching Mike Tannenbaum spend lavishly on high-priced free agents, Grier appears headed toward a rebuild that eschews that kind of move. Furthermore, the Dolphins are currently low on cap space, although that can/will change with releases of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, defensive end Robert Quinn and others.
While Bell wants to play on South Beach, there are significant hurdles ahead. The biggest of which might be the team he wants to sign with having little interest in making the feelings mutual.
2. Rams-Saints report proving explosive for NFL
On Sunday, ESPN broke a story destined to dominate headlines throughout Super Bowl week. The NFC Championship Game has been a source of controversy since its now-famed ending, and now there’s a report that links four officials — including referee Bill Vinovich — to having strong Southern California ties.
While the report states that the Saints don’t believe the game was fixed, there will certainly be legions of folks willing to loudly think otherwise. Oddly enough, the four aforementioned officials were all close to the infamous no-call on Tommylee Lewis, all but taking a Super Bowl berth away from New Orleans.
Tinfoil hats aside, this is both a terrible look and a bad job by the NFL. Gambling is being legalized state-by-state across the country, and something like this could tarnish that new revenue stream for the league. Additionally, the league has to be aware of where officials live and where they have ties to. While it may not ever actually play into an on-field call, perception is often more important than reality. FanSided reached out to both the NFL and NFL Referees Association on Sunday, but no messages were returned.
The NFL has to be much smarter moving forward to protect its reputation and bottom line.
3. Redskins should inquire about multiple veteran QBs
The Redskins are likely with Alex Smith for 2019 and potentially beyond. Time to be creative.
Washington is expected to have potentially $21.4 million in cap space. Looking at their situation, the Redskins could save $5 million by releasing veteran tight end Vernon Davis, but that still leaves them relatively tight on cap room. Considering the draft doesn’t have many attractive options, Washington might need to look into a multi-year deal that lowers the initial cap hit.
In this vein, the Redskins should be looking at veterans who can be a bridge into the future. Nick Foles and Joe Flacco both come to mind. Flacco should be especially cheap after being a below-average quarterback for much of the last six seasons.
Andy Dalton will also be tied to the Redskins. Dalton played under Jay Gruden in Cincinnati when Gruden was the offensive coordinator from 2011-13. Would Washington engineer a trade for Dalton and perhaps look to restructure his contract?
With Smith on the shelf for the foreseeable future, Washington’s front office has to look into every available option.
4. Antonio Brown, Steelers want to work through issues, but …
On Thursday, FanSided reported that the Steelers and Antonio Brown are intent on figuring out how to move forward together. While the hope is there, Pittsburgh still has an eye on possible deals. Pittsburgh understands it has a limited window of contention with Ben Roethlisberger being 37 years old. It also realizes that while Brown is irreplaceable, now might be the right time to deal.
In October, the Oakland Raiders sent Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round pick. While Cooper is only 24 years old compared to Brown’s age of 30, Cooper is due a massive new contract in the next year. Brown is signed for an extremely team-friendly term of three years and $39 million. In other words, Brown should bring in a bounty of draft picks with the Cooper deal used as a floor.
Again, the preference is figuring out middle ground and taking another run at a championship with Roethlisberger, Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster as the focal points. However, should that not come together, the Steelers are prepared to move on for a haul of draft capital.
5. Senior Bowl provides glimpse into draft
In Mobile, stocks were trending and rumors were flying.
For starters, Drew Lock seems destined to be a top-10 pick. Lock measured at 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds and showcased a strong arm in practices for the North team. There’s a spreading belief that the Broncos and general manager John Elway are enamored with the Missouri product as a franchise quarterback. Picking 10th, Denver may need to move up to secure it’s man.
Beyond Lock, it’s tough to see a surefire first-round quarterback from this senior class. Junior Dwayne Haskins will likely be the first signal caller taken with Lock coming next, although one scout compared Haskins’ footwork and long release to former Jacksonville starter Byron Leftwich Translation: Good player, not great. After that, it’s Daniel Jones of Duke and then a drop-off.
Jones was coached by David Cutcliffe while with the Blue Devils, who is very close with the Manning family. As a byproduct, Jones has attended multiple Manning camps and knows Eli well. If the Giants don’t go with a quarterback in the first round, Jones could be their play in the second round.
If there’s one area of serious quality and quantity, it’s edge rushers. Montez Sweat generated the most buzz from that group in Mobile, and is safely projected to be a first-round pick. Jaylon Davenport, the all-time FBS sack leader, also saw his stock rise. The former Louisiana Tech star is inching toward a day-one selection, but is firmly expected to be a top-50 choice.
In a more general sense, the defensive tenor of the draft should excite multiple teams in the top 10, including the Lions, Buccaneers and Browns. All three could use additional help in the front seven, specifically with Cleveland gaining a compliment to Myles Garrett and Detroit potentially replacing free-agent Ezekiel Ansah.
History lesson
In 1963, the Chicago Bears won the NFL Championship, defeating the New York Giants. In the AFL, the San Diego Chargers laid waste to the competition before demolishing the Boston Patriots in their title contest.
While it was largely accepted that the AFL was inferior to the NFL at the time, many believe that was the first instance where the younger league’s champion could have defeated the NFL’s best. In fact, the Chargers challenged the Bears to a game, even offering to play with the NFL’s football (the AFL used the JV-5 model).
Chicago declined, and as a result the two leagues wouldn’t play a game against each other until Jan. 1967, when the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I.
One more note: the Chargers put “World Champions” on their rings.
Parting shot
A quick thought on quarterback Kyler Murray. There’s a belief that Murray is going to skip out on the Oakland A’s and Major League Baseball for the NFL. Not so fast.
Murray, by all accounts, is significantly shorter than six feet tall. It wouldn’t surprise anybody if he checks in around 5-foot-9 when the NFL Combine rolls around, and if that’s the case, history says his chances of being a first-round pick are through.
The last time a quarterback who measured under six feet was drafted that high? 1953. Ted Marchibroda.
Murray is a fine athlete and seems to be a wonderful kid, but there comes a point when too small matters. Some will say that a player is exactly that regardless of height, but Murray has to sit behind lineman who are routinely a half-foot taller than him. That matters in the NFL. It also matters that he’s not expected to check in anywhere near 200 pounds. Pundits and teams lamented Lamar Jackson’s size last year, worried he would be injured on sustained hits. Jackson weighs 212 pounds.
If Murray doesn’t go in the first round, why would he play football? At that point, it’s more lucrative for him to go the baseball route, especially with the A’s having invested a top-10 overall pick in him. Oakland is invested in his success. This won’t be lost on NFL executives, who have told FanSided already that they won’t draft Murray unless he tells them he’ll commit to football. It would be more lottery ticket than football decision at that juncture and NFL teams don’t like to gamble a lot with first- and second-round picks.
Murray’s status will be a source of constant debate for the next several weeks, but history indicates he’ll end up wearing ball cap instead of a helmet.