It’s next man up for Rams in SB chase
(News4usonline) — The Los Angeles Rams roll into their NFC playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals with some much-needed backup.
After safety and defensive play-caller Jordan Fuller went down with a season-ending injury in the team’s season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams are keeping the train moving.
The immediate task at hand for Rams head coach Sean McVay and his team is to play well enough to make it to the Super Bowl, which will be hosted in their own backyard at SoFi Stadium. Not leaving anything to chance in that regard, the Rams went out and brought Eric Weddle out of retirement to join the ballclub.
“It’s great,” McVay said in a midweek conference Zoom call. “Obviously with Jordan (Fuller) going down, we had some things happen at that safety position. For a guy that takes good care of himself, so smart, so conscientious, can bring such a good positive vibe coming in here. What his role is, we’re working through that right now. It’ll be to be determined, but it’s been great having (DB) Eric (Weddle) back around. I love Eric. A lot of guys were excited to see him. And that was kind of what went into the decision-making.”
During a Monday Zoom meeting with reporters on Jan. 10, McVay talked about the loss of Fuller.
“Unfortunately, (S) Jordan Fuller got his ankle pretty good,” said McVay. “He’s going to require surgery, possibly. And so, he will be out for the remainder of the year and that’s a big loss for us.”
L-R: Los Angeles Rams defenders Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (45), Sebastian Joseph-Day (69), and Jordan Fuller (4) celebrate a big play. Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline
The loss of Fuller is enormous. Not only was Fuller the team’s leading tackler, but he is also one of the leaders on the Rams’ defensive unit. For the season, Fuller played in 16 games and recorded the highest number of tackles on the team with 108.
Of the number of tackles he made, 58 of them were solo stops. Picked in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, before his season came to an abrupt halt, Fuller leapfrogged any expectations anyone may have had of him. Early in the season, cornerback Jalen Ramsey talked about the blossoming of Fuller both as a player and as a team leader.
“Super far,” Ramsey said about Fuller’s progression. “He has done a tremendous job. Super proud of him. But at the same time, we kind of expected this from him when he came in, and what he did last year, and how mature he was at such a young stage of his career. So, we kind of expected this and he has honestly exceeded all those expectations.”
In 12 games during the 2020 NFL season, Fuller made 55 tackles. In Year 2, Fuller established himself as that player who makes sure all of the checks and balances are in place as the guy who calls the defensive plays for the Rams.
“I’ve just learned what the mentality is to be great, what it is to be great,” Fuller said in training camp. “That means bringing it every single day.”
With the type of season he had, no one can argue that Fuller brought it every game and on every snap.
Jordan Fuller (4) was named as one of eight captains this season for the Los Angeles Rams. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline
“(He’s) been really important,” McVay remarked. “I think the first thing that you want to acknowledge that I think is a really a great reflection of the influence that he’s had on his teammates is, he was voted a captain in his second year. He’s a great communicator.”
“He’s got a great feel for the deep part of the field. I think he’s got a great ownership and understanding of kind of the intent behind a lot of the different coverage, contours,” McVay added. “(There are) times that we can drop him down in there. Just different things that we’re trying to get done.”
The question now for McVay and the Rams is who will be that player to step up to cover all the bases for Fuller. As a former Ram, Weddle could very well be that guy. But layoff rust might pose a challenge to what Weddle can actually do, despite all of the experience he has tucked away.
The more logical thought could be someone already up to speed on how (defensive coordinator) Raheem Morris’ defense works.
“(S) Nick Scott’s done a nice job playing in that (role),” McVay said. “I thought (S) Terrell Burgess came in and did a really good job as well yesterday. So, we’ve got a couple candidates and a lot of that is predicated on, ‘Alright, what kind of personnel groupings and the approach and the best way that we feel like we want to try to defend the multiple looks that Arizona can present?’”
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) makes a play against Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10). Photo by Mark Hammond/News4usonline
The different looks that Arizona presents come in the form of dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray, who has passed for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns, is no joke when he is on the edge, scrambling and making plays all over the place. He has also rushed for 423 yards five more scores.
The first time the Rams played the Cardinals, Murray went 24 of 32 for 268 yards and two touchdowns to lead Arizona to a 37–20 win. In the rematch, the Rams got the better of Arizona, walking away with a 30–23 victory. Murray still had 383 passing yards in the Cardinals’ loss.
The difference was that the Rams defense came up with two interceptions in that second game. They had zero in the two team’s first encounter. Interestingly enough, what’s going to prove to be the difference in the Rams moving on to the next round in the playoffs largely depends on the play of their secondary against Murray.
Fuller won’t be there. McVay, however, is confident that whoever is manning Fuller’s safety position will get the job done.
“You don’t ever replace a guy like Jordan Fuller, but you are confident in the depth that’s been developed from Raheem (Morris), from (Secondary/Pass Game Coordinator) Coach ‘E’ (Ejiro Evero), from (Assistant Secondary Coach) Jonathan Cooley and really from the players being able to work hard day in and day out to be better at their craft and be ready for if their opportunity is called,” McVay said.