Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush! It was the key to keeping the Jaguars honest, and staying in the game for a full four quarters. And as Brooks at Colts Chatter said in our Q&A, you simply cannot drop back into coverage and expect to keep Peyton from surgically tearing you apart. You have to sell out for pressure on the quarterback, even if the Colts QB is one of the best in the business at defeating the blitz with hot reads. You have to throw your best punch.
Can the Rams do it? Against the Jags, the Rams brought extra rushers from a bunch of angles, with safety blitzes proving most effective. With the downgrade at outside linebacker and the return of James Butler, I’d actually like to see the Rams line up Craig Dahl as an Adam Archuleta clone at OLB and let him pin his ears back.
Additionally, the teams that traditionally give the Colts the most problems run a 3-4 defense. Perhaps moving Chris Long from a down lineman to a stand-up OLB-type rusher would add a wrinkle to the pass rush? At this point, anything is worth a shot.
Good luck, Rams. Kickoff is nigh.
