PATRIOTS-RAMS

Conquering McVay’s defense a taller task this time around

For the second time in three years, the Patriots’ greatest hopes depend on beating the Rams.

In 2020, of course, those hopes have been lowered. The Pats are 6-6, clinging to slim postseason odds with a quarter of the season to go. Strengthening their playoff grip must begin offensively, where Cam Newton and Co. will need one of their finest performances of the season.

Because for the first time under coach Sean McVay, the Rams’ strength lies with their defense, a credit to new coordinator Brandon Staley and All-Pro cornerstones Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. This defense is far better than the one the Patriots last overcame in Super Bowl LIII, which held them to 13 points in a championship slugfest. To avoid a repeat of that 1-touchdown outing, the Pats must start fast.

Here’s how they can beat the Rams in primetime:

1. Throw the kitchen sink at Aaron Donald

The Pats should double-team Donald, send trap blocks at him, run screens, cut-block him and leave him purposefully unblocked on option plays. Because the only way to slow Donald is make his head spin, wondering what could possibly come next. Yes, he is that dominant. “He’ll wreck a game, and there’s no play that he’s not a factor on,”

Bill Belichick said this week. “He’s right in the middle of the defense. You can’t really get away from him on any run or pass play. You’ve got to deal with him blocking on every play. He’s definitely a major factor in the game. We’ll have to do a good job on him, but that’s the way it’s done.” Donald, the NFL’s current sack leader, might be a future Hall of Famer even if he retired after the season. The Patriots have neutralized Donald to a degree in their past meetings, surrendering pressure on only 7% of his snaps, per Pro Football Focus, but past performance is no guarantee of future success.

That success will begin and end with a multi-faceted plan and excellent blocking fundamentals down after down.

2. Revisit the direct snap, hammer option runs

Under Staley, the Rams defense has managed to control opponents’ running games despite fielding only six combined defensive linemen and linebackers/safeties in the box more often than any other NFL team. Staley learned under Broncos coach Vic Fangio, whose defense is also built from back to front, preferring two-high coverages that seemingly leave his unit vulnerable to run plays. In October, the Pats learned first-hand that isn’t always true, averaging 2.95 yards per rush on nonscrambles in an 18-12 loss to Fangio’s Broncos. “There’s certainly some carryover from coach Fangio’s system, especially from a coverage standpoint. It looks like maybe a little bit of a merger between some front concepts and mix coverage packages,” Belichick said of the Rams this week. “Regardless, they give you some different looks. They’re obviously a very good defense.” Last weekend, Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels introduced direct-snap running plays on his opening drive against the Chargers, a tactic that allowed running back Damien Harris to get downhill against a favorable box, with Newton split out wide. The Patriots must play the numbers game again in LA, counting how many defenders are in the box and ensuring they can at least secure 1-on-1 blocks. Against Denver, Newton also rushed seven times on a mix of option runs, a possible indication the Pats will attack LA’s similar defense in the same way with hopes of creating more double-teams away from the defender Newton’s reading.

3. Attack young LBs, safeties in coverage

Between the Donald-led line and a secondary spearheaded by Ramsey lies the soft spot in LA’s defense.

Linebackers Kenny Young and Troy Reeder are vulnerable in coverage when targeted properly, though Reeder has shown improvement in recent weeks.

Young, meanwhile, has allowed receptions on 18 of 21 targets, including seven catches in one horrible outing against the 49ers. Expect the Pats to target him in the run and pass game.

Rookie safety Jordan Fuller has also allowed four catches each of the past two weeks, including two for touchdowns in LA’s win over Arizona last weekend. Fuller is the Rams’ second-lowest rated coverage player among regular contributors, per PFF player grades.