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Pats Cast Episode 25: Patriots Look to Spoil Revenge Game for the Rams


Head coach slash boy genius Sean McVay is looking for revenge against the one team that's made his play calling look questionable in the past. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)



The Patriots and Rams faced off in Super Bowl LIII, a defensive battle that the Patriots escaped from with a 13-3 victory. This time, it will be on the Rams' home field.


Los Angeles still looks like a Super Bowl contender. As a whole, New England does not, but they did on Sunday against the Chargers. Could they have a repeat performance?


BONUS: A sneak peak at a player the Patriots could find themselves targeting in the 2021 NFL Draft.



Rams Offense


As a Mike Shanahan disciple, Sean McVay is essentially running the prototypical new-age offense. In fact, he's generally credited as one of the smartest offensive minds in the league. With that, he has a lot of tendencies that optimize his offense in ways that other teams simply don't explore.


Perhaps the most notable is his high usage of play action. Jared Goff isn't an elite quarterback, but he's often able to produce at an elite level when defenses are left guessing whether the Rams are running the ball or passing it. Of course, it also helps that he has two very good wide receivers (Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods) at his disposal, but deception undoubtedly helps him to some degree.


The second staple of their offense is the zone running game. Think about running backs like Dalvin Cook, Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs, Aaron Jones, or even Todd Gurley in his prime with the Rams. They all derive from the Mike Shanahan tree, and they all are thriving in essentially the same run scheme. There's a combination of power, speed and vision that generally allows them to run at will between the tackles without necessarily being built like freight trains. That's what McVay is looking to get from Darrell Henderson, Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown.


Lastly, this system utilizes tight ends more than most. They generally have one that's a top target in the passing game, and another that's a solid blocker. The Rams haven't entirely pinned down specific roles for Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, but both are threats in the passing game, and both are used fairly heavily in their offense.


Rams Defense


It's not getting attention as such, but the Rams are running a rather similar defense to the Patriots. Much like in New England, first-year coordinator Brandon Staley plays a coverage-based defense more so than a run-stuffing unit. Their base defense is really nickel (five defensive backs), and they'll frequently operate in dime (six) in less obvious running situations. That should sound familiar to Patriots fans.


The Patriots don't have a defensive lineman like Aaron Donald, though. Few – if any – teams do. He's complimented with fellow road-grader Michael Brockers and free-agent signee Leonard Floyd on the outside to generate a stout front and frequently disruptive rush.


Their linebackers are somewhat nondescript, although that's partly because Micah Kizer is on IR. Kenny Young and Justin Hollins are listed as their starters, but not much is asked of them other than to be dependable and do whatever is asked of them in a given situation, but that's generally minimal.


If the defensive line is their bread, then the secondary is their butter. Jalen Ramsey is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, and Darious Williams and Troy Hill have come into their own this season, as well. Safeties John Johnson and Jordan Fuller have also been a productive in a diverse array of roles. Again, this should sound like the Patriots.


Rams Special Teams


This unit often doesn't get highlighted, but perhaps it should. The Rams aren't exactly the Chargers on special teams, so don't expect to be handed free points. While they're pretty average across the board, punter Johnny Hekker is near the top of the ranks at his position, and he can also be a bit of a showman at times.


Injury Reports

Photos: patriots.com



Nothing out of the ordinary here for the Patriots. This is essentially the same list as it's been for weeks.


The only notable aspect of it for the Rams is kicker Matt Gay. If he can't play, they have Austin MacGinnis in reserve on the practice squad, who they would promote if needed.


Matchups


Let's jump right into it, starting with the Rams on offense:


X-Receiver: Josh Reynolds/Van Jefferson vs. J.C. Jackson/Jason McCourty

Z-Receiver: Robert Woods vs. Stephon Gilmore/J.C. Jackson

Slot: Cooper Kupp vs. Stephon Gilmore/Jonathan Jones

Tight End: Tyler Higbee/Gerald Everett vs. Jonathan Jones/Kyle Dugger


Expect the Patriots to rotate coverages a lot in this game, hence multiple players being listed at each spot. You'll likely even see Joejuan Williams and Myles Bryant at times, as well as Adrian Phillips sporadically in coverage.


Up next, the Patriots offense:


X-Receiver: Damiere Byrd vs. Darious Williams

Z-Receiver: N'Keal Harry vs. Troy Hill

Slot: Jakobi Meyers vs. Jalen Ramsey

Tight End: Ryan Izzo/Dalton Keene vs. John Johnson/Jordan Fuller

Running Back: James White vs. John Johnson/Jordan Fuller


Ramsey doesn't normally play in the slot, but he'll likely face off against Meyers for most of this game, wherever he lines up – based on how many receivers are in the game. That should leave Williams – their quicker outside corner – on Byrd, and Hill – who typically plays in the slot – on the less impactful Harry. The safeties are largely interchangeable.


Tune In


The game will kick off at approximately 8:20 p.m. Eastern and 5:20 p.m. Pacific from state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It will be broadcasted on FOX and NFL Network, and Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call.


A win puts the Patriots over .500, while a loss might squash their realistic playoff chances. They'll certainly be playing their hardest, but it'll also be a short week. No one said making the playoffs would be easy in Year 1 without Tom Brady.

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