We spoke with SB Nation’s Rams blog about the Patriots’ Week 11 opponent.
Despite only scheduled to meet every few years as part of the AFC-NFC rotation, the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams have a noteworthy history. Heading into this week’s matchup at Gillette Stadium, the two teams are far off from their Super Bowl form of the past: the Patriots are entering the game with a 3-7 record, taking on a 4-5 Rams squad.
To get a better understanding of what the Patriots’ Week 11 opponent brings to the matchup, we exchanged questions with Evan Craig of Pats Pulpit’s sister site Turf Show Times — the SB Nation community for all things Rams.
Here are our answers to Evan’s questions, and here is what he told us about the upcoming game.
1. The Patriots and Rams haven’t faced off since 2020, when Cam Newton and Jared Goff were under center. Outside of the obvious personnel shift, how has Sean McVay’s squad evolved since that last meeting?
For one, the obvious change under center as Jared Goff was swapped for Matthew Stafford following the 2020 campaign. Stafford was the perfect final piece to get the Rams over the hump and win a Super Bowl, something that Goff might be able to match if the Lions continue being a juggernaut (and assuming he doesn’t make 5-interception games a weekly occurrence).
Since that last meeting, L.A. has evolved into more of a balanced team — at least within the last two years — with a bona fide running back to compliment Stafford. Back in ‘20, the Rams had a running back by committee approach with rookie Cam Akers and veterans Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown as the leading rushers. Akers was given chances for the better part of the ensuing two seasons but was far too inconsistent to make a sizable impact in the offense. Once Kyren Williams burst onto the scene last season, he provided the team with the best RB since Todd Gurley. When Williams is on the field, the offense runs like the effective machine it was meant to be, more so in the second half of the year in 2023, considering this season has been a trying one mainly due to Stafford not being as effective as he once was.
2. How does Puka Nacua’s presence elevate the rest of the Rams’ offense?
It’s often hard to believe that Puka Nacua is only in his second year considering he has carried himself like a veteran from the moment he was drafted. He is a magnet for receptions and possesses a true nose for the ball as evidenced by his record-setting rookie campaign, and what he’s largely done when healthy in the four games he’s played in ‘24. Puka is also highly effective as a run blocker. McVay likes his receivers to be physical in the run game and the BYU product fits the mold as to what the Rams coach prefers. Nacua is a true pro, and as difficult as it is to believe he’s as young as he is, it’s even more astonishing that he fell so far in the draft. That cannot be said enough, so you know the league done messed up.
3. The Rams’ defensive line is incredibly impressive on tape despite being full of first and second-year players. What makes them such a dynamic group?
What makes them such a dynamic group is the fact that there are some serious beaters off the edge. Rookie Jared Verse is a monster and a quarterback’s worst nightmare. While the sack totals might not be there for him yet, he blows away other rookie defenders in QB pressures and most other metrics. Sacks are not the most accurate measure of a defender’s success, yet if Verse can put everything together, he’ll be one of the best passers in the league in no time. Same with fellow first-year player and Verse’s teammate at Florida State, Braden Fiske, who is also rounding into form and proving he was worth the huge cost the Rams made to trade up and acquire him. Second-year lineman Kobie Turner is a beast in the run game and has maintained his production from last season. The defensive line was expected to be a major weakness heading into the year with Aaron Donald gone. However, it is quickly turning into L.A.’s strength, and one of the main reasons for the team’s defensive turnaround over the last month.
4. What are L.A.’s Achilles heels on offense and defense?
This will be a slightly controversial statement, but Matthew Stafford is the Rams’ Achilles heel on offense. The veteran quarterback has thrown an interception in six straight games, the longest streak of his career. Aside from throwing four touchdowns against the Vikings earlier this season in primetime, Stafford hasn’t looked like his typical self which shouldn’t be surprising given his age. But Stafford’s coming off the second Pro Bowl campaign of his career, and the drop off is striking. Thankfully his decline hasn’t gotten as bad as Aaron Fraudgers in New York.
On defense, the Achilles heel would be the secondary. Overall, the defense has stepped it up following a rough start under first-time coordinator Chris Shula. Even then, the secondary lacks quality depth and if injuries arise — a key issue with this Rams team — L.A. will be in lots of trouble. There’s also not enough high-end talent like a Jalen Ramsey to hold down the fort on a week-to-week basis. The secondary should hopefully be addressed in the offseason, and any depth will be welcomed at this point.
5. Who is an underrated Rams player on each side of the ball that Patriots fans should look out for?
Rookie safety Jaylen McCollough is having one of the wildest seasons in recent memory. The first-year defender out of Tennessee has only played 123 snaps on defense through nine games, yet has four interceptions and a pick-six… in zero starts. McCollough is a revelation at safety and deserves more playing time. Although at this rate, I’m thinking he thrives more without an NFL start under his belt.
Offensively, there haven’t really been any underrated standouts worth giving any attention to, which should tell Patriots fans about the level of inconsistency Rams faithful have seen from this team all year long.