The Rams have lived and died by the play of their rookies. Since the first snap of the season, Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kamren Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough, and Tyler Davis have embedded themselves in the Rams’ defensive rotation, growing together as they’ve navigated the transition from college to the NFL.
It was poet Khalil Gibran who once said, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
Kinchens was believed to be a liability in coverage, Davis wasn’t getting enough penetration against the run, Fiske wasn’t getting the desired QB pressures and McCollough wasn’t even drafted.
Verse was the third pass rusher taken off the board, ending a surprising draft-day slide that saw him fall to No. 19 overall. I have not been quiet about my criticisms of Kinchens and Chris Shula, and Sunday, as they did with the Seahawks’ offense, the Rams defensive rookies shut me up.
They won the game for the Rams in Seattle, a potential season-defining win. Despite his limited snaps, McCollough is taking full advantage of his opportunities. McCollough set the tone for the day with his first-quarter interception, his fourth of the year. Playing closer to the ball, McCollough has served as a tackling machine and someone who’s always in the right place at the right time. Nothing gets past him as he fearlessly charges into the fire.
That fire was lit even brighter as the Florida State duo of Verse and Fiske harassed Geno Smith all night. Verse had one sack, two tackles for loss and one pass deflection. His quickness and power intimidated Seahawks tackle Michael Jerrell into committing several costly penalties.
Fiske on the inside was unstoppable. Two sacks and two QB hits may have been his stat line but his film will show him abusing the interior of the Seahawks offensive line. He quieted concerns about his run defense as the Seahawks refused to run his way, especially toward the end of the game.
The Seahawks thought perhaps it was Davis they could take advantage of. They were sadly mistaken. Davis, like Fiske, was a penetrating force and when his number was called in overtime, he answered. As the Seahawks were driving towards the endzone after hitting Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 31 yards, Seattle attempted to run at Davis with Kenneth Walker twice. Davis brought him down on both attempts. However, Davis and the Rams yielded 9 yards on those plays. On third-and-1 at the Rams’ 16-yard line, they once again ran Walker at Davis but as the saying goes, bend and don’t break.
Davis stalled Walker for no yards and on the ensuing fourth down, sensing that Davis would be impenetrable, they ran towards Bobby Brown, who subsequently delivered what was the beginning of a series of hits that stopped Walker for the turnover on downs. The Rams scored the walk-off touchdown four plays later.
The @RamsNFL get the 4th down stop in OT!
📺: #LARvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/wBt79608jA— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024
Those events would not be possible without the redemption arch of Kinchens. Criticized, benched and questioned, Kinchens left no doubt that he belongs among the bright young players in the league. Kinchens intercepted Geno Smith twice in the red zone. The first was returned for a 103-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 20-13 lead and the second came less than four minutes later when a blocked punt set the Seahawks offense up at the Rams’ 19-yard line. The Seahawks drove to the 4 before Kinchens snagged the pick.
ONE! HUNDRED! AND! THREE! YARDS TO THE HOUSE!
📺: @NFLonFOX | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/EYAuaOPI4D
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 4, 2024
Omar Speights and Josh Wallace added to the action as key rotational pieces as the Rams’ 2024 draft class went to the home of the once-feared Legion of Boom and told the world that a new force was coming and that they will be respected. For Rams fans, they are on Cloud 9 as their young, burgeoning superstars not only showed up but their breakthrough is synching up with Shula settling into a promising play-calling rhythm.
Perhaps this is a flash-in-the-pan type of game but with the team being tied with Arizona for the lead in the division and the lingering anger at the Cardinals for blowing the Rams out in Arizona, I’m willing to bet that this is the beginning of a special time for fans of defensive football. With pass-happy Miami on the horizon, the Rams are gearing up for another shootout.
