I go back and forth on this game. It’s absolutely the matchup several weeks ago I said I did not want, yet here we are.
And yet these last couple of days, I feel more at ease. LaPorta’s Deadpool impression is helpful, for sure, but he’s not necessarily the reason for my burgeoning optimism.
My 4 reasons below …
4 —Run defense: make the Rams one dimensional and they’re no different from any other team. Matt’s heroics in McVay’s offense are only enabled with a running game. If Kyren Williams is limited, the Rams offense stalls. I’m not convinced they’ve met a run defense like ours. Force Matt to do it on his own and he’ll make mistakes.
3—Secondary: what had been our Achilles heel could make this a challenge for LA. Our safety combinations are among the best in the league, and CJGJ knocked off the rust last game and Iffy is a man possessed. And don’t sleep on Kerby and Branch. What an awesome four players in the secondary alongside a veteran corner in Sutton. I think these guys rise to the occasion. They’ve been battling Jefferson, Addison, and Lamb the last few weeks. They’re battle tested for Kupp and Puka. But most importantly?
2—They can get after Stafford. It’s been well documented how the Rams struggle with exotic defensive looks, especially blitzes from unlikely places. Branch, Iffy, and CJ will all give Matt looks, and the line will stunt. They’ll get home. This Lions defense plays similar to Demeco’s 49ers in this way, and it’s why they’ve been successful lately, and that bodes poorly for Matt if you watched him play the 49ers defense the last two years.
1—QB play. Didn’t see that coming, did you? Matt is a warrior. A gamer. Dude can sling it through any window with cheddar. But … while he doesn’t get rattled, he overcompensates. Routinely. It’s in his DNA. Sometimes, it results in a heroic play. More often it’s his deathknel. It can’t be coached out of him because it’s what makes him great — and what drives fans nuts. You know who doesn’t do that? Goff. Jared is not perfect. He will make a typical QB mistake but rarely is it backbreaking. More often, like against GB, it’s just a bad bounce.
In a game taking place in a city and stadium and friends loaded with memories, Matt is in a position where trying to do too much might be irresistible. And depending on my earlier points, inevitable,
But Jared? His heart rate doesn’t fluctuate. He’s as cool as the other side of the pillow. He already went up against McVay two years ago. It’s just a dude on the other sideline now.
Given what I know about both players, Goff is the QB I’d want in a game that features both of these quarterbacks. And it’s not close.
