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About the Author: Jon Ledyard

Avatar Of Jon Ledyard
Jon Ledyard is PewterReport.com's newest Bucs beat writer and has experience covering the Pittsburgh Steelers as a beat writer and analyzing the NFL Draft for several draft websites, including The Draft Network. Follow Ledyard on Twitter at @LedyardNFLDraft

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For anyone encouraged by the fact that the Rams defense is a zone-heavy unit, hang on a second. Yes, it’s true the Rams are ranked dead last in man coverage reps this season, per PFF. They’re also dead last in defensive snaps from a press alignment. But don’t mistake those numbers for a passive coverage scheme. According to Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, the Rams’ coverage often manifests like man post-snap.

“I think man coverage is definitely a part of things that we face from time to time,” Brady said. “Zone coverage has kind of become man once people come to their area. This is a really tough matchup. These guys lock on to you pretty good at times too. They might call it zone, but a lot of time it plays like man and certain route concepts are guarded like man.”

Brady is describing what makes the Rams such a distinct challenge for the Bucs. Matchup zone coverages are certainly not completely unique to the Rams. In fact, Brady’s dominance against spot-dropping zone coverage is one of the reasons matchup zones have increased in usage in the NFL. But the Rams unique personnel and constant post-snap safety rotations give quarterbacks a lot to think about post-snap. And it doesn’t help that Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd are bringing it across the line of scrimmage.

Of course, those challenges wouldn’t seem as formidable if the Bucs were at full strength. But without Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and perhaps Cyril Grayson, Breshad Perriman, Tristan Wirfs, Ryan Jensen and Leonard Fournette, man coverage has become a huge challenge. The Bucs depth receivers have struggled to separate from aggressive play by opposing defensive backs. Los Angeles has several of those behind their ferocious pass rush.

Bucs Wr Mike Evans And Rams Cb Jalen Ramsey

Bucs WR Mike Evans and Rams CB Jalen Ramsey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I think this team does a lot of things well,” Brady said. “I think they rush the passer well. They cover you really well in the secondary. They get a lot of turnovers. And they sack the quarterback – strip sacks [too]. They have a lot of dynamic players. Jalen Ramsey is one of the great corners in the league. Between the guys they have in the secondary as well as the front, you have no plays that you can take off. These guys, they can turn you over. And they can make big plays like they did the other night when David Long got the pick-six. It’s a very, very challenging team.”

Still, the Rams’ pass defense has not been as formidable as a year ago. Los Angeles ranks 11th in passing yards allowed per game and 23rd in passing yards allowed per attempt. In more advanced statistics, the Rams look pretty similar. This season, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ unit is 12th in EPA (Expected Points Added) allowed per dropback. They’re also 21st in success rate per dropback.

In fact, the Rams are a much better unit against the run than the pass this season. Having said that, their pass rush is the great equalizer. If their front four can get to Brady quickly, it won’t matter how much their secondary struggles.

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