Rams defense #1 in pressuring opposing quarterbacks

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Click link below and scroll down to see chart. Amount of sacks are not the whole story.

Rams
Pressures:
65
Drop backs faced: 157
Pressure rate: 41.40127389

https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/03/...s-still-in-top-10-in-defensive-pressure-rate/


View: https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1047553045276516353

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/03/nfl-los-angeles-rams-stats-sacks-pressures-pff/

Rams lead NFL in pressure rate despite ranking 22nd in sacks
By: Cameron DaSilva

usatsi_11329964.jpg


The Los Angeles Rams have built their pass rush and front seven from the inside out. Their strength is on the interior with Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers, while the edge rushers leave plenty to be desired.

That’s shown through four weeks with Samson Ebukam and John Franklin-Myers being the only outside linebackers with sacks this season (two combined). On the year, the Rams as a team have just eight sacks total, which is tied for 22nd in the NFL with just six teams having fewer.

On the surface, that would appear to be a huge concern. They don’t seem to be getting to the quarterback often enough, especially with two All-Pros up front. That’s hardly the case, though.

Sure, it’d be nice to have 18 sacks like the league-leading Bears, but the Rams are pressuring QBs more than any other team.

As found by Chris Trapasso of the Buffalo News, the Rams have pressured quarterbacks on 65 of 157 dropbacks – good for a rate of 41.4 percent. That leads the league while the 65 total pressures are the fourth-most in the NFL. The numbers were compiled by Pro Football Focus.

Incredibly, of those 65 total pressures, Donald had 13 of them on Thursday night against the Vikings – a career high for the Defensive Player of the Year. Brockers and Suh added 10 more total in Week 4, so 23 of the 65 pressures generated by the Rams came from those three in one game.

That just goes to show how important they are to the overall success of the defense, not just the pass rush. But how can the Rams turn those pressures into sacks? That’s easier said than done, but part of the fault falls on opposing quarterbacks.

They’re getting the ball out so quickly because of how disruptive Donald, Suh and Brockers are up front, opting to take checkdowns and short passes rather than taking the time to let routes develop downfield.

There isn’t much the Rams can do about that other than covering even tighter on the outside and forcing quarterbacks to hold the ball. Again, easier said than done.

Regardless, don’t be concerned about the lack of sacks thus far. As long as the Rams are generating pressure, poor decisions by quarterbacks will continue to happen, thus elevating the play of the defense.
 
The numbers are skewed. First of all pressures are great but, if the quarterback can sidestep or roll out and still complete a pass it doesn't matter. Donald feasted on the Vikings as well as the other Rams. The numbers are inflated because of the poor Vikings interior offensive line and them being behind late.

Can Donald and the Rams continue to increase pressure? The Hags won't be a good test as they have problems too on the offensive line. In today's NFL pressure and sacking a QB is paramount to stopping the high flying passing game. Records are being set every week in all passing categories. The QBs are just too good when given time to throw. Cousins was killing the Rams with time to throw.

Sorry but, I haven't been impressed with the Rams pass rush. Donald should now be in game shape. Wade has had time to come up with defenses and rotations to make things happen. A few more holding calls could really help. Some creative blitzing too. Now that Mark Barron is back Wade may be a little more aggressive with the pass rush.
 
I don't think anyone on here can deny that we're crashing the QB and forcing them to scheme to quick passes or shotgun. Hell, AD has been one of the top defensive players each week via PPF (however the heck they rate players). But I sure as hell would like to turn those pressures into sacks and give the opposing offenses less first downs!!!
 
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Some of us have been noticing the pressures and been saying so. The pocket collapses a lot but even immobile quarterbacks are still not being sacked now images quarterbacks that are mobile like a Wilson Wentz Maholmes a healthy Rogers etc. we happen to play all these guys too so even with a healthy talib if we don't start feed sacks to d-line and maybe even the d-line feeding the edge guys. We have yet to see that. So now without talib and those guys either taking off or buying time we can be hurt. I think most of us knew we were getting plenty of pressure but without a truly effective edge it will be hard to convert those pressures into sacks unless it's Suh and Donald. Could you image if we had a good edge rusher would be like feeding the Sharks.
 
High pressure rate but low numbers of sacks because pressure is coming straight at the QBs. They see it coming and release quick. If we added some edge pressure we would add the element of surprise.
 
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Yeah, these are pressures numbers according to PFF. So, I guess PFF fans can get happy.

Sure, for Derek Carr a pressure is an extinction level anxiety inducing event.
But for QBs like Kirk Cousins, pressures seem more like an inconvenience.

Pressures are nice, I guess. But with how PFF presents their pressure stat in isolation, I'm not sure there's a real valuable analysis/metric there.
 
I honestly love all the new stats.

Teams and players dont need to be accredit sacks to be recognized. No way AD wins DPOY 10 years ago.
 
Yeah, these are pressures numbers according to PFF. So, I guess PFF fans can get happy.

Sure, for Derek Carr a pressure is an extinction level anxiety inducing event.
But for QBs like Kirk Cousins, pressures seem more like an inconvenience.

Pressures are nice, I guess. But with how PFF presents their pressure stat in isolation, I'm not sure there's a real valuable analysis/metric there.

I was thinking the same thing. What's deemed a pressure can probabaly be debated. Opposing offense's can also have a positive play even if the D creates pressure. That's why those sacks are important.

I think the Rams have applied ample pressure to oppenets QBs. But just my take....they could be better.
 
That Stat is all well and good. But the Rams have given up 27 PPG the last two games against the Chargers and Vikings.
I don't expect the Rams to be playing great on both sides of the ball so early in the season, but the defense is going to have to improve in points allowed if they are to peak in the second half of the season.
 
Pressures are the most overrated statistic. If the QB gets the ball out what does it matter?

It is all about sacks.