LOS ANGELES — Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse has a list of quarterbacks he wants to sack one day. Patrick Mahomes, naturally. Josh Allen, whom Verse missed a couple of times in last year’s meeting with the Bills.
And Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Verse was hoping to have the opportunity this weekend when the Rams face off against the Ravens, but the two-time MVP was ruled out for Sunday with a hamstring injury.
“I’d be [expletive] furious about it,” Verse said Thursday when asked about the possibility of Jackson not playing.
But you can’t always get what you want. At least for Verse. There’s not too many others across the NFL that would complain about missing Jackson and his dual-threat ability.
The Rams (3-2) were reminded, however, that you can’t overlook a short-handed team with last week’s overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Even without quarterback Brock Purdy and four of the team’s top pass catchers, the Niners were still able to score 26 points and come away with the win.
In fairness, the Rams said all the right things leading up to last week’s game about taking the 49ers seriously. But if there was any mental exhale before that kickoff, there should be no such considerations this week, even with Cooper Rush taking Jackson’s spot under center.
“Football is not the best team that wins. You have to play the best,” Rams wide receiver Davante Adams said. “It’s not the NBA where you go out there, the worst team in the league versus the best team where I guarantee you 90% of the time the better team is going to win. But in football, you might off of a couple of plays have a 14-point swing. We know how hard it is to overcome stuff like that.”
The Rams have been preparing all week for the convergent possibilities of facing Jackson or Rush. No one can replicate what Jackson does on the field, but Rush does not even fall into the category of dual-threat quarterback. He has a different skill set, happier in the pocket and to get the ball out quickly rather than extend plays and wait for a big shot.
Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula explained Thursday that there are two game plans for facing Jackson or Rush, adding, “If that means us staying late and doing some extra work, then we’re definitely going to do that.”
Jackson is one of six Ravens ruled out for Sunday’s game, including cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. It’s a tough position for Baltimore (1-4) to be in, especially as its much-hyped season looks as if it’s slipping away.
But safety Kyle Hamilton will be back after missing last week’s blowout loss to the Texans with a groin injury. Similar to linebacker Fred Warner a week ago for the Niners, Hamilton is the heart of the Ravens defense and kind of a skeleton key for how it operates on game day.
If you need any evidence, look at the 44 points Baltimore allowed in his absence to a Texans team that had averaged 16 per game prior to Week 5.
“Just having a real feel for the game, understanding his role and they obviously put a lot on him and you can see it in the way that he plays,” Adams said. “He’s rangy, obviously long and a tall type of dude. It’s a lot different than what you normally see at the safety position. A lot of challenges presented.”
Despite their record, the Ravens are a team with a healthy amount of pride after making the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. With their backs up against the wall and facing a 1-5 start, they won’t go down easily.
And after the loss the Rams suffered a week ago, they can’t afford to expect that out of their opponent, either.
“It doesn’t matter how you pose it, everybody’s in the NFL,” Verse said. “You don’t slip up one day and just wake up on the Ravens or on the Rams, you have to work to get there. These are NFL guys and you have to attack it just like that.”
RAMS (3-2) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-4)
When: 10 a.m. PT Sunday
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 383, 229