Rams share striking similarities to last year's Buccaneers team

[theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams share striking similarities to last year's Buccaneers team


Cameron DaSilva
November 20, 2021 4:30 am PT

There’s a growing sense of panic in Los Angeles after the Rams lost back-to-back games in blowout fashion against the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers. It was a stunning turn of events for a team that looked set up to enter their Week 11 bye at 9-1.

Derrick Henry was out for Tennessee, the 49ers were 3-5 and struggling on a weekly basis and the Rams had just added Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. But that’s why they play the games on grass and not paper.


Even as disappointing as those games were, it’s not time to sound the alarms just yet. In fact, the Buccaneers were in a similar spot last year and they went on to win the Super Bowl – at their home stadium, which is an opportunity the Rams will have this year with the game being played at SoFi Stadium.

There are some striking similarities between this year’s Rams team and last season’s Bucs squad.

1
Veteran QB in first year with team
This isn’t to compare Matthew Stafford to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, but the Rams and Buccaneers both set their sights on veteran quarterbacks in the offseason to lead their offenses. The Rams acquired Stafford in a trade with the Lions, while the Bucs signed Brady as a free agent after his contract with the Patriots expired.

Both quarterbacks played well in their first 10 games with their new teams. Brady threw 23 touchdown passes and seven picks with a 99.0 passer rating in his first 10 games with the Bucs, while Stafford has 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions through 10 games with the Rams, posting a 106.1 passer rating.

Both quarterbacks immediately made their respective teams contenders and though each had their share of poor performances, they were upgrades over the players they replaced.


2
Lost two straight heading into bye
Both the Rams and Buccaneers hit a couple of speed bumps right before their bye weeks. The Rams have lost their last two games, losing to the Titans and then the 49ers. Both of them were in fairly embarrassing fashion, losing by double-digits in prime time each time.

The Buccaneers lost to the Rams and Chiefs, both 27-24 contests, right before they hit their bye. Those would wind up being their last two losses of the season, going on to win their remaining games en route to their Super Bowl victory.

Like the Buccaneers last year, the Rams also had two winning streaks of at least three games in their first eight games. Neither team had lost back-to-back games until right before their bye and they were both among the highest-scoring offenses in the league.

3
Added star WR in-season
The Buccaneers reunited Brady with Antonio Brown in the middle of last season, signing the star receiver after he served his eight-game suspension. That proved to be a brilliant move for Tampa Bay as Brown went on to catch 45 passes for 483 yards and four touchdowns in his eight games with the Bucs – plus another eight catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs.

The Rams went a similar route by signing Odell Beckham Jr. last week. He’ll have eight regular-season games with the Rams, which is plenty of time to make a legitimate impact. Like the Bucs, the Rams weren’t in desperate need for wide receiver help when they added Beckham, boasting an already-strong receiving group. However, he will help with the loss of Robert Woods, hopefully replacing him as a quality starter down the stretch.


4
Started the season 7-3
The Rams got off to a 7-1 start, cruising through their first eight games. They then ran into the Titans and 49ers, who stunned them with upset wins, dropping their record to 7-3 through 10 games.

The Buccaneers also started 7-3, though they were 6-2 through their first eight contests. They then lost to the Saints and beat the Panthers, getting to 7-3 through Week 10.

Five of the Buccaneers’ first seven wins were by at least 10 points. The Rams weren’t quite as dominant, but they did have four double-digit victories and another two by nine points.


5
Excellent offensive line
The offensive line was a strength of the Buccaneers last season, allowing a pressure rate of only 17.6%, according to Pro Football Focus. They allowed just 22 sacks all season, doing an excellent job of protecting Brady in the pocket.

The Rams’ offensive line has also been quite good this season. They rank second in the NFL in pressure rate allowed (13.1%) and have given up just 15 sacks, putting them on pace to allow about 25 sacks in 17 games.

It often takes a great offensive line in order for a team to win the Super Bowl, and the Rams certainly have a dominant group up front. They have the highest pass-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus and rank 10th in run-blocking grade.


6
Great pass rush
The Rams are currently tied for the league lead with 29 sacks as a team, even though their pressure rate is just 21.6%, according to Pro Football Reference (26th in NFL). Their pass-rush grade at PFF is 81.5, second-best in the NFL.

The Buccaneers finished last season with the eighth-highest pass-rush grade, per PFF, and had a pressure rate of 27.5%, which ranked third in the NFL. Their 48 sacks ranked fourth in the NFL, five behind the Rams’ 53 sacks as a team last season.

Each team boasted as trio of great pass rushers, too. The Rams have Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd. The Bucs had Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh, which was an excellent group that made a huge impact for Tampa Bay.

Additionally, both teams lost their starting nose tackles in the middle of the season. Vita Vea missed significant time with a leg injury, and Sebastian Joseph-Day is on injured reserve with a pectoral injury – though the hope is he can return this season, just as Vea did in 2020.