Player of the Game: Rams LB Micah Kiser racks up 12 tackles vs. Saints
Cameron DaSilva
[
theramswire.usatoday.com]
There weren’t many standout performances from the Los Angeles Rams’ 28-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, but one rookie in particular caught our attention. No, it wasn’t Luis Perez, who made his NFL debut, but a guy on the other side of the ball.
Rookie linebacker Micah Kiser lived up to the hype against New Orleans, continuing his ways of wrapping up ball carriers and racking up the tackles. He finished with a game-high 12 tackles, four of which were solo stops. He played the majority of the game and didn’t look the slightest bit out of his element.
Although he wasn’t tested much in coverage, his run-stopping ability was on full display. Whether it was a tackle outside the hashmarks or filling the lane up the middle, Kiser could do it all.
That sort of tackling ability is much-needed on a Rams defense that ranked 28th against the run last season. And even though Kiser won’t start in Week 1, he’ll definitely carve out a role on defense in sub-packages and heavy formations with three inside linebackers, if Wade Phillips goes that route on occasion.
Kiser has certainly earned a spot on the roster, and not just because he was the team’s fifth-round pick. He’s been a force in the middle of the defense, running alongside Tegray Scales and Travin Howard, as well as Bryce Hager.
Again, he hasn’t been tested much in coverage – his biggest weakness at Virginia – but Kiser looks stout against the run, which the Rams knew when they drafted him. This was his best performance of the preseason.
