How should Rams defend DK Metcalf?

How should the Rams go about covering DK Metcalf?

[sports.yahoo.com]

Wed, November 11, 2020, 9:34 AM PST

The Seattle Seahawks pose a number of threats to opposing defenses. At the forefront is Russell Wilson, who’s the lead candidate to win 2020 NFL MVP. His favorite target has been Tyler Lockett, but the most dangerous weapon on Seattle’s roster is undeniably DK Metcalf.

He’s been a terror for cornerbacks who have tried to cover him, dominating almost every single week this season. In seven of his eight games, he caught at least four passes for 92-plus yards. He’s scored eight touchdowns and racked up 788 yards thus far, making big play after big play.

Metcalf will most likely be at the top of the Rams’ mind when game planning for Seattle, and they have a few options when it comes to covering the second-year receiver.

Here are three potential methods for the Rams to take away Metcalf, which has proved challenging this year.

Let Jalen Ramsey shadow him


This is the plan most fans want to see: One of the game’s best receivers against one of the league’s top cornerbacks going at it for four quarters. Metcalf is a nightmare for most cornerbacks because of his imposing size (6-4, 235 pounds) and incredible speed in that frame (4.33 40-yard dash). However, Ramsey matches up well with his combination of size (6-1, 208 pounds) and speed (4.41) – even if he is smaller and a hair slower. The Rams stuck Ramsey on Metcalf last year when these two teams met in Week 14, and the rookie caught all six of his targets for 78 yards. However, a pair of those were screens, another was when Ramsey played zone coverage and the others were in man-to-man situations. Metcalf has improved greatly since that matchup, but you could argue Ramsey is better now than he was in that game, too. What he can't afford to do, however, is jump routes like he did at the top of the screen on the play below. Russell Wilson and Metcalf will make him pay for those mistakes, unlike Nick Foles after Darnell Mooney beat Ramsey downfield. [gfycat.com] Ramsey has all the makings of a true shutdown corner. He can match up with the best receivers in the league and go blow for blow with them for 60 minutes. Metcalf isn’t Calvin Johnson, but his skill set makes him one of the toughest assignments in the NFL. That won’t cause Ramsey to back down, but it does heighten the need for him to play at an extremely high level.

Bracket him with double-coverage


Bill Belichick is one of the best coaches when it comes to taking away a team’s best playmaker. He does that in a variety of ways, but a staple of his defense is bracketed coverage with his No. 2 cornerback and a safety shading to one side of the field. If the Rams take this approach, it would likely mean sticking either Troy Hill or Darious Williams on Metcalf, and Ramsey on Tyler Lockett. They wouldn’t leave Hill or Williams on an island against Metcalf, of course, but would also shade a safety to his side over the top. The cornerback could play underneath by using trail technique, with John Johnson, Jordan Fuller or Taylor Rapp covering over the top. They’d also have a linebacker underneath in zone coverage, hopefully taking away throws to Metcalf at all levels of the field. The benefit of using this strategy is it gives the Rams a better chance to take away both of the Seahawks’ top receivers. Metcalf will essentially be doubled on most plays, taking away deep shots to the freakishly athletic receiver, while Lockett will have to deal with Ramsey on the other side. And given the way Metcalf has dominated against single coverage, this might be the best approach for L.A. [twitter.com] The Patriots didn’t use this method against the Seahawks in Week 2 and Metcalf caught four passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, including a 54-yard score with Stephon Gilmore in coverage.

Keep the status quo


The third option is for the Rams to simply keep playing the way they have in the secondary. They’ve deployed a ton of zone coverage, with Ramsey lining up all over the field, from in the slot to outside on the boundary. Quarters coverage is a staple of Brandon Staley’s scheme, which is a great way to take away deep shots and keep the ball in front of you. Considering how accurate and dangerous Wilson is when throwing downfield, this might be the Rams’ preferred option. Both Metcalf and Lockett can beat defenders deep, as can David Moore. By playing quarters often, the Rams would have four defenders deep, blanketing the field over the top. Wilson is capable of dinking and dunking his way down the field, but he and the Seahawks prefer to let it rip and take shots down the field. The Rams’ best chance to take away big plays is to keep the defense they’ve used in the first eight games, relying on players to come up and make tackles when guys like Metcalf do catch passes underneath.