Cowboys at Rams: Breaking down Los Angeles in all 3 phases
By Jack Baker
Defense
Led by former Cowboys head coach and current defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the defense of the Rams is headlined by what could be the best player in the entire NFL, defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald finished the 2018 regular season with an astounding 20.5 sacks.
On the other side of the future Defensive Player of the Year is the always dangerous defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
With Suh and Donald stuffing the middle, you would assume that the Rams are great against the run. Think again.
The Rams, on average, allow 122.3 rushing yards per contest. This works tremendously in the Cowboys favor. With running back Ezekiel Elliott leading the league in rushing, look for Zeke to have a big day on the ground.
In the secondary, the Rams give up yards but make up for it with the interceptions. In 2018, the Rams totaled 18 interceptions.
Safety John Johnson led the team with 4 picks and cornerback Marcus Peters followed with three.
Cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters are both known for their playmaking abilities on the ball, combining for 57 interceptions in their entire careers. With that being said, these two corners give up tons of yards through the air.
Quarterback Dak Prescott needs to protect the ball and take what the defense gives him. If Prescott turns over the ball the Cowboys are in trouble.
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