LOS ANGELES — When Jared Verse begins to elaborate on the methodology of sacking Caleb Williams, it is shortly apparent the Los Angeles Rams star edge rusher has been fascinated by this monumental job fairly a bit.
“You just have to keep rushing,” Verse stated. “You have to keep running. Honestly, once you get your hands around him, if you can’t fully grab him, aim for his arm. He’s a throwing quarterback. Obviously, that’s all quarterbacks, but you have to aim for his arm. Just try to mess his throw up a little bit. It can’t just be like you’re getting him off the spot. He’s one of those quarterbacks … even if they’re off the spot, they’re still liable to make any type of play.”
Williams’ clutch playmaking has pushed the Bears (12-6) to the NFC North title and homefield benefit of their divisional spherical go to from the Rams (13-5) on Sunday night time. The Rams’ success in containing the previous Southern California star can be a figuring out issue on this matchup — notably within the fourth quarter, when two quarterbacks identified for late comebacks appear more likely to be buying and selling large performs within the Chicago chilly.
Limiting Williams is an 11-man job, however a giant chunk of that duty falls on Verse and his fellow Pro Bowl edge rusher, Byron Young. The duo mixed for 19 1/2 of the Rams’ 47 sacks through the common season, however each can be challenged at Soldier Field by a profoundly elusive quarterback and his much-improved offensive line.
Verse has loads of concepts about easy methods to do it, however he additionally is aware of the neatest plans towards Williams generally simply do not work.
“When you get to him, you have to wrap him up,” Verse stated. “It’s not like (you can) lunge or jump at him. He’s very athletic and he’s very nimble. He’s able to get away from anything you bring to him. You have to keep (moving) your feet under you when you wrap him up. You can’t lunge at him. We’ve watched all the tape, watched games from their last playoff game to the first game of their season. He’s been doing it all season long. It’s impossible to say he won’t get away from one of us, but we all have to keep pursuing it and be able to make that tackle.”
Verse nonetheless remembers his frustration when the Rams visited the Bears in Week 4 of final season. Verse managed to sack Williams twice in a three-play span of the second quarter, solely for each to be nullified by defensive penalties.
The Rams sacked Williams thrice that day, however he nonetheless led the Bears to a victory. Williams was sacked 68 occasions as a rookie, however that quantity plummeted to only 24 this season, and the Packers bought him down solely as soon as final week whereas he led Chicago’s dramatic comeback victory within the wild-card spherical.
Rams coach Sean McVay has been struck by Williams’ progress whereas watching movie this week.
“It’s one thing where you see him play in time and in rhythm with good accuracy and anticipation,” McVay stated. “But then some of those second-reaction plays where he’s getting flushed to his right or getting flushed to his left and guys understand how to be able to work with him, those are the ones that are really scary. He’s playing at a high clip.”
This challenge is especially vital for the Rams as a result of their cross rush is the principle energy of their defense, which has pale down the stretch this season. Los Angeles has allowed at the very least 27 factors to each opponent aside from the woebegone Arizona Cardinals since Thanksgiving, with the unit’s effectiveness declining in most defensive metrics.
The Rams blitz lower than practically each group within the NFL, simply 18.1% of the time within the common season. They depend on their edge rushers and inside rushers to get house usually sufficient to assist their secondary, which has been largely unimpressive all season lengthy.
Williams’ talent set is a possible nightmare for the Rams, and so they realize it. Verse and his teammates are nonetheless assured they’ll comprise him sufficient to maintain the Rams aggressive.
“He’s a Heisman winner for a reason,” stated Verse, who was drafted 18 picks after Williams in 2024. “He was the No. 1 pick, and I have a lot of respect for him.”
NOTES: RG Kevin Dotson will return from his three-game absence with a sprained ankle, McVay confirmed Friday. The information is a giant enhance for Los Angeles’ run sport, which may very well be very important if the frigid climate limits each groups’ passing assaults. … Backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo is questionable with again ache, however McVay expects him to be accessible in Chicago. Stetson Bennett, the Rams’ third-string QB, has but to throw an NFL cross.