Rams Get Serious About Titans' Superstar Defensive Lineman

Mike LaFleur

“He's a stud," stated Rams OC Mike LaFleur. "He's been a stud. I had the opportunity, if you will, to play him a few times. It's not fun, but again, you like going against some of the best and seeing them at their craft. He doesn't take plays off. This guy is a beast inside, in both phases, the run and the pass game. He sticks out. There’s a reason he's one of the better interior linemen in this league. He plays the right way.”

Matthew Stafford

“They're a really physical defense," stated Matthew Stafford. "He's obviously an unbelievable player inside. He does a hell of a job for them. He is really disruptive, strong, gets off on the count, physical, fast and plays with a nasty streak. I mean he's a really good player. They’ve got a lot of good players on their defense."

"I think they're really sound. They give you multiple looks, especially in the back end. You have to go out there and trust what your eyes see, go out there and play ball, get through progressions and that's what they want you to do and try to collapse the pocket while they're doing that. They have a really good defense. They’re physical and fast. There are a bunch of different things to look at on the back end and that'll be a big challenge for us.”

The Titans Defense

The Titans are expected to run a base 3-4 defense with Simmons, former Rams defensive linemen Sebastian Joseph-Day, and T'Vondre Sweat beefing up the interior. However, Sweat has been dealing with an injury issue.

The Titans have an underrated rookie linebacker in Femi Oladejo, who could surprise many. He's another Joker-type player, very versatile, who I had the pleasure of meeting during his time at UCLA. He's consistent, dedicated to his craft, and shifty.

The team has a young secondary, and while their corners are subject to getting exposed, watch out for the safeties. They're good, but sometimes they leave a little bit too much space on the outside.