The quarterback usually gets all the attention, but Week 5 is really about what’s happening around him. Protection breaks down.
Coverage gets loose after the rush. A defense keeps handing out easy throws to the same target.
Those are the cracks that can decide a Sunday, and this slate has three obvious ones to attack.
Start with Matthew Stafford, who has a real chance to light up Buffalo on Monday night. The Bills can pressure the quarterback, but they have been far less reliable once the ball comes out. That leaves Sean McVay with a clear path: lean on the run just enough to force respect, then let Stafford work the mismatches.
Puka Nacua’s return changes the picture next to Davante Adams, and Buffalo’s issues underneath open the door for throws to backs and tight ends as well. The Bills have already given up 10 touchdown passes in four games, and Stafford does not need one receiver to dominate the night. He just needs the right matchup to keep shifting.
The Rams already showed what that can look like when Stafford threw four touchdown passes on only 31 attempts against the Giants. The downside is still there, too - he has six interceptions this season, and Greg Rousseau’s six sacks mean quick decisions will be part of the deal. Buffalo’s cornerback situation is still unsettled, and Nacua’s status after his return is worth monitoring.
Even with those caveats, the setup points in one direction. If the Rams finish drives through the air, Stafford can be the one cashing in this time.
On the other end of the spectrum, Jalen Hurts looks set up for a much quieter passing day against Jacksonville. Philadelphia is trying to patch together its passing game while also dealing with changes up front. Lane Johnson announced his retirement, the Eagles announced a Cam Jurgens trade, and new center Drew Kendall missed Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury.
That’s not the kind of backdrop you want when Jacksonville is using simulated pressure to force fast decisions and muddy the picture before the snap. Philadelphia also just went 0-for-12 on third down, which only makes communication issues feel more dangerous. Hurts was pressured on 57.6% of his dropbacks against the Rams, and London could bring another rough test.
This is not a case of Jacksonville being airtight in the secondary - the Jaguars just allowed Joe Burrow 428 passing yards. But they can still make life uncomfortable, especially if Josh Hines-Allen and several defensive backs, who were limited Wednesday, are able to contribute. The Eagles have their own availability questions, too: DeVonta Smith and Hollywood Brown missed practice, while Dallas Goedert was limited.
Hurts has thrown for 153 yards and 93 yards in his last two games, though he did salvage two passing touchdowns in the second one. A rushing touchdown could still keep his overall day afloat, but the passing production looks destined to stay low if Jacksonville can keep disrupting timing near the goal line.
Then there’s Jacoby Brissett, who has a very different kind of assignment against Detroit: keep taking what the defense gives him and keep doing it. The Lions have been vulnerable to tight ends all season, allowing opposing tight ends 37 catches for 407 yards and six touchdowns through four games. That matters a lot with Trey McBride sitting in the middle of Arizona’s offense.
Arizona has already sent 46 targets McBride’s way, and with Paris Johnson Jr. out for the season, getting the ball out quickly makes sense for Brissett. McBride is the easy outlet, Michael Wilson adds another steady option, and short passes help protect an offensive line that cannot be asked to hold up forever.
Brissett already showed this style can work when he completed 38 passes against the 49ers in Week 3, even though that only produced 280 yards. Arizona’s defense has also allowed more than 30 points in three straight games, which gives the offense another reason to stay aggressive and keep throwing.
Detroit’s pass rush can still blow up possessions, and Brian Branch’s return to practice could help the coverage eventually. But neither changes the central problem for the Lions: McBride is a matchup that keeps coming back. Brissett should keep leaning on it all afternoon, stacking completions and forcing Detroit to tackle over and over.
In Other News...
Rams Defense Must Hold Up Until Myles Garrett Can Truly Matter
Myles Garretts start with the Rams has been slow for reasons that had nothing to do with scheme fit and everything to do with recovery. After knee surgery, Garrett has already missed three of the teams first four games this season, and according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, he is expected to sit at least six weeks. For a defense that anticipated a major jolt from his arrival, the wait has stretched long enough that the group has had to find its footing without him.
The encouraging part for Los Angeles is that the defense has held up well so far, even without Garrett available to play a snap alongside Aaron Donald. Still, the expectation is that his biggest impact wont come until the second half of the season, once he is fully back and able to reintegrate into the mix. Until then, the Rams are left balancing steady early results with the idea of what this unit is supposed to look like when Garrett finally becomes a real factor. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Have A Real Question At Right Tackle
Warren McClendon has settled into the Rams full-time right tackle job with plenty still to prove, and the early returns have made the spot worth watching. In his first season handling the role, McClendon has had to deal with the kind of pass-rush pressure that can expose even a player with prior starting experience, while also trying to show enough to put himself in position for a new deal before his rookie contract runs out.
Keagen Trost adds another layer to the picture once he is back in the mix. The rookie missed time with a hamstring injury in the preseason but is now eligible to return from injured reserve, and his arrival gives the Rams a live alternative if McClendons hold on the job starts to slip. For a team that values stability up front, right tackle has quietly become one of the more interesting battles to monitor. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Fans Know The Risk In 49ers' Xavier Smith Move
Xavier Smiths move across the NFC West has a familiar feel for Rams followers, because his game has always come with both intrigue and risk. The speedy receiver and return specialist flashed enough on punt returns to keep teams interested, and that track record is exactly why San Francisco added him to its practice squad as it looks for help on special teams.
From Los Angeles side, though, Smith also carried the kind of volatility that can change a game in one snap. The Rams saw the upside in his return ability, but they also lived through the inconsistency that made him a frustrating fit at times, including the kind of mistake that tends to stick with a player long after the rest of the tape is forgotten. [Read more 🡒]