For the second straight year, the Los Angeles Rams face an AFC East team that is well under .500. Unfortunately, they didn't get it done on Monday night when they lost to the Miami Dolphins, but Sunday's game against the New England Patriots is very winnable despite being on the road.
If the Rams want to defeat Jerod Mayo and his team, they will need to win some important individual games on the field. They need Jared Verse to put pressure on Drake Maye and protect Matthew Stafford from Keion White and New England's pass rush.
Here are five of the biggest matchups of Week 11.
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Lowe has given up 18 pressures in seven games this season, giving him a pass blocking grade of 64.0 at Pro Football Focus. Verse is getting better every week and could be in line for a big game against the Patriots' left tackle. His ability to create pressure on the right side of the defense is critical for the Rams because, as we saw against the Dolphins on Monday night, that can lead to not only sacks, but also forced fumbles and takeaways.
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Gonzalez is one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL and almost always lines up on the outside against opposing receivers. This matchup between him and Nacua will be a lot of fun, but it could result in some limited opportunities for Nacua – or at least a lot of contested catches. Gonzalez is a corner that the Patriots can leave on an island without having to send additional safety help, allowing them to shift their attention to other receivers like Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson.
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We don't know who will take the lead at right tackle yet, but it sounds like Rob Havenstein will miss another game, and Sean McVay said even if Joe Noteboom was healthy enough, McClendon could overtake him. White was the Patriots' best passer this season, recording 15 more sacks than any other player on defense. Therefore, the Rams need to know where he is at all times.
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Durant and Quentin Lake will both get snaps in the slot against Douglas, who leads all Patriots wideouts with 39 catches and 356 yards. Only Hunter Henry has more than him this season, but Douglas' agility in the slot could put Durant in trouble. He struggled mightily against Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 9, and the Patriots could target Durant in a similar fashion to Douglas after watching this film.
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The Rams' running game failed to get going this year, ranking 26th in yards per game and 31st in yards per carry. It's not necessarily Williams' fault, but rather the blockage in front of him. Tavai is a premier linebacker who is strong against the run, so Williams will have to make sure he misses at least a few times in the open field.
