• Verse was held to one pressure in the Rams‘ previous meeting with the Eagles: Philadelphia's top-tier offensive line held PFF's Defensive Rookie of the Year in check. He'll now have a chance to redeem himself.
• Could an interior alignment be the solution? If the Eagles get to third down in an obvious passing situation, don’t be surprised to see Verse rush from the interior more often in an attempt to take advantage of the better pass-rushing matchup.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The Los Angeles Rams travel to take on the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend in the divisional round, something that didn’t seem likely a few months ago after starting the year 1-4. Since then, they’ve won 10 of 12 games (excluding their Week 18 game against Seattle when they sat their starters), including a dominating performance against the 14-win Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round.
Jared Verse is a big reason for the Rams’ success this season. The 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was the easy choice for PFF’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award, establishing himself as one of the premier edge defenders in the league in his first season. He was extremely consistent week-to-week, grading out at 63.7 or higher in all but one game.
Verse is coming off a strong postseason debut, earning an 84.4 PFF overall grade across 52 snaps. He generated seven pressures, but the play of the game came on his 57-yard scoop and score of a Sam Darnold fumble, giving the Rams a two-score lead to propel Los Angeles to a blowout win.
YEAH THAT'S A V8 ENGINE
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 14, 2025
📺: @ESPNNFL | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/9EbfjPwvRL
With the Vikings in the rearview mirror, Verse turns his attention to an Eagles offensive line that shut him down earlier in the season. In that Week 12 matchup, the rookie's 40.8 PFF overall grade, 38.2 PFF run-defense grade and one pressure generated were all season lows. His 57.0 PFF pass-rush grade for the game was his second-worst mark of the season.
Philadelphia's limiting of opposing defensive fronts should not come as a surprise, as the team owns the best offensive line in the NFL this season. All five starters rank among the top 18 at their respective positions, and the Eagles have the league's best tackle duo in Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson.
In Mailata and Johnson, the Eagles have two elite pass-blockers who are trusted more on an island (no help from a guard, running back or tight end) than any other tackles in the league. Verse recorded just a 10.5% pass-rush win rate in the November matchup, well below his sixth-ranked season-long clip of 19.6%.
Jared Verse’s lone pressure in their Week 12 matchup shows the game-breaking potential he has on any given rep
— Ryan Smith (@PFF_RyanSmith) January 16, 2025
Pre-snap movement to shift inside TE Calcaterra helps avoid a potential chip and a perfectly timed jump/bullrush forces immediate pressure on Hurts on 3rd and long pic.twitter.com/oT9k0fqbye
Verse’s lone pressure in the game was a reminder of his game-wrecking ability. He shifts inside tight end Grant Calcaterra, who is lined up in the slot pre-snap, avoiding a potential chip while perfectly timing the snap in the process. He then completely runs over Mailata with a bull rush to force Hurts out of the pocket on third-and-long, with the drive ultimately resulting in a field-goal attempt.
Jared Verse’s lone pressure in their Week 12 matchup shows the game-breaking potential he has on any given rep
— Ryan Smith (@PFF_RyanSmith) January 16, 2025
Pre-snap movement to shift inside TE Calcaterra helps avoid a potential chip and a perfectly timed jump/bullrush forces immediate pressure on Hurts on 3rd and long pic.twitter.com/oT9k0fqbye
Generating pressure is a key factor for Verse and the Rams to come away with the upset on the road, as Hurts’ passing splits will show. He sports an 86.2 PFF passing grade for the season when kept clean, but that number drops to 32.8 when under pressure.
The Rams may attempt to generate pressure by getting their star pass-rusher in more favorable matchups. Verse has lined up as a defensive tackle just five times all year, three of which came against the Eagles in Week 12. Mailata (92.2 PFF pass-blocking grade), Johnson (87.9) and Landon Dickerson (72.1) are all excellent in pass protection, but Cam Jurgens (55.9) and Mekhi Becton (62.5) are vulnerable at times. If the Eagles get to third down in an obvious passing situation, don’t be surprised to see Verse rush from the interior more often in an attempt to take advantage of the matchup.
Jared Verse lined up as a defensive tackle just 5 times this season, 3 of which came vs the Eagles in Week 12
— Ryan Smith (@PFF_RyanSmith) January 16, 2025
It would not be a surprise to see the Rams dial up this look more on obvious pass situations to avoid Philly’s elite tackle duo & target the more vulnerable interior OL pic.twitter.com/5huq2bA83L
With that said, it’s completely conceivable that the Eagles will control the game on the ground and Verse won't have the opportunity to disrupt as a pass-rusher. Philadelphia ran the ball more than any team in the NFL this season (50.7% of the time), with Hurts dropping back 35-plus times in just five games, four of which came in the first four games of the season. A run-heavy game script for the Eagles does not bode well for the Rams’ chances.
Los Angeles scored a touchdown and took control of the game early on against Minnesota, something the team will hope to repeat to keep the pressure on Philadelphia. By doing so, Verse and the Rams' defense will have the opportunity to pin their ears back and get after Hurts on passing downs. Coming off a record-setting nine-sack performance in the wild-card round last week, they certainly won’t be lacking in confidence in a hostile environment this weekend.
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