Extended time away from Los Angeles starts with a visit to Baltimore for the Rams as they take on the Ravens this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium (10 a.m. PT, FOX).
Ahead of the contest, here are 3 Keys to Winning for the Rams, presented by The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani (CallJacob.com).
1) Limit the impact of the Ravens' game-breakers on offense and defense
More specifically, running back Derrick Henry, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Kyle Hamilton. While Henry has been healthy, Humphrey and Hamilton carry no designations after missing last week's game against the Texans due to injury.
A Henry touchdown run, or a turnover created by Humphrey or Hamilton, can be momentum-changing plays for Baltimore. That places added importance on Los Angeles' run defense picking up where it left off of strong performances against Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley in recent weeks, as well as Los Angeles' passing offense playing disciplined against Baltimore's secondary.
2) Play a clean game on special teams
That applies across all phases of that unit against a team that has traditionally been sound in that area, but especially a kicking operation that has had its share of challenges over the last three weeks.
3) Establish and maintain the run
Of course, the Rams' offense has operated at a high clip when the ball has been in quarterback Matthew Stafford's hands, but the Ravens' run defense has felt the impact of the team's injuries the most, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game in the NFL entering Week 6. Taking advantage of those opportunities and maximizing those carries will be crucial.
The Philadelphia Phillies had a path to win the National League Division Series before it began. The Los Angeles Dodgers came in as the defending World Series champions, but they had holes in their roster as much as anyone else. They had a leaky bullpen going into the playoffs, but you wouldn't know it with how well the Dodgers managed their bullpen throughout the four games.
The Dodgers' bullpen was the part of the roster the Phillies' offense had to get to in order to succeed. As long as the Phillies could hang in against the Dodgers' starting pitching, they'd have a chance in the later innings. The Dodgers made adjustments with a shortened playoff series and outlasted the Phillies to win the series.
The top of the lineup had to apply pressure for the Phillies to have a chance in the series, but they instead made the eight runs they scored in Game 3 look more like a fluke. In Game 4, the top three hitters of Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper sang a familiar tune, going a combined 1-for-14. As a team, they only scratched across four hits total. The Dodgers' bullpen came out on top in the end.
In the regular season, the Dodgers' bullpen ranked 21st with a bullpen ERA of 4.27. Ironically enough, they finished tied with the Phillies. They also had a 10.38 ERA over the two Wild Card games against a Cincinnati Reds offense that didn't impose any substantial threat. The Dodgers learned from that and approached things differently once they played the Phillies.
The Dodgers barely used traditional relievers for the entire four-game NLDS. They leaned heavily on extra starters to get the job done, and unfortunately, it worked to perfection. The one thing that few teams in MLB can go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers on is the depth of their starting rotation.
Roki Sasaki, a rookie who sported a 4.46 ERA across 10 games (eight starts) this season, was moved to the bullpen for the playoffs. He proceeded to throw 4 1/3 shutout innings against the Phillies, including three perfect innings in the clinching Game 4.
The Dodgers also deployed Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan out of the bullpen, limiting any threat the Phillies thought they could muster late in games. The only real success the Phillies had against the Dodgers' bullpen was facing 37-year-old Clayton Kershaw when he was hung out to dry in Game 3 and against Blake Treinen, who they scored twice against in Game 2 but ultimately fell one run short of a comeback.
The beauty and agony of a short playoff series is that every moment is amplified. Every game means more, and as a result, teams manipulate their pitching staffs to minimize any weakness. The Dodgers did it well and showed the Phillies the door in another early playoff exit.
