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The last time the Rams and Chargers met was in a Week 6 matchup of the 2010 NFL season. The Rams were able to secure a 20-17 victory in a close game at the Edward Jones Dome. And the defense played no small role in helping them chalk up the win.
Specifically, it was the play of a stout defensive front loaded with first round draft picks. Oh no, that’s not right...that’s the 2014 roster. Here’s what they were fielding on October 17, 2010.
In that game Chris Long, James Hall, and LB Larry Grant all tallied two sacks. Fred Robbins got in the mix as well.
The Rams depth chart now looks a lot different than it did in 2010, with Chris Long being the only member of the bunch highlighted above that’s still on the roster. He’s working his way back to health after suffering an ankle injury in the third quarter of the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Vikings.
Over the past four years, though, the Rams have seriously bolstered their defensive line by adding first round studs like Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers, and most recently, Aaron Donald. The Rams’ defense, prior to onset of the 2014 season, had amassed the most sacks of any team in the NFL over the past two seasons [105]. And despite a sluggish start to the season - in terms of sacks - the Rams defense has come alive recently, and they’ve chalked up 13 sacks over the past three games.
The Chargers won’t be anywhere near 100% either. According to Pro Football Talk, the Chargers will be fielding a rookie center during today’s game. In September, they lost starting center Nick Hardwick for the year with a neck injury. His replacement, Rich Ohrnberger will miss today’s game suffering from both ankle and back issues. Next man up: Chris Watt.
With a rookie center getting his first start, against a Rams defense that has been living in offensive backfields over the past few weeks, can the 2014 Rams' defensive front out-sack the defense from 2010? They’ve already done it once this season, getting to 49ers’ QB Colin Kaepernick eight times at Levi Stadium in Week 9.