Jenkins and Johnson Key To St. Louis Rams Victory

The St. Louis Rams enter Sunday’s match-up against the Baltimore Ravens with major questions on offense. Case Keenum will be starting his first game of the season, Cody Winchmann and Andrew Donnal will likely be in the starting lineup and the offense relies nearly 100 percent on Todd Gurley and the running game. 

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With all of these obstacles the Rams will be more reliant than ever on their 6th-ranked defense to get them back to their winning ways. Not only that, the Rams will need to lead on cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson to slow the Ravens 9th-ranked passing offense.

Johnson and Jenkins have both started all nine games at cornerback for Jeff Fisher’s Rams. While Jenkins was expected to be the starter at right cornerback, Johnson’s role has come as a bit of a surprise as he fills in for the injured EJ Gaines. Johnson has been able thrive as the left corner in Gregg Williams’ defense. Johnson has used quick feet and great recovery speed to get 10 pass deflections and three interceptions.

Oct 4, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins (21) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver

(12) as strong safety

(25) defends and back judge Perry Paganelli (46) watches during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Jenkins also has 10 pass deflections to go along with two interceptions. Jenkins’ speed and raw athleticism are a perfect complement to Johnson. The duo are tied for 11th in the NFL in pass deflections, and Johnson is tied for 9th in the NFL in interceptions.

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They will draw a Ravens receiving group that is without their top player in

Sr., but the group is still quite dangerous. They are highlighted by

and former Rams wide receiver

in recent weeks. Aiken has 32 receptions for 406 yards and two touchdowns on the season while Givens has 10 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown in three games since being traded to the Ravens.

The Ravens often use Aiken on the left and Givens on the right, meaning Jenkins would draw Aiken and Johnson would draw Givens. The matchup of Jenkins on Aiken is a size advantage for Aiken. His 6’,2” frame and long arms give him an advantage over the 5’,10” Jenkins. Jenkins’ athleticism does allow him to make up for this, however. Aiken is not a burner, but he does use great footwork and run precise routes.

On the other side, former teammates will square off as the 6’ Givens will be covered by the 6’,2” Johnson. Johnson’s ability to play press at the line of scrimmage and his familiarity with Givens give him an advantage, but he has to be careful to make sure Givens does not get behind, as he does give up a little bit of speed.

Nov 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson (22) against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Rams 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

What will help both Johnson and Jenkins is the Rams pass rush. The group ranks 4th in the NFL in total sacks with 29, and will possibly be getting a big boost. The Rams could be getting Chris Long back for the first time since October 11. He had two sacks in five games to start the season.

“It’ll be good,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said this week when asked about the possibility of long returning. “All of those guys…and I haven’t heard exactly until coach tells us, but they practiced and each day have gotten better. All of those guys. I always smile – I’m a better coach when all of those good guys are there, which is good.”

The pass rush will look to get Joe Flacco off his spot, not allowing Aiken and Givens to get deep into their routes. This will be very difficult, however, as the Ravens offensive line has allowed only 15 sacks on the season – the sixth-fewest in the league.

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This means Johnson and Jenkins will be forced to defend the deep ball, something the Rams have done very well. They have allowed only three pass plays of 40-plus yards on the season, tied for fourth-fewest in the NFL.

If Johnson and Jenkins are able to contain the Ravens outside threats, the Rams would be able to get more aggressive up front on defense and remove some of the pressure on the depleted offense.