Reply To: ***Chiefs @ Rams: Week 12 Game Day Thread***

5 things to watch as Chiefs host the Rams on Thanksgiving weekend
from ArrowheadPride.com

It doesn’t appear that this game has the juice to be as exciting as the last time these two teams matched up.

By Ron Kopp Jr. | @Ron_Kopp | Nov 25, 2022, 3:30pm CST

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Bryce Perkins plays against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

On a Thanksgiving weekend, the Kansas City Chiefs may be thankful for some home cooking against a Los Angeles Rams team that is starting its third-string quarterback and missing its best offensive player in wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

The Chiefs entered the weekend as 15.5-point favorites, per DraftKings SportsBook. It’s the largest point spread of any NFL game this season.

That means this likely won’t look like the last time these two matched up: a 54-51 Monday Night Football thriller in 2018 that Los Angeles won.

I wouldn’t expect those fireworks, but there’s plenty to learn about the Chiefs this week. Here are five things to watch:

1. How dominant can this defense be?

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

The Chiefs’ defense has been impressive this year, making plays at the right time and getting stops in crucial situations. They’ve held up their end of the deal all season, but this game is an opportunity to prove they can shut down an inferior opponent from A to Z.

With Matthew Stafford ruled out, the Rams’ starting quarterback might be Bryce Perkins, an undrafted free agent from the 2020 NFL Draft class who took his first NFL regular-season snaps two weeks ago. Without Kupp, the Rams’ skill-position group is very underwhelming — and on top of that, the offensive line has been one of the NFL’s worst.

All that considered, the Chiefs’ front seven should be able to control the game against the run and pass; off-ball defenders must be ready for both designed and improvised quarterback runs. If they corral the rushing, they force the Rams to throw — and there should be chances for sacks and turnovers when that happens.

Watch to see if the Chiefs’ defense steps up with that focus to dominate or overlooks a banged-up Los Angeles offense.

2. The running back room


Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Outside of the Week 4 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the last two weeks were the Chiefs’ highest rushing-yardage totals of the season. They were also the two games rookie running back Isiah Pacheco has played the most this year.

With original starting running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire now on injured reserve, Pacheco’s plate may be even more filled up — but his role may be tweaked a bit. Jerick McKinnon is the team’s best pass-down back, but now he’s the only reliable one — so Pacheco may have to be tested more in those spots to keep it unpredictable; last week, he was run over in pass protection to allow a sack on his only pass block of the game.

This could also be the first showcase for running back Ronald Jones, who earned a spot on the initial 53-man roster by looking explosive as a downhill runner in the third preseason game. Jones can break off a big run in similar ways as Pacheco, but one of them is in a rhythm while the other has been on ice.

It’s hard to imagine Jones is inactive this game. Watch to see how much he’s utilized, and how much it impacts the roles of the other two backs.
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