Quinn

Rams keeping Robert Quinn fresh, and it’s paying off

Rams Pro Bowl linebacker Robert Quinn is averaging a career-low 38.3 snaps and it seems to be helping him and the Rams’ resurgent defense.

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/36016/rams-keeping-robert-quinn-fresh-and-its-paying-off

A man named Matt Longacre is the Los Angeles Rams’ sack leader, with four of them through the first seven weeks.

You may not know who he is, and you probably should.

Longacre, an undrafted free agent in his third NFL season, is the Rams’ primary backup at outside linebacker. And his productive play is the central reason the Rams feel so comfortable spelling Robert Quinn, the two-time Pro Bowler who’s starting to resemble his old self.

Quinn generated four quarterback pressures in Sunday’s 33-0 blowout win over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. He totaled just four pressures through the season’s first four weeks, but has generated 12 of them over the last three, tied for fifth-most among 3-4 outside linebackers during that stretch, according to numbers compiled by Pro Football Focus.

KEEPING QUINN CRISP

Robert Quinn’s snaps per start over the last five years:

YEAR SNAPS PER START
2013 49.4
2014 46.9
2015 42.7
2016 42.5
2017 38.3

It appears as if he’s finally starting to feel the effects of that “maintenance program” the Rams spent all summer referencing.

“We’re all committing to it,” Quinn said recently. “It’s just controlling what we can control. When I work, I’m working as hard as I can.”

That work, however, is limited.

Quinn totaled 40 sacks from 2012 to 2014, but started only 15 games from 2015 to 2016, a two-year stretch during which he underwent back surgery. This year, he is being handled with care. Quinn didn’t play in any preseason games and basically only practiced if he was at full health. When the season began, the Rams limited his time on the field, both to keep him healthy and to maximize his pass-rush snaps.

Quinn is averaging a career-low 38.3 snaps in his seven starts this year. It’s down from what he averaged through eight starts in 2016 (42.5) and down from what he averaged through seven starts in 2015 (42.7). And it’s significantly down from the 48.2 snaps he averaged through 32 starts from 2013 to 2014.

Quinn, 27, is fine with it.

“First I want to get to the game healthy, be dominant during the game, however many plays I get, and get out of the game healthy, with the lead,” said Quinn, who has 2.5 sacks this season. “The past few years have been a little unfortunate for me, just injuries and crap, and having limited reps in training camp and all that. I don’t want to speak for the coaches, but I don’t think they wanted to throw me in the fire. Me, I’m trying to be out there as much as possible, make a play, and try to win a football game.”

The Rams’ defense has been solid of late, allowing only three points over the last seven quarters and 39 points over the last 14 quarters. In the previous three weeks, the first-place Rams have the second most interceptions per attempt (4.8 percent) and the ninth most sacks per attempt (10.5), while allowing the fourth lowest Total QBR (26.3), the fourth fewest first downs (14.7 per game) and the eighth fewest yards (274.3 per game).

Aaron Donald is back to his dominant ways after a summer-long holdout, Michael Brockers has benefited from a move to defensive end, John Johnson’s emergence has changed the dynamic of the secondary, and Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron have settled into their roles as inside linebackers under Wade Phillips’ system.

But one of the biggest reasons for this defense’s turnaround stems from Quinn’s resurgence as a pass-rusher, which is why the Rams have been so judicious with his snaps.

“He’s got great get-off; he plays with great effort,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “When you play the way that he does, and you have some confidence in the Matt Longacres and those guys that can step up when they come in for him, you want to keep him fresh. I think we’re doing a good job.”