Rams vs. Titans Week 9 Preview

What are the main storylines ahead of the Rams vs. Titans' Week 9 matchup?

The Los Angeles Rams are on a four-game winning streak, have a shiny new edge rusher and are living large in L.A. With Von Miller preparing for his first game as a member of the Rams, there will be a lot of anticipation leading up to his debut this weekend. 

Tennessee will be without their star running back Derrick Henry, which extremely limits their gameplan. The Titans are averaging 147 rushing yards per game, and the Rams are holding opponents to an average of 103 rushing yards per game, which ranks 11th in the NFL. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey will likely see a lot of A.J. Brown on Sunday, which means the Titans will need Julio Jones to step up in order for Tennessee to have any chance on Sunday Night Football. 

Both teams enter this Week 9 matchup having won their last four contests, but only one squad will walk out of this primetime matchup victorious. To figure out who that will be, we have three questions to answer.

1. How will Von Miller fit into the Rams defense?

Miller is the only player since 2014 that can touch Aaron Donald’s pass-rushing dominance. For the Rams to get such a dominant pass rusher at the deadline, a team that already ranked No. 1 in sacks, just added the sack leader among active NFL players. The rich have gotten richer. 

With it being Miller's first game in L.A., adjusting to defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ defense will take time. However, with Miller's veteran experience, the transition process shouldn’t take long. With the Titans forced to change their gameplan away from being focused heavily on Henry, the pass rush will be extremely important on Sunday.

*Miller is recovering from an ankle injury but signs point toward him being active for Sunday.

2. How will the Rams handle their schedule down the stretch run?

The Rams have the second-most difficult strength of schedule left on the NFL season. The Titans, on the other hand, have the second-easiest strength of schedule as the Rams are their last game against a bonafide elite team this season. For L.A., this is the time to secure their defensive gameplan with new starters Von Miller and Ernest Jones now into the mix ahead of the stretch run of the season.

Offensively, make sure Van Jefferson and others can replace the loss of deep threat DeSean Jackson and rookie Tutu Atwell. The Rams still have four divisional matchups left, and will face the Packers and Ravens in the coming weeks. The Rams have set themselves up well for success, but this Sunday begins the true test of what type of contender this team can be.

3. How will Julio Jones step up?

Based on their first eight games this season, the Rams have shown the ability to move Ramsey around, covering different star receivers. Ramsey will presumably key in on slowing down Brown, the Titans' No. 1 pass-catcher. In the event that Ramsey is tied to Brown, that allows Jones a relatively favorable matchup against other Rams cornerbacks.

With only 17 catches for 301 yards so far this season, Jones has mainly been a non-factor in the five games he's played. In recovering from a hamstring injury, the Titans will need Jones to return to form as a formidable pass-catcher in Tennessee's passing attack. If L.A. can limit Jones, they will presumably win this football game.

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Season Records: Rams (7-1), Titans (6-2)

Previous Meeting: Rams defeated the Titans on December 24, 2017 in a 27-23 game.

Odds: Rams -7.5

Stat: The Rams hold an all-time record of 8-5 over the Titans.

Keep An Eye On: How Von Miller and rookie Ernest Jones carve out their roles on defense.

Rams' Key To Victory: Keep playing L.A. Rams football, owning the time of possession, scoring points in bunches and disrupting the opposing team's offensive gameplan with a superb pass rush.

Date/Time: Sunday, Nov. 7 at 5:20 p.m. PT

Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

TV: FOX

Streaming: FuboTV

Radio: 93.1 JACK FM 

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More from Ram Digest:

• Sean McVay Details How the Rams' Depth at Wide Receiver Will Take Shape
• Rams WR Cooper Kupp Wins NFC Offensive Player of the Month
• Rams OLB Von Miller Gives Hs Early Impressions of His New Team in L.A.
• Rams' Wednesday Injury Report for Week 9 vs. Titans
• Watch: Rams RB Cam Akers Continuing to Advance in Recovery From Achilles Injury
• Rams GM Les Snead on LB Von Miller: 'There's a Long-Term Vision'
• Rams Waive WR DeSean Jackson After Failing to Find Trade Partner
• Rams Will Attempt to Extend Von Miller Past the 2021 Season
• Sean McVay Details How the Von Miller Trade Came Together
• Aqib Talib Reacts to the Rams Acquiring LB Von Miller
• Rams Announce Von Miller's Jersey Number

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