The Kingpin always has a plan. A contingency for the contingency. He studies his opponents, dissects their weaknesses and waits for the right opportunity to attack with overwhelming strength and surprising speed.

Those are all characteristics of Rams defensive end Braden Fiske as well as Marvel villain Wilson Fisk, the so-called "Kingpin of Crime" in New York City. Fiske's last name and physical resemblance to the character are why fans gave him the nickname, but his mental and tactical similarities to Marvel's most dangerous street-level antagonist really give meaning to the comparison.

Of course, that's not why Fiske likes it. He's actually never watched or read anything with his namesake in it. But when people started commenting "Kingpin" under his social media posts, he did some research and started to embrace the alias. He even planned on wearing Fisk's classic white suit to NFL Honors last year, when he was a finalist for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but ended up missing the event while recovering from a knee injury.

"I think it's cool to have a nickname that kind of sticks, so I try to roll with it," Fiske told theRams.com.

In a way, quarterbacks are the NFL's heroes. They receive the most attention from opponents, are adored (or despised) by fans and are surrounded by a team of protectors. It's Fiske's job to bring them down, and he does so with controlled aggression and mental acuity, just like his comic book counterpart.

Defensive coordinator Chris Shula said Fiske is "one of the hardest workers" he's been around, and is usually the first player in the building each morning, watching film in the defensive line room. After a relatively slow start to the 2025 season, during which an oblique injury hampered him for a few weeks, that extra preparation paid dividends in Week 7.

In the Rams' victory over Jacksonville in London, Fiske registered a career-best eight quarterback pressures, according to Next Gen Stats, six more than his previous season-high. He generated a pressure on 25.8% of his pass rush opportunities in that game.

On the first play from scrimmage, Fiske lined up to the right of the Jaguars' center and swiped both his arms outward to negate the block before it even landed, then ripped through the left side as he crossed the blocker's face. That forced quarterback Trevor Lawrence up in the pocket, where he was sacked by Fiske's partner in crime, outside linebacker Jared Verse.

"You could say I saw it on tape... I saw a certain punch, and I was like, 'Oh, this is a perfect opportunity (to do this move),'" Fiske said. "I mean, I had planned that pre-snap."

He learned that move from Krav Maga instructor Al "Poodie" Carson, who has worked out with the Rams' defensive line before training camp for the past two years. Fiske said he's practiced it repeatedly since he learned the maneuver prior to his rookie season, but had never actually tried it in a game until Week 7. Now, it's another move in his arsenal.

With Carson, Fiske and the rest of the defensive line honed various tactics derived from the Israeli street fighting martial art. They often utilize those moves in-game, choosing their strike based on down, distance and opponent.

"It comes down to the study of, 'What is this guy's tendencies? Is he a high puncher? Is he a low puncher? Is a wide puncher?'" Fiske said before the season. "High, low, whatever he does, having a plan for what he does (is important)."

Sometimes, however, he has to be decisive (or just plain forceful) "on the fly," and that's where repetitions start to pay off. Just like Marvel's Kingpin, he's not afraid to follow his instincts, despite a proclivity for meticulous planning, or work with others for mutual gain.

On a fourth-down stunt ran with outside linebacker Byron Young, Fiske swiped left past the guard and onto the tackle, who seemingly wasn't prepared for the switch. Noticing his preoccupied hands, Fiske quickly tossed the tackle aside and swung down Lawrence to force an incompletion, giving possession back to L.A. in the third quarter.

The chemistry of the entire defensive line has improved this season, allowing them to play with speed and cohesion.

"I think last year we were all just trying to figure out our own game and how we're going to affect games and make differences," Fiske said. "Now, we're playing off each other, now we're having fun, and now we're just all super close, and I think that takes our game to another level just because we're able to elevate together because we enjoy each other's success, but we also want to get our own. I think it's been awesome, man. It's the most fun I've had playing in a long time."

While last year's team leader in sacks hasn't collected one yet in 2025, neither Fiske nor head coach Sean McVay is concerned, because his production is showing up in other ways.

"I don't care what the stats say, that guy balled the other day, and he did a great job of affecting our defense's outstanding performance," McVay said on The Coach McVay Show. "I'll ride with that guy. Those things (sacks) will come, but when you watch that game and you're saying, 'Is 55 making an impact?' … I know that I got a bunch of plays that I'm tagging and that we're tagging as coaches to show what a G 55 is."

Added Shula: "If there was an assists (stat) for sacks, I think he'd lead the league in assists."

Against New Orleans last season, Fiske's one quarterback pressure tied for a season-low. A little under a year later, he will take them on again in Week 9. And this time, he'll be fully rested coming off a bye week, ready to pick up where he left off in London.

Fiske will be going in somewhat blind on Sunday against the Saints' rookie quarterback, Tyler Shough, making his first career start. Ironically, the Kingpin's main Marvel rival is a blind, Catholic superhero called Daredevil. So, the symmetry will be especially evident on Sunday.

"We don't want pretty, we want violence," Carson said, and that statement truly captures the essence of the Kingpin.