WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Mixing up the alignment of defensive linemen isn't necessarily a new development for the Rams' defensive front, nor second-year defensive end Braden Fiske. His alignment varied at times as a rookie.
But as that defensive front continues to learn about ways to create advantageous matchups, Fiske's versatility is helping unlock them.
"I think just with the versatility of being able to play inside-outside, they just kind of like to move me around," Fiske told theRams.com. "It gives everybody different ops everywhere. I mean, usually when you see me bump outside, you see a B.Y. (outside linebacker Byron Young) roaming around the inside, or Jared (Verse) roaming around the inside. We just kind of try to mix and match things, give different looks at offensive line. Give them some different look at. Just trying to change up the looks."
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula trusts his players and is always working to find ways to tailor the scheme to their strengths. In this case, he and defensive line coach/run game coordinator Giff Smith take this approach knowing not only the versatility Fiske offers, but the depth in the defensive line room.
It's also matchup-driven – in the case of Week 1, Los Angeles probably had a few different ideas for creating those based on the Houston having four new starting offensive linemen.
"He's so skilled that he's a versatile guy for us," Shula said Thursday. "And the nice thing with us now, Giff does such a good job of rotating those guys, we have a lot of depth. So a lot of that might be him moving to his best spot, or whether it's the combination of guys that he's in with, where he simply just moves around. Also, Giff does such a great job cross-training all those guys that, just like we were talking about with the corners, where based on the week and the matchups we can play, he can really play anywhere up and down the line."
Defensive end Kobie Turner said Fiske can play the three-, four- and five-techniques along the defensive line, and "he's able to get out on the edge and be a force out there as well," which he said is a credit to both Fiske's versatility and the group being in its second year in this defense. He also echoed how that versatility can allow them to give different presentations where offensive lines can't just zero in on one rusher. Turner said it's a credit to Shula and what pass rush coordinator Drew Wilkins has also brought.
"When you have a guy like this who is, again, quick enough and powerful enough to do it on the inside, on the outside, wherever, that gives you a whole lot of versatility as a play caller, and to be able to have these stunts and stuff come to life as well," Turner told theRams.com.
For Fiske and the Rams' pass rush, Week 2 brings the challenge of finding advantageous matchups to try to affect Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who, despite an underwhelming day statistically, still had lots of promising moments in Tennessee's season-opening road loss to the Denver Broncos last week.
It will be another opportunity to try those presentations out, and for Fiske and the rest of L.A.'s pass rushers to continue learning about those new opportunities to rush off of one another, just like last season.
"It's good for me, I think for all of us as a unit," Fiske said. "Giving each other different looks, I think it definitely gives a different appreciation to each other (of) what it feels like to be in those different spots. Because when I move outside, 'Oh, there's a lot of space out here.' Usually, I'm on the inside, 'Hey, two or three steps, I'm at the guard, right?' And when I'm outside like, 'Oh, there's a little too much to work with!' You gotta change up the flow (of) your game when you move outside. Talking to Verse and B.Y., too, when they move inside, they're like, 'Yo, this is, like, way different!' So it's kind of cool to get that different viewpoint of things on the field."
