At halftime against the Lions last week, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and defensive line coach Giff Smith gave the Rams' front the "green light" to play the pass more aggressively after they'd bottled up the run in the first half.
"They said if anything looks like pass, feels like it, go and take your shot," recalled defensive end Kobie Turner. And so he did.
On a third-quarter first down, Turner took a quick step to his left to gain leverage on left guard Trystan Colon. Then, feeling the blocker's passive drop, he shifted to his right and muscled his way into the backfield with strong hands. Turner went flying into quarterback Jared Goff just as he released a downfield shot. After landing the hit a split-second to late for the sack, Turner stood right back up to watch the ball hit the turf, readying himself for the ensuing assault.
On the very next play, Turner lined up with inside leverage, this time "knowing that it was pass," he said. Instead of taking that extra step, he exploded forward at the snap, feinted to his right and then clubbed Colon with his left hand to win inside and take down Goff for a sack that lost Detroit 12 yards.
"Once you see it and once you take it, you know," Turner said. "Like, if the guard just kind of tries to throw you by, you're like, okay, it's run. But he's staying with me, so then it's a race to the quarterback."
That's a race that Turner has won a lot in recent weeks.
Over the first 10 games, Turner's relentless motor and mental acuity made him plenty productive in terms of pressuring the quarterback and assisting his teammates' sacks, but he only had 1.5 of his own. But over the last four weeks, his four sacks lead all interior rushers, and that ability is one that the Rams have valued in Turner since his rookie season.
Since Week 12, Turner ranks first among interior defensive linemen in sacks, is tied for seventh in pressures (12) and is tied for fourth in stops (14), defined as tackles that result in unsuccessful plays for the offense, according to Next Gen Stats. His musical background made "The Conductor" his nickname, but others around the Rams' facility have dubbed him "The Finisher" because of his ability to rack up sacks.
"He just closes. He's 'The Finisher,'" Shula said. "And we've kind of said that from his rookie year and (it's) why he's had the numbers that he's had. He's always been able to work edges. It's like one of those guys, we said it all the time, he just doesn't have a lot of bad plays. Just very few bad plays, he's consistent, every single time you better account for him, and if you're not on it, if you settle up a little bit, then he's gonna beat you and if he gets a chance he's gonna finish."
On those two pressures against Detroit, Turner said he used some of the moves that were taught to him by Krav Maga instructor and defensive line coach Al "Poodie" Carson, who's worked with Turner and the rest of the Rams' defensive line over the past two years. Hand placement and counters are especially prevalent in the Israeli martial art, and he often uses movements inspired by that fighting style.
He doesn't throw those moves without forethought, though. Turner's meticulous film study prepares him to leverage the weaknesses or tendencies of his opponents for personal gain. And while that often gets Turner into the backfield, he's always been an elite finisher, ending each of his two full NFL seasons in the top 10 for sacks among interior rushers with 9.0 and 8.0, respectively.
"He's a closer," said head coach Sean McVay. "When he gets close, I think he's got great burst to be able to finish. He's obviously strong to be able to come up with a body part and figure out how to get guys down, but that's been consistent from him since his rookie year."
Turner had zero offers out of high school, walked on to the team at Richmond and then transferred to Wake Forest, succeeding at every step of the way despite being labeled as undersized and unrefined as a prospect. What set him apart was his stamina, something he still prizes and is part of his identity as a football player.
"If I'm not playing with a motor, then that's not me out there," Turner said. "I played defense my whole life, but I wasn't so sure of the techniques. One thing that I was sure of was nobody was going to play harder than me. And that's been the way that I've been able to have success. And so I can't stop that now. That's so deeply embedded into who I am."
That effort doesn't only drive Turner's impact, but also his confidence. Against the Buccaneers in Week 12, quarterback Baker Mayfield scrambled to his right early in the first quarter. Turner stalked him all the way to the sideline and spun him down for a short gain.
"I remember saying to myself, like, 'I'm back. This is me,'" Turner said. "Being able to make impact plays where I'm chasing somebody down all the way across the field, so yeah, that's never going to stop. If that lets up, then that's not who I am, and I don't know how much longer I'll be playing if I'm not playing full out."
Since that moment, Turner has been one of the most productive interior defensive linemen in the NFL. And on Thursday, the Rams will need him to continue that success against one of the stingiest offensive lines in football. The Seahawks allow the fourth-lowest pressure rate in the NFL at 28%, according to Next Gen Stats, but the Los Angeles front got to quarterback Sam Darnold a good bit in Week 11.
Turner's detailed preparation and tenacity on the gridiron will be especially useful on a short week of rest against a talented opponent.
"In these (short) weeks, I really feel like we have an advantage because we're made of the right stuff," Turner said. "I'm sure there's other teams that are made of some good stuff too, but we're built the right way and I hope we show it."
