During their Week 14 game against the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Rams lost some momentum after quarterback Jared Goff threw an interception near the end of the first quarter.
Fortunately, the defense has become accustomed to responding in ideal fashion throughout the course of the 2020 NFL season. This time, it came courtesy of an interception by linebacker Kenny Young.
Young picked off a pass from quarterback Cam Newton and returned 79 yards to the house to give the Rams a 17-0 lead. Not only was it the first interception of his career, but it also happened to be the longest pick-six of the season so far.
Young was understandably excited to be able to contribute in spectacular fashion for Los Angeles, via the team’s website:
“It felt amazing. It felt like the first time,” Young said in his postgame video conference. “Honestly, a bunch of emotions running right now, but felt good. Felt pretty good.”
Young added that he is most happy about the way this team has started to click on all cylinders in recent weeks:
“It’s not so much that I had the pick-six, I’m just really very proud of the way we played together, how connected we played for four quarters in all three phases,” Young said. “We came together and showed up. That feels really, really good, when your brothers and you play very, very well.”
Young’s comments are indicative of not only his emergence as a key player in this elite defense but the overall selflessness that has been instilled in the locker room.
It is no secret that the offense has endured its fair share of struggles during the 2020 campaign. Meanwhile, the defense has never fretted about stepping up to the challenge of overcoming their deficiencies in order to remain in first place in the NFC West.
Young’s interception gave the Rams’ defense its third consecutive game with a touchdown as they continue their dominant play down the final stretch of the season. Their success is further evidence of the job defensive coordinator Brandon Staley has done in giving the younger players on the roster an opportunity to thrive in their role.
The Rams have a favorable matchup coming up against the winless New York Jets with a couple of extra days to prepare. Although it would be easy for them to look ahead to their pivotal Week 16 matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks, they must focus on taking care of business one game at a time.
