Rams-Giants: Matchup breakdown
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/14714/rams-giants-matchup-breakdown
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A look at three individual matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants meet at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald vs. Giants center J.D. Walton
Like most teams, the Giants have probably seen enough of Donald so that this matchup won't take place one-on-one. In fact, most teams are now doing what they can to offer some help up the middle against Donald. But if these two end up isolated, it could be a long day at the office for Walton. At 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, Walton isn't known as much of a mauler, which should help against the lightning quick Donald but it might not matter because Donald packs quite a wallop for a smaller defensive tackle.
Donald has a sack in five consecutive games and is now up to eight on the season. He's also a prime contender for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award. According to Pro Football Focus, Walton has struggled in both pass protection and the run game and has allowed 14 quarterback hurries this season. With Eli Manning at quarterback and not offering much in the way of mobility, Donald could wreak major havoc if the Giants don't find a way to help up the middle.
Rams right guard Davin Joseph vs. Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins
Hankins has quietly emerged as one of the most underrated defensive tackles in the league and certainly the Giants' most unheralded player. In his second season out of Ohio State, the 6-foot-2, 320-pounder has become a force in the middle of New York's defensive line, posting 48 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble.
Joseph, on the other hand, has mostly struggled as the starter and was regularly pushed around (along with center Scott Wells and right tackle Joe Barksdale) by Arizona last week. The Rams can help Joseph, but they also have to be concerned with end Jason Pierre-Paul. That means there could be times where he's up against Hankins one-on-one.
Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins vs. Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
I have written plenty about Beckham this week, but let's be honest here, there might not be a receiver in the game -- let alone a rookie -- playing as well as Beckham is right now. The Rams defense can make a similar claim about their unit as a whole, which means something will have to give. As we've seen on multiple occasions this year, the key to getting at the Rams defense is to hit on some big plays. It made the difference in last week's loss to Arizona with two big plays coming at Jenkins' expense.
Jenkins actually played pretty well against Arizona but he gave up a long completion to Michael Floyd and had a costly pass interference penalty, both of which led directly to Cardinals' field goals. For the Rams to keep the Giants in check, they'll have to find a way to keep Beckham in check. As evidenced by some of his circus catches this year, shutting Beckham down seems nearly impossible but if they can limit the big plays, it would go a long way toward a win. Don't be surprised if the Rams take special care to offer help for Jenkins over the top and it's worth noting that Beckham lines up all over the field so he may get to see some of other corners like E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson, also.
