Suh Makes Rams Serious Super Bowl 53 Contenders
- Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald now headline a scary Rams defensive front
- How has the addition of Suh changed the Rams’ odds to win Super Bowl 53?
- How many sacks will the 31-year-old pile up in LA?
And here I was thinking Hollywood was actually making a movie out of the classic video game Rampage. Little did we know, LA was just teasing the destruction the Rams’ defensive line is going to be capable of in 2018, with the addition of three-time First-Team All-Pro Ndamukong Suh to play alongside 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.
Joking aside, that’s a downright petrifying front. You can bet Russell Wilson will be studying up his cheat codes from the classic arcade game, while watching Dwayne Johnson’s every move in the film adaptation this summer. That is, if he hasn’t already informed the Seahawks he’ll be playing baseball for the New York Yankees this fall.
And don’t even get me started on the level of fear Sam Bradford is feeling right now.
Suh’s one-year deal with the Rams is worth a reported $14 million.
Former Dolphins’ DT Ndamukong Suh reached agreement with Los Angeles Rams on a one-year, $14 million deal, per source. Suh took less to go to LA.
Suh and Aaron Donald now manning LA’s front.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2018
The Rams were not the highest bidders for the 31-year-old, but won him over with the pitch that he would no longer have to face a double-team on each snap, thanks to the presence of Donald and even Michael Brockers (83.1 grading in 2017 on PFF).
Suh joins Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib as major offseason additions for the reigning NFC West champions. Peters has more interceptions than any other player since entering the league in 2015 (21), while Talib has made five straight Pro Bowl appearances. The trio make it easy to forget about the losses of Alec Ogletree, Robert Quinn, and Trumaine Johnson on the defensive side.
Adding Suh, who was PFF’s second-best run defender among defensive linemen last season (92.4 vs run), could quickly turn their run defense into one of their strengths in 2018.
LA’s one flaw last season was their inability to stop the run, allowing 4.7 YPC (30th). Adding Suh, who was PFF’s second-best run defender among defensive linemen last season (92.4 vs run), could quickly turn their run defense into one of their strengths in 2018.
Betting sites must feel the same way, as the Rams’ average odds to win Super Bowl 53 continue getting shorter. After opening at an average of +1700, and moving to +1900 on February 22nd, the Rams are down to +1400 – the fourth-shortest among NFC teams.
Their most dramatic movement was seen in one sportsbook where Sean McVay’s squad is +1000 to win Super Bowl 53, shortening from +1400 12 days ago.
If Suh can help the Rams’ 19th-ranked total defense become a dominant force, LA will have all the makings of a Super Bowl champion.
Here’s what we’re expecting from the former Dolphin in 2018:
| Prop | Total/Odds |
|---|---|
| Over/Under sacks for Suh in 2018 | 6.5 |
| Odds Suh makes the Pro Bowl in 2018 | 5/3 |
| Odds Suh is named a First-Team All-Pro in 2018 | 5/1 |
| Over/Under rushing yards per game allowed by the Rams in 2018 | 100.5 |
| Over/Under points per game allowed by the Rams in 2018 | 19.5 |
| Odds Suh re-signs with the Rams in 2019 | 13/7 |
After working in TV, Matt turned his focus towards numbers, specifically odds. He has been with us since 2016 and serves as SBD's Editor-in-Chief, credited with creating our futures trackers, SBD's score predictor, SBD Sharp, and his own model for calculating NFL SOS, among other products.
