The wet, rainy and windy conditions in Baltimore presented a perfect opportunity for a defensive player to shine in Sunday’s Rams–Ravens game. Los Angeles linebacker Nate Landman pounced on the opportunity.
Landman logged 17 total tackles (eight solo) and a quarterback hit in the Rams’ 17-3 victory over the Ravens on Sunday, earning him Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game. The 17 total tackles were the most by a Rams player since 2000.
While Los Angeles was in control in the second half, it appeared that the Rams were going to head into halftime down by a touchdown until Landman and the defense stepped up.
Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Rams LB Nate Landman 🏆 Week 6 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Tom Brady awards Los Angeles Rams linebacker Nate Landman with the LFG Player of the Game after his big performance against the Baltimore Ravens.
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With the Ravens at the Rams’ 1-yard line, Baltimore was stuffed on three consecutive runs in the final minute of the first half as it turned the ball over on downs. Landman recorded a tackle on two of those plays, taking down Mark Andrews as the Ravens tried a tush push with their tight end.
The sequence kept the score at 3-3 going into the break, giving the Rams all the momentum and seeming to demoralize the Ravens.
“What a stop by our guys, really buckling up there,” Landman told Brady. “That’s the pride of the defense right there, how you play goal line, and we rose up to the occasion. Way to set the tone for the rest of the game.”
After the Rams scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half to take a 10-3 lead, Landman was involved in the next game-changing play. On the Ravens’ first play on the ensuing possession, Landman had Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers in his grasp as teammate Cobie Durant punched the ball loose. The Rams recovered the ball and scored shortly after to take a 17-3 lead.
His impressive grasp of Flowers for the key play demonstrated why Landman told Brady his father’s background as a rugby player in Zimbabwe has helped him play linebacker over the years.
“It definitely does,” Landman said of his father’s rugby background. “It was something that we worked on growing up. I played rugby in high school. It was something that he taught me and something that I’ve worked on since being a kid and playing this game for so long.”
Now in his fourth season, Landman looks like an NFL linebacker. He’s also making the Rams look smart after the Falcons allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, too. Landman’s 41 total tackles entering Sunday’s game were tied for 19th in the league, logging 14 total tackles in the Rams’ loss to the 49ers last week.
As Landman’s last name is actually pronounced “land men,” Brady wanted to change the pronunciation based on the linebacker’s playing style. Landman is OK with that.
“It goes back and forth,” Landman said of the pronunciation of his last name. “I don’t mind it. I like ‘The Land Man.’ That’s what they call me around here. So, I love it. I’m rolling with it.”
“You’re The Land Man to us,” Brady replied.
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