The Los Angeles Rams got more than expected out of defensive lineman and former second-round draft pick Braden Fiske.
Fiske earned All-Rookie team honors. He finished the season with 44 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and 8.5 sacks. He also had 2 forced fumbles and 2 recoveries. His production earned him a spot on the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team.
Following his strong debut campaign, Fiske’s confidence is as high as ever.
”When you make it that far in the playoffs and you do play the defending Super Bowl champions and play them close, it gives you that confidence booster,” Fiske told CasinoBeats’ DJ Siddiqi in an interview published on March 17. “Maybe just that idea we’re right there — like of course we’re right there. That’s obviously the goal and we’ll see how OTAs go and training camp and then we’ll kick it off Week 1 with whatever we got.
“We’ll see where we start,” Fiske continues to say. “Hopefully we don’t start as slow as we did this past season and we can make a run.”
Fiske reflected fondly on the Rams’ run to the NFC Divisional Playoff.
The Rams shook off a 1-4 start to go on a 9-2 run in games their starters played. They also took the Philadelphia Eagles as close to the brink of elimination. The Rams’ margin of defeat was less than any other opponent on the eventual Super Bowl champion’s run.
Braden Fiske: Rams Playoff Loss a ‘Blessing in Disguise’
GettyBraden Fiske #55 of the Los Angeles Rams in action during the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
To get to the Eagles, the Rams had to take on the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card Playoff. A supposed home game took place in Arizona following wildfires in California.
The Rams used those circumstances to fuel their young squad.
“It was one of those moments where, you know, we just, everything that happened to us, all the adversity, you know, it was all gonna come out in that game and we were gonna take it up and give it to the Vikings,” Fiske told Siddiqi. “We won that game, then after that going to Philly say, ‘Hey, it’s all or nothing here.’ Obviously, Philly is one super great team. They handled the business and I think a lot of people in that stadium thought that game was going to end 29-28, and the Rams were headed back to L.A. for that NFC championship.
“I think it might have been a blessing in disguise for what we’re building on coming up in the next couple seasons.”
Fiske said reaching the Super Bowl is “always the goal,” and is excited about the Rams’ future.
“If the Super Bowl is not the goal for your team, I think you have other issues coming on. But being that close in that game, being as competitive as we were at the end of the season, I think the big expectation is, how do you get better? Not individually, but as a team.
“We have a young nucleus, where can we build up from here? I like what we have surrounding us and we brought some guys in.”
Fiske is looking to take his game to new heights for the Rams next season too.
Braden Fiske Looking to Improve After ‘Disruptive’ Rookie Season
GettyByron Young #0 celebrates with Braden Fiske #55 of the Los Angeles Rams against the Arizona Cardinals.
Sports Illustrated’s Jared Feinberg lauded Fiske’s efforts. He delivered after the Rams traded up with the Carolina Panthers, selecting the lineman No. 39 overall.
The Rams reunited Fiske with college teammate Jared Verse, the team’s first-round pick.
“Fiske was a bowling [ball] for the Rams defensive line, creating havoc for opposing blockers attempting to cut his slants off or looping as a stunt or twisting pass rusher where he racked up 8.5 sacks. One word to describe him is disruptive and the same can be said for his impact against the run with 38 run stops and 44 tackles for the season,” Feinberg wrote in February.
“Aaron Donald might be retired and Fiske is no future Hall of Famer (yet) but his impact on the field has garnered the attention of coaches and players league-wide for how chaotic he can turn things in opposing backfields.”
And Fiske told Siddiqi he is working to be even more of a nuisance for opposing linemen in 2025.
“I want to be better in the run game,” Fiske told Siddiqi for Forbes in another interview from March 17. “The run game wasn’t as good as my pass rush game. I want to balance that out more, I want to be more of a presence on the field and become more of a true three-down guy on the field.
“That will really elevate my game going forward and really put me in a separate category if I can really emphasize that.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rams ‘Bowling Ball’ Sends Clear Message After ‘Blessing in Disguise’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.