Rams Get Major Boost on Defense as Quentin Lake Officially Active vs. Bills

The Los Angeles Rams are set to have safety Quentin Lake available on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills. Lake didn’t practice on Thursday and Friday and was a limited participant on Saturday before officially being listed as questionable for Monday’s game on the final injury report. However, despite questions about his availability, Lake is active for Monday night's game against the Buffalo Bills.

Lake missed Thursday and Friday’s practice with a hip injury. However, Rams head coach Sean McVay described it as a minor injury. When McVay spoke to the media on Saturday, he seemed optimistic about the possibility of Lake playing.

“I feel like he's turning in the right direction and feels good so that's a positive for us.”

Having Lake available will provide a huge boost for the Rams’ defense. Lake activates a lot of what the Rams want to do defensively because of his versatility. He is the only player on the Rams’ defense who has played 100 percent of the defensive snaps.

“We're just being smart with him,” said McVay this week as Lake missed practice. “He's played so many snaps. We just wanted to be smart.”

Through four weeks, Lake ranked second among safeties in impact plays with 12 according to Sumer Sports and led all safeties with seven pass breakups. He’s allowed 4.2 yards per target in coverage, which ranks 10th.

Heading into Week 4, Lake was the highest-graded safety according to Pro Football Focus with an overall defensive grade of 91.1. His 92.7 coverage grade was also the highest among all safeties.

Lake's versatility is what makes him such a valuable piece in the Rams’ defense. Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula calls a lot of multiple-safety looks and Lake allows them to do that. According to PFF, Lake has 67 snaps in the box, along with 71 snaps at free safety and 41 snaps in the slot. His versatility allows Shula to get Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, and Lake all on the field at the same time.

The Rams will certainly appreciate having Lake in the secondary as they prepare to face one of the NFL's best quarterbacks in Josh Allen. Also expected back on Monday night is cornerback Jaylen Watson, who missed last week’s game with a dislocated shoulder.

While Lake is active, the Rams have listed CJ Daniels, tight end Max Klare, offensive lineman Bill Murray, and defensive lineman Larrell Murchison as inactive. Additionally, quarterback Ty Simpson is inactive, but will be the emergency third quarterback.

The Rams will need their defense at its best to slow down Allen and the Bills on Monday night. Having Lake available gives Shula more flexibility with his personnel and allows the Rams to deploy the multiple-safety looks that have been an important part of their defensive success this season.

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