For 2 1/2 quarters on Saturday, John Curtis (LA) didn't just challenge fourth-ranked Grayson (GA). The Patriots actually controlled the game.

Louisiana's No. 1 team was the aggressor in the trenches against a bigger, stronger, faster opponent, blowing up the Rams' running game and creating balance in its own offensive attack. Curtis' veer limited what Grayson could do defensively, and -- like novocaine, as the Denzel Washington version of Herman Boone once said -- it was beginning to work.

The Rams were missing assignments and beginning to show signs of frustration. Head coach Christian Hunnicutt's bunch was in trouble.

And then, suddenly and emphatically, they weren't.

Quarterback DJ Irons and the Grayson offense got the ball back following what would be John Curtis' only touchdown of the game with 18:59 to play, and it seemed as if someone, somewhere flipped a switch.

For the next nearly-19 minutes, the Rams dominated to close out a 22-9 win.

1st Down -- By Inches

It all started with what looked, at first glance, like a third-down stop by Curtis midway through the third quarter. But it wasn't.



Rams running back Ronald Thompkins needed a yard. He got a yard and an inch. And we didn't know it yet, but the game began to change the moment the first-down marker landed just behind the nose of the football. If the Patriots get off the field on this play, they're the ones hunting the knockout blow against a tired, increasingly frustrated defense.

Instead, the drive continued.

The Dam Breaks

One play later, Thompkins hits the big play that had eluded Grayson all afternoon off of a seemingly innocuous swing pass from Irons.



Thompkins goes in motion behind the quarterback, which doesn't seem like a big deal -- but it creates just enough coverage confusion for John Curtis. When the back goes in motion, it flips the strong side and, most importantly, it changes the coverage responsibility.

Because Thompkins never resets, everything changes very quickly for the Patriots' linebackers, and the play-side inside linebacker -- likely still processing the adjustment -- hesitates. That moment of pause is worth 10 feet to Thompkins, who has just enough space to squeeze past his wide receiver's block on the cornerback. Once he's clear, it's off to the races.

Irons Begins To Carry The Load

Grayson made a crucial adjustment in its running game -- the butterfly effect of which proved to be the difference down the stretch.



When the Rams went without a running back, John Curtis left only one linebacker in the box -- and really only five in the box total. Because Irons is adept as a ball carrier, this created a mathematical conundrum for the Patriots, who had only five inside against six blockers.

Run It Again

With Irons as the primary ball carrier, Grayson continued to play the numbers game in the box.



On the third of three straight Irons runs, the Rams tied the game.

Defense Gets Back to Dominating

On both John Curtis scoring drives, Grayson defenders were guilty of getting greedy and disregarding their designated assignments. Defending the veer can be torture on players because they can't pursue the ball and are instead required to remain committed to their fit and/or player responsibility on a given play.



It's a unique challenge and one that Grayson was, in large part, up for Saturday. Once the green and gold snowball began rolling downhill in the second half, the defense took over.

Offensive Line Takes Over

Irons hit a few big plays in the passing game, but the bulk of Grayson's second-half success was a result of its ability to consistently move the ball on the ground.



The left side of the line crushes John Curtis on this fourth-quarter play -- and Kevin Murphy drives his man halfway to the locker room. There's one player for running back Jonathan Halyard to beat on his way into the secondary and he does just that.

If It Ain't Broke…

On Grayson's next trip inside the 10, the Rams went to exactly what got them in the end zone at the opposite end: three straight runs for Irons -- all from this two-back heavy shotgun look.



By now, John Curtis is pouring defenders into the box -- and rightfully so. However, the massive Grayson offensive line is winning more times than not. The two "backs" in this formation are actually defensive tackles Tru Thompson and Caelan Johnson, and DJ Irons has the athleticism to make tackles miss and get through the traffic.

Defense Winning Everywhere

There's not a Rams defender on the field who didn't win his individual matchup on this play.



Increasingly, this became the norm in the fourth quarter.

Winborne Spoils Fake Punt

John Curtis seemed to get exactly what it wanted as it set up a fake punt with 6:30 left to play. The Patriots rushed onto the field, making it difficult for the play-side cornerback, Jaylen Haynes, to get across to the gunner he's responsible for covering. Of course, that's by design because Curtis isn't just trying to provide him with a free release. Instead, the Patriots are trying to hide him one step from the sideline to receive a pass uncovered.

At the last instant, Haynes recognizes the trick and bolts for the sideline. He's late, but he's close enough -- and fast enough -- to discourage the throw. Still, with Haynes being run off, and just four yards needed for the first down, it appears for a moment that the chaos has created an easy path to the marker.



Unfortunately for the Patriots, the Rams' Herbert Winborne is clued in all the way and his speed in getting to the ball carrier is unbelievable. The punter is dropped two full yards short of the line to gain on a play that looked, for a moment, as though it would be an easy first down on a perfectly executed fake.

Game Over

Grayson's success -- and commitment -- on the ground, eventually forced Curtis to bring additional bodies into the box. Which, ultimately, culminated in this:



Seven defenders in the box against a one-back set means a single-high safety and man coverage underneath. With an H-back and two receivers set to the left of the formation, the lone safety can't afford to lean towards the single receiver side -- leaving the cornerback isolated.

The play action sucks up the play side linebacker and Stribling need only make one man miss in order to walk in for the game-clinching touchdown.

Grayson didn't flip some magic switch on Saturday. The Rams simply wore down the Patriots in the trenches and made the plays that needed to be made.

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