LAR’s defense is giving up an average of two yards a play.
With last Sunday’s win over Russell Wilson and his Seahawks, the 6-3 LA Rams leapfrogged Seattle into second place in the competitive NFC West. And–there’s no mistake about it–defense is a big reason why the Rams are where they are.
Over nine games, LAR has allowed just three opponents to score 20 or more points–and two of those teams (Bills and Dolphins) are competing for the AFC East title and playoff spots.
Why is the Rams’ ‘D’ so good?
Let’s start with Aaron Donald, who might be the NFL’s best defensive player. Donald’s physicality is the reason. He has 9.0 sacks so far this year–an incredible outcome for an interior defensive lineman playing in a base 3-4 scheme who’s often double or triple covered. When he’s not teamed-up, a stacked box makes it difficult to collapse the pocket from the inside.
But Donald doesn’t do it by himself. Third-year cornerback Darious Williams has emerged as a Pro-Bowl caliber corner with four picks to his name. And lock-down corner Jalen Ramsey handled the Seahawhawks’ deep threat, DK Metcalf, last week and made things very difficult for Russell Wilson. Facing a frightful pass-rush last Sunday, he threw two picks, was sacked six times, and fumbled.
The bottom line? LAR’s defense is giving up an average of two yards a play this year. That’s elite status!
The challenge in LA is for McVay, Goff, and company to figure out ways to energize the Rams’ offense. If they do, it could be just the ticket for this team to make another Super Bowl run.
