OFFICIAL 2025 Rams Defense Thread

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OldSchool said:
And after the 1st TD in the 4th the offense had what 4 3 and outs then a drive with the missed FG? They went from moving up and down the field to not being able to run out the clock to do their part. I get the frustration at losing when we scored 30 pts in regulation. But you have to be able to close things out and it's a common theme with McVay's offenses not doing that. Also the defense gave up less than the Offense scored with that ST TD.
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I get what you're saying... but, when looking at the Seattle game I think a few things..

What kind of scoring could I expect out of our offense on the road against that defense, especially after the first meeting?
By my count.. the offense generated about 30 points.. and the defense generated about 7. Unfortunately... kicker missed a FG that, in this day and age, needs to be a make.. and the refs stole 4 points on that stupid call at the goal line.

What kind of performance could I expect out of our defense? Yes, they generated 4 ints against this team last time.. but Seattle massively outgained the Rams in the last game. The defense gave up 23 points, on the road, to a team that averages 29.5 points a game.

Special Teams merely needed to hold their own. Didn't need to create a big advantage for the offense or defense... but couldn't do that at the most critical time.

I've grown to view games in this way because I think that it allows you to focus on what the areas of failure and success are more clearly.. and.. clearly... Special Teams *underperformed*, while it's easy to argue the offense and defense *overperformed.

And, I think it's pretty clear now.... McVay feels the same way.
 
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Yeah Lake was a big loss. But I think our secondary looks fine when the rush is getting home generally speaking. They're built that way. Rams knew they'd need dominance up front on defense to win it. So clearly they believe they're going to get that dominance. We'll see how it goes.

One thing's for sure... Not gonna bet against them. As insecure as I am about that corner room it would not surprise me to see them get on a run of form behind an improved rush down the playoff stretch. In fact I expect that.
 
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jjab360 said:
We need him back. Bad. I'm not even sure it's about Lake's individual talents but moreso the cohesion his versatility gives us in the backfield.
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Agree. I would add it’s more than just basic coverage too. Even the blitz packages don’t seem to be getting home as often. Whether it’s Lake himself wrecking the play in the backfield, or his coverage allowing a blitzer to be more effective…Lake’s absence has “earned him a lotta $$.”

Drafting a CB with above average man to man skills is essential, IMO, along with re-signing Lake.
 
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Lake is a big part of making up for some of our DB's inefficiencies. But Shula lately seems to get away from what works when the Rams have a 10 point lead or more. The Rams already play a bend but don't break scheme most of the time. But when the Rams get a lead the defense goes into a "bend over backwards but don't break defense mode" and the offense joins the parade with the "play not to lose" mentality. It's a combination of both things IMO.
 
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The CBs can help....but man, at times you're still going to get had. Before the Seahawks DBs started dropping with injuries, we torched them Thursday, without Davante. Its because they got such little pressure on us the entire game.

What use are good CBs (which by ALL accounts, Seattle has, to go with a budding young superstar safety and a pro bowl safety) when your pass rush is ineffective?

I wouldn't be mad at a CB upgrade, but we've invested these resources into our DL, and at this point it feels like Young has hit a wall and Verse and Fiske took a step back this year. Their young, maybe will improve along with Josiah - but if Matt comes back next year, I'd like to see if we can make a splash upgrade at edge too
 
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FrantikRam said:
The CBs can help....but man, at times you're still going to get had. Before the Seahawks DBs started dropping with injuries, we torched them Thursday, without Davante. Its because they got such little pressure on us the entire game.

What use are good CBs (which by ALL accounts, Seattle has, to go with a budding young superstar safety and a pro bowl safety) when your pass rush is ineffective?

I wouldn't be mad at a CB upgrade, but we've invested these resources into our DL, and at this point it feels like Young has hit a wall and Verse and Fiske took a step back this year. Their young, maybe will improve along with Josiah - but if Matt comes back next year, I'd like to see if we can make a splash upgrade at edge too
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If we actually use the two first round picks instead of trading them, I'd like to see BPA. Remember when Aaron Donald was a luxury? Or Todd Gurley? I will say if that is a d-lineman, I hope he happens to be on the interior - someone that can get pressure up front but also be a big body to clog things up stop the run. We are way too reliant on Poona Ford to defend running games. Another Michael Brocks type of 1st round pick would be useful!
 
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Here's the current points against list. Rams are solidly in the top ten. Not a rare elite defense as the early sample size suggested. But a sound unit with a real strength on the front end who needs to play to that strength. Or else.

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FrantikRam said:
The CBs can help....but man, at times you're still going to get had. Before the Seahawks DBs started dropping with injuries, we torched them Thursday, without Davante. Its because they got such little pressure on us the entire game.

What use are good CBs (which by ALL accounts, Seattle has, to go with a budding young superstar safety and a pro bowl safety) when your pass rush is ineffective?

I wouldn't be mad at a CB upgrade, but we've invested these resources into our DL, and at this point it feels like Young has hit a wall and Verse and Fiske took a step back this year. Their young, maybe will improve along with Josiah - but if Matt comes back next year, I'd like to see if we can make a splash upgrade at edge too
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Who are you pushing out amongst Verse, Young, and Stewart with your splash play at edge?
 
I agree they have to keep the ball and run some clock. The problem is they will always use the run to do it. When a good D knows they are going to run in that situation, the Rams get stopped 9 out of 10 times. They have got to pass more often in those situations. A 1st or 2nd down play action once in a while seems like a good idea. Stop waiting till 3rd down to pass. For some reason the Rams 3rd and long is mediocre.
 
Merlin said:
Here's the current points against list. Rams are solidly in the top ten. Not a rare elite defense as the early sample size suggested. But a sound unit with a real strength on the front end who needs to play to that strength. Or else.

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That sounds about right. I'm not sure anyone expected them to be top 6.

It is interesting that we've been steadily sliding back from the #1 scoring defense from when Lake was healthy.
 
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DzRams said:
Who are you pushing out amongst Verse, Young, and Stewart with your splash play at edge?
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I someone could beat any of those guys out, wouldn't be a major upgrade? Sure would push them to be better instead of stagnant. Also depth is important.
 
DzRams said:
That sounds about right. I'm not sure anyone expected them to be top 6.

It is interesting that we've been steadily sliding back from the #1 scoring defense from when Lake was healthy.
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I think we could use another ILB next year that can improve pass coverage across the middle.
 
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majrleaged said:
I someone could beat any of those guys out, wouldn't be a major upgrade? Sure would push them to be better instead of stagnant. Also depth is important.
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It would be more of a marginal upgrade than a major one. Upgrading a weakness gives you a much higher overall level of improvement than upgrading a strength.
 
DzRams said:
It would be more of a marginal upgrade than a major one. Upgrading a weakness gives you a much higher overall level of improvement than upgrading a strength.
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Does it?
If you create an area of true dominance that shields that weakness downstream?
 
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