Defensive inconsistency
Wade Phillips said the Rams have had too many “clunkers” on defense. He’s not wrong about that. They had eight games where they allowed 17 or fewer points per game. There were also five games where they allowed at least 30 points, including three games where their opponent put up at least 44.
To put it simply (and softly), the Rams were inconsistently consistent on defense this year. They have the talent to be one of the most dominant units in the NFL. They shut down the Seahawks, Cardinals, Bears, Falcons, Browns and Saints. But they were also gashed by the Buccaneers, Ravens and Cowboys.
The unit was better once Jalen Ramsey arrived and Troy Hill took over as a starter, but they faltered in two of the most important games of the season against the Cowboys and Ravens in Week 12. (The defense wasn’t completely at fault for Saturday’s loss).