The Rams went from having the NFL’s worst defense to ranking 2nd since Week 7
Chris Shula had his work cut out for him when he was promoted to defensive coordinator after the Los Angeles Rams lost Raheem Morris to the Atlanta Falcons. He inherited a young defense that had some glaring holes, with Aaron Donald being the most notable loss on that side of the ball.
It took a little while but Shula has hit his stride calling plays in Los Angeles. After a brutal start to the year, the Rams have been one of the best defensive teams in the NFL the last three weeks.
The numbers are there to back it up, too.
In the first five weeks of the season, the Rams ranked last in the NFL in EPA/play allowed (0.165). They were terrible against the pass, giving up big plays and committing way too many penalties, and they couldn’t stop anyone on the ground. The pass rush was generating a decent amount of pressure but it didn’t have the sacks to go with it.
Then the Week 6 bye hit, a break that came at the perfect time.
Since Week 7, only one team in the league ranks higher than the Rams in EPA/play allowed (-0.183): the Eagles at -0.204. That’s a remarkable turnaround, one that Shula deserves a lot of credit for, but his players do, too.
Jared Verse has become a complete game-wrecker on the edge, recording 19 total pressures in the last three games alone; he had 20 in the first five games combined. Braden Fiske is coming off the best game of his career, recording two sacks and five pressures in the Rams’ win over the Seahawks.
Not only is the defense shutting opponents down, but it’s putting up points of its own. The Rams have scored points on defense in each of their last four games: a pick-six against the Packers, a fumble return for a touchdown against the Raiders, a safety against the Vikings and a pick-six against the Seahawks.
It’s not as if the Rams have played bottom-tier offenses, either. Sure, the Raiders have been a mess, but the Vikings and Seahawks both rank in the top 15 in points per game and yards per play.
The Rams will be tested once again against the Dolphins, who boast an explosive and dangerous offense with Tua Tagovailoa back in the mix. But with a pass rush that’s red hot and a secondary that’s creating turnovers, Shula’s group has the talent to slow down Miami’s high-powered attack.
