Tag: Rams defense

Rams on pace to have one of the best 2nd-half defenses in NFL history

The Rams are allowing just 4.0 second-half points per game, which would be 2nd-best in NFL history for a 16-game season.

To find the last time the Rams defense gave up a second-half touchdown, you’d have to go all the way back to Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills. The Bears scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter in Week 7, but that was on a Robert Woods fumble, which was returned for six.

By every single measure, the Rams defense has been the best in the league and is a big reason the team is 6-3. Brandon Staley’s halftime adjustments have been remarkably impressive, making the necessary changes to get the defense on track in the final 30 minutes.

Through nine games so far, the Rams have allowed just 36 points. That’s 34 points fewer than the next-closest team (Washington) and 131 points better than the worst second-half defense in the league, the Bills.

The defense has allowed only two second-half touchdowns – both against the Bills – and five field goals. Here’s how many points the defense has allowed in each of the last six games.

  • Week 4: 3 points
  • Week 5: 0 points
  • Week 6: 3 points
  • Week 7: 0 points (Bears defense scored a TD)
  • Week 8: 0 points
  • Week 9: 3 points

Unsurprisingly, the Rams rank among the best second-half defenses in NFL history through nine games. Only three teams since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger have allowed fewer than the Rams’ 36 points in the second half through nine games: The 1977 Broncos (30 points), the 1990 Dolphins (33 points) and the 1977 Falcons (34 points).

The Rams are tied for the fourth-fewest second-half points allowed through nine games, right there with the 1970, 1971 and 1973 Vikings. Only one other team since 2000 has allowed fewer than 40 points in the second half after nine games, which was the 2000 Steelers.

The fewest second-half points allowed in a 16-game season was the 1996 Panthers, who allowed just 56 points in the second half. At the Rams’ current rate of allowing only 4.0 second-half points per game, they’re on pace to allow just 64 second-half points this season. That would be the second-fewest total ever in a 16-game season, ahead of the historic 1985 Bears team that allowed 71 points in the second half of their games during a 15-1 season.

It’ll be difficult for the Rams to keep up their current pace of allowing 4.0 second-half points per game, especially given the level of competition they’ll face down the stretch against the Bucs, Cardinals and Seahawks. But even if they average seven points per game in their final seven weeks, that’ll put them at 85 second-half points allowed this year. That would be the ninth-best ever for a 16-game season, which is still impressive.

Barring a collapse in the final seven weeks, the Rams’ second-half defense is destined to finish as one of the best ever.

Rams pass rush is at its best on third down

Los Angeles ranks third in third-down pressure rate this season.

The Rams defense took a hit when Dante Fowler Jr. opted to leave for Atlanta in free agency, signing a contract with the Falcons. He was the team’s best edge rusher in 2019 and a key part of the front seven.

The pass rush hasn’t been great through eight weeks, but it has come alive recently, led by Aaron Donald and his nine sacks. It’s taken a host of players to pressure the quarterback, including Leonard Floyd, Justin Hollins, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Michael Brockers.

While it might not be one of the best units in the league, the Rams pressure the quarterback on third down more than just about every other team. They rank third in third-down pressure rate (40.8%), behind only the Steelers and Buccaneers.

Sacks and pressure on third down are drive-enders, which helps the defense get off the field and limit points on the scoreboard. It’s a big reason the Rams have the third-best third-down defense in the NFL and rank first in yards and points per drive.

If Los Angeles can generate pressure at a higher rate on first and second down, this defense will rise to new heights.

Rams’ NFL-best 2nd-half defense stepped up again vs. 49ers

The Rams made great defensive adjustments at halftime, but it was too little, too late.

It’s been a tale of two halves for the Rams defense this season. They’ve allowed 88 points in the first half this season, which is ninth-most in the NFL. After halftime, however, there’s been no better defense in football.

The Rams have given up just 26 second-half points in six games this season, which is 13 fewer than the next-closest team, the Steelers; Pittsburgh has only played five games, too. Their average of 4.3 second-half points allowed per game is three points better than the second-best team, and in their last three games, they’ve given up just six total points in the final 30 minutes.

As poorly as the Rams played in the first half against the 49ers on Sunday night, the defense once again stepped up after halftime adjustments were made. They gave up only three points to San Francisco, allowing the 49ers to gain just 99 yards in the final two quarters.

The offense had every opportunity to win this game in the second half, but there were simply too many mistakes made down the stretch. This isn’t to excuse the defense from blame – San Francisco moves the ball much too easily in the first half with 291 yards and 21 points scored – but it kept the Rams in the game after it seemed like the 49ers would run away with it.

It’s great to see Brandon Staley and Sean McVay making second-half adjustments, but the Rams can’t keep relying on the defense to dominate after halftime each week. It cost them against the Bills in Week 3 and again on Sunday night, with both Buffalo and San Francisco scoring 21 points in the first half.

It’s unreasonable to expect the Rams to allow 4.3 points per game in the first half like they are in the second. However, they do need to play better in the first half if they want to compete with the best teams in the league.

If the Seahawks, Buccaneers and Cardinals jump out to big leads against the Rams later in the season, second-half adjustments will only do so much. Slowing those offenses down in the second half will be much tougher than doing so against the Giants, Washington and 49ers.

Rams defense ranked 4th in NFL by PFF through Week 5

Pro Football Focus had some high praise for the Rams’ defense.

When you have Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey on the same defense, good things are going to happen. And through five weeks, good things have been happening to the Rams defense in 2020.

Obviously, there are nine other players on the field with them, but having a unit built around two All-Pros at premier positions gives the Rams a lot of flexibility and potential defensively. After five games, the Rams rank third in points allowed, fourth in yards, second in passing yards, and second in touchdown passes given up.

By just about every metric, the Rams boast an elite defense and Pro Football Focus has taken notice. PFF’s Anthony Treash ranked every NFL defense based on expected points added (EPA), which measures a play’s impact on the score of the game.

With no opinion factored in, this is a statistical ranking of every defense. And on the list, the Rams checked in at No. 4.

Donald has been in his same dominant form in 2020 by generating 33 pressures in his five games (eight more than any player at the position) and winning on 26% of his pass-rush reps (4 percentage points higher than second). Simply put, Donald is still a game-wrecker, and when you pair that with a strong secondary like they have, it makes life difficult for the opposition’s passing attack. The Rams have allowed -0.15 EPA per pass play, which is significantly higher than second at -0.09 and the league average at 0.12. The play of outside corners Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams has played a big role in that, as they are one of two tandems that rank in the top-15 at the alignment in coverage grade.

The stars of the defense thus far have been Donald, Ramsey and Williams, as PFF mentioned. But they’re not the only ones playing well this season. Jordan Fuller has been a stud when healthy despite being a sixth-round rookie. John Johnson has picked up right where he left off before getting hurt last year, while Michael Brockers continues to be a good run defender.

Where the Rams need to improve is at inside linebacker and outside linebacker. Micah Kiser showed flashes of being a good starter by winning Defensive Player of the Week in Week 2, but Leonard Floyd, Samson Ebukam and the other linebackers have to make more of an impact than they have.

Rams’ pass rush remains a question mark on an otherwise stout defense

The Rams’ pressure rate of 15.7% ranks seventh-worst in the NFL through two weeks.

The early returns on the Rams’ new-look defense have been extremely encouraging through two weeks. After allowing just 17 points to a high-powered Cowboys offense in Week 1, the Rams came right back and limited the Eagles to just 19 points – seven of which came after a Cooper Kupp fumble inside the Rams’ 15-yard line.

What’s even more impressive is the fact that the defense has played up to such a high level despite getting almost nothing from its pass rush.

When Dante Fowler Jr. left in free agency, it was expected that the pass rush would take a hit. He was the team’s most consistent edge rusher, providing a nice complementary piece to Aaron Donald on the interior. But through two weeks, the pass rush has generated minimal pressure, ranking among the worst teams in the league in that department.

For starters, they’ve only sacked the quarterback three times – one each by Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and Leonard Floyd. All of those sacks came in Week 1, too. That’s the 10th-fewest sacks in the NFL, and eight fewer than the league-leading Washington Football Team has.

According to Pro Football Reference, Los Angeles has only recorded 14 pressures on the quarterback, which puts them 11th from the bottom of the NFL. Donald has accounted for six of those pressures, with cornerback Troy Hill and inside linebacker Kenny Young recording one each.

No player besides Donald has recorded more than two pressures up to this point, which is highly concerning. Brockers and Leonard Floyd have two pressures each, Sebastian Joseph-Day has one pressure, as does Morgan Fox.

But that’s it.

You’ll notice that Samson Ebukam and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo are both missing from that list, as they have yet to record a single pressure on the quarterback through two weeks – at least according to PFR. That’s not to say they haven’t had encouraging reps, but their rushes haven’t actually pressured the quarterback to throw the ball early.

The Rams’ pressure rate of 15.7% is seventh-worst in the NFL, with their hurry rate of 4.5% being fifth-worst. Put simply, the pass rush has not been good enough, and Donald is getting very little help from his friends.

No Rams defender ranks in the top 10 of their position’s Pass Rush Win Rate metric from ESPN, Donald included. As a team, the Rams’ Pass Rush Win Rate of 32% is 30th in the NFL, less than half the rate of the league-leading Bills (66%).

And it’s not related to the pass rush, but the Rams’ Run Stop Win Rate of 26% puts them 31st, so the defensive line and front-seven as a whole has not been getting off its blocks to stop the run, either.

Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott don’t hold the ball as long as some other quarterbacks, but it’s not as if they’re getting rid of the ball immediately after the ball is snapped. Wentz has the 11th-lowest time to throw in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats, while Prescott ranks 18th in the league.

Fortunately, Josh Allen holds the ball longer than most quarterbacks so he could give the pass rush more time to get home on Sunday – he has the sixth-longest time to throw average this season – but the Rams will have a hard time remaining near the top of the league in total defense without getting more out of the pass rush.

Right now, it’s one of the only things holding back Brandon Staley’s defense, which has otherwise been highly impressive through two weeks. It’s early, but this unit must improve soon.

Rams’ revamped defense wasn’t perfect, but the potential is undeniable

The Rams completely retooled their defense in the last 12 months, and the early returns are promising.

Dante Fowler Jr., Cory Littleton, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, Eric Weddle, Clay Matthews.

All seven of those players were either starters or key players in Week 1 last year for the Rams, but none of them remain on L.A.’s roster in 2020. That was both by design and out of the Rams’ control, with some players being cut or traded and others departing in free agency.

Compared to last year’s Week 1 lineup, the Rams had seven new starters on defense against the Cowboys on Sunday night. It’s not often a defense undergoes that many changes in 12 months, but the Rams felt it was necessary to retool a unit that underperformed last season. The personnel changes were joined by the arrival of Brandon Staley as defensive coordinator, replacing the great Wade Phillips.

And although the early returns aren’t perfect, they certainly were promising.

The Rams held the Cowboys to only 17 points in their 20-17 victory at SoFi Stadium, which is a feat in and of itself. There were some numbers that didn’t prove as flattering – like the 24 first downs they surrendered, and the 380 total yards Dallas put up – but overall, it was a highly encouraging start for a completely retooled defense.

We all know about Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald, but Jordan Fuller stepped up in a huge way as a sixth-round rookie. He played 98% of the defensive snaps, none bigger than the one where he stopped CeeDee Lamb short of the first-down marker on a fourth-down attempt in the final quarter.

Troy Hill was tested seemingly less than Ramsey was, which is a testament to his coverage skills – and he was covering the slot for much of the game, too. Darious Williams got beat a few times, but he largely held his own outside, too.

The defensive line recorded two sacks – one by Donald and another by Michael Brockers – while Sebastian Joseph-Day did his job of clogging running lanes in the middle and hitting Dak Prescott once.

Donald, as its often said, simply could not be blocked.

Donald’s Dominance: Act 2.

At inside linebacker, there were understandably some questions. Micah Kiser played just about every snap, if not all 69, with Kenny Young mixed in as ILB2. There were some early struggles by the linebackers and plenty of missed tackles by the defense as a whole, but when they settled in, things definitely improved.

Where some questions remain is at outside linebacker. Yes, Leonard Floyd had one sack, but he was going up against an undrafted rookie at right tackle all game long – a matchup that greatly favored the veteran. That sack was his only hit on Prescott, which felt a little disappointing. And he was the only edge rusher period to hit the quarterback.

Samson Ebukam had four tackles, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo had one and Jachai Polite had a decent rush on the Cowboys’ final drive, but with an undrafted rookie manning the right side of the Cowboys’ line, the Rams should’ve had more than just one QB hit from their strongside rushers.

Minor issues aside, the Staley’s group couldn’t have played much better against an offense as explosive as Dallas’. Yes, there were too many missed tackles and not enough pressure on Prescott from people not named Aaron Donald, but the potential is easy to see.

If the coverage holds up and Donald gets some help, this group has a chance to finish as a top-10 defense like Floyd said they could.

Rams defense ranked in top 10 of NFL by Touchdown Wire

Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey hope to carry the Rams defense in 2020.

When you have two superstars in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, it’s hard to rank low on the spectrum of NFL defenses. That’s exactly what’s keeping the Rams defense above average because there are other positions on that side of that ball with questions still to answer and voids to fill after an offseason of departures.

But, with a pass rusher like Donald and a lockdown corner like Ramsey, the Rams are in good shape. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire still has reservations about the Rams’ pass rush, safety depth and cornerback group behind Ramsey, but he sees Los Angeles as one of the best defenses in the NFL.

He ranked every defense in the league and put the Rams surprisingly high, slotting them in at No. 8. Here’s what he wrote about the unit led by Donald and Ramsey.

Now, things get interesting. With Wade Phillips replaced by Brandon Staley, it’s up to the first-time NFL defensive coordinator to replace a living legend, and Staley will have limited resources to work with. Yes, Aaron Donald is still the best defensive player in the game, and Jalen Ramsey can be a top-flight cornerback, but pass rush, safety depth, and the cornerback group after Ramsey are question marks at this point. The ranking here is optimistic based on the talent of the front-line stars, but any deviation in performance could lead to a sub-par finish — and it’s not obvious that the Rams have the offensive firepower to make up for that. The guy to watch here is third-round pass-rusher Terrell Lewis from Alabama. Injuries abbreviated Lewis’ impact as a college player, but he showed as much talent as anybody at his position during a relatively healthy 2019 season.

The Rams’ biggest question marks on defense are at inside linebacker, outside linebacker and at the nickel spot. The Rams lost or parted ways with key players at all of those spots, including Dante Fowler Jr., Clay Matthews, Cory Littleton and Nickell Robey-Coleman.

Leonard Floyd was brought in to help replace Matthews, while Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Samson Ebukam and rookie Terrell Lewis could start on the opposite side at outside linebacker. Inside, we could see Micah Kiser replace Littleton, while David Long Jr., Darious Williams and rookie Terrell Burgess could all play nickel corner.

The Rams are stout up front on the defensive line and have quality starters at safety, but in order to finish as one of the best defenses in the NFL next season, they’ll need to get contributions from young players at linebacker and cornerback.

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Leonard Floyd hopes his versatility helps Rams ‘dominate on defense’

Leonard Floyd doesn’t feel pressure to match Dante Fowler’s production.

The Los Angeles Rams desperately needed pass-rush help this offseason after losing Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency and cutting Clay Matthews. Shortly after Fowler agreed to terms with the Falcons, Floyd did the same with the Rams.

Floyd and Fowler aren’t necessarily the same types of players, though. Although both came to the Rams after disappointing starts to their careers as pass rushers, they have different skill sets.

Floyd is more of a strongside linebacker who sets the run well and drops into coverage against running backs and tight ends. Fowler rarely dropped into coverage with the Rams, typically rushing the quarterback from the weakside.

Floyd hopes his versatility becomes an asset for the Rams and helps them dominate defensively.

“I’m a guy that can do more than one thing on the field,” Floyd said on a conference call Monday. “I can set the edge in the run. I can drop in coverage, and I’m coming to LA to continue to work on my pass rush, to elevate that even more.”

While fans will expect Floyd to be a one-for-one replacement for Fowler, the young linebacker doesn’t see it that way. He said he doesn’t “feel pressure to match his level” and simply wants to play his own game, doing what it takes to help the Rams improve.

“I just want to come in and play at my level and try to help the team win games and try to dominate on defense,” Floyd said.

Part of the reason Floyd already feels somewhat comfortable in L.A. because of his reunion with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. He praised Staley on the call, complimenting his energy as a coach.

That’ll be a different feeling for Rams players, who have been accustom to Wade Phillips’ laid-back approach for the last three years.

Floyd has never had more than seven sacks in a season as a pro and has seen his total decrease with each passing year. He had just three in 2019, but with Staley back as his coach again and Aaron Donald also rushing the quarterback alongside him, Floyd could be in for a career year – just as Fowler had in his first full season with the Rams.

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Rams’ free agency plan shows commitment to stopping the run

The Rams brought in two defenders who are known for their ability to stop the run.

While Wade Phillips was at the helm as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, there were too many instances where Los Angeles was gashed on the ground. The run defense simply wasn’t up to par, particularly in 2017 and 2018.

The front office and coaching staff have put an emphasis on stopping the run this offseason with their approach to free agency, though. Even though their best run defender Michael Brockers is gone, Los Angeles has brought in two defenders who are unquestionably better against the run than they are as pass rusher.

Leonard Floyd is an edge rusher, but his best asset is being able to stop the run. He uses his length to keep from getting swallowed by blocks on the edge, allowing him to get off blockers and make stops at or near the line of scrimmage.

He’ll replace Clay Matthews as the strongside linebacker on the left side of the defense, immediately improving the Rams’ effectiveness against the run – even if they did sacrifice some pass-rush efficiency by letting Dante Fowler Jr. go.

A’Shawn Robinson will likely step in for Brockers at defensive end, and there’s no doubt where the strength of his game lies. He has just five career sacks in four seasons, but his performance against the run has been great.

At 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, he’s a space-eater who plugs up running lanes thanks to his size. In 2018, he was one of the best run defenders in the NFL, earning a run defense grade of 91.3, sixth among all interior defenders.

Losing Cory Littleton to the Raiders hurt the overall quality of the Rams’ defense, but they’ll likely replace him with someone like Micah Kiser, who’s more known for being a stout run defender than he is for his coverage.

While the Rams only allowed 4.1 yards per carry last season, good for ninth in the NFL, they were last in 2018 and 30th in 2017. It’s been a weak spot of the defense for a few years, but with Floyd and Robinson coming aboard, the team is emphasizing the importance of being able to keep opposing rushing attacks at bay.

Opposing QBs rarely tested Rams defense with deep passes

The Rams were great defending against deep passes this season.

There were a lot of areas where the Los Angeles Rams underachieved in 2019, but you could argue they were better against the pass than expected – especially considering all the injuries and changes that occurred during the season.

A secondary that began the year with John Johnson, Eric Weddle, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib finished with Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill and Taylor Rapp all as starters, all of whom played well in the second half of the season. There were only two games where the Rams allowed at least 300 yards passing in 2019, with those coming in Week 17 against the Cardinals (a meaningless game) and in Week 4 against the Buccaneers.

Part of the reason the Rams were able to keep their opponents in check through the air is that they were rarely challenged on deep passes. According to Inside Edge, teams facing the Rams threw deep balls on only 9.6% of their pass attempts, which was the third-lowest rate in the NFL.

For comparison, league average was 12.2%, so teams weren’t testing the Rams deep very often.

Explosive plays can make or break a team, and the Rams didn’t give up many big gains through the air, either. They only allowed 40 completions of at least 20 yards, which was tied for the third-fewest in the NFL.

When you can limit big plays the way the Rams defense did, it goes a long way toward getting opposing offenses off the field. Granted, there were times when Los Angeles failed to do that, but for the most part, the defense was strong against the pass.