There has been no shortage of criticism from fans over the LA Rams defense and the debut of newly hired DC Chris Shula. After a 1-4 start to the season, the outcries from the fanbase over the early season struggles wanted two things: Who is to blame? And who will fix it? And yet, the early struggles from a newly constructed defense should not have come as any surprise.
It was a predictable as the next day's sunrise.
Let's be quite clear. Not only was Chris Shula promoted to the role of defensive coordinator, but he was tasked with:
- Running the defense after All-Pro DT Aaron Donald retired
- Trying to fill the void of defense captain and leading tackler Ernest Jones, who was traded just before the start of the 2024 NFL season
- Trying to manage a fully re-rostered Rams secondary, complete with new faces starting at all positions
- Trying to compete in 2024 with the least expensive defense in the NFL
- Fielding one of the youngest defenses, and defensive fronts
- Trying to manage unexpected injuries that have waylaid several key contributors
While the team, nor Shula, will allow that to become a crutch for sub-par performances, it does explain why this defense has struggled to get a foothold in September. But we noticed the fact that this defense had turned the corner in October, an assertion that received surprising pushback from fans in disbelief.
It was not only the passion that fueled fans to rebut the claim, but the volume of fans who continue to default to the defense no matter what transpires in the game as the scapegoat. Well, the optics of the defense's progress was correct. Just check out the latest report from the LA Rams over the performance of this defense in October 2024.
So what drove this improvement?
(6) - Sitting DB Tre'Davious White
The most glaring change to the LA Rams defense is not who the team added, but rather who the team sat. Veteran defensive back Tre'Davious White, signed in the offseason after two very serious injuries, was added to become an insurance policy for the secondary for a long 17-game season. But the team had to cash in on White instantly after losing both DB Derion Kendrick for the season, and Darious Williams for the first four games of the new season.
This was not a matter of taste. White was deeply disappointing in his Rams debut, allowing a touchdown per game. For the first time in his NFL career, White has not intercepted a pass this season. And his completion rate of 66.7 percent is by far the worst of his career.
The Rams incentivized White's contract, inking clauses that pay out a handsome bonus if White plays 60 percent of the team's defensive snaps. But his performance has been so poor that the team has made him a healthy scratch in the last three games. As of right now, White has played in 56.5 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Don't look for him to compete again until he drops below 50 percent.
(5) - Giving DB Ahkello Witherspoon a shot
On the flip side of benching any NFL player comes the logical question: Who plays instead? For the Rams, the number of options was rather limited. At least they were until the Rams signed last year's starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to the practice squad. Since coming aboard, this defense has had a completely different look.
I don't know what Witherspoon fell out of favor with the Rams front office. Did he demand too much salary? Did he clash with coaches or other players? Whatever the reason, the team certainly did him no favors. Even after signing him to the practice squad, the team elevated him to the active roster the NFL limit of three times before finally acquiescing and signing him to the 53-man Rams roster.
I can't say that Witherspoon has become the savior of the secondary. He has appeared in four games, started once, and allowed 72.7 percent of passes thrown to his receiver to find their mark. In 113 defensive snaps, he has no interceptions, seven tackles, and broken up just one pass. So what is he doing well?
He has not allowed a single receiving touchdown. And yes, that is significant.
(4) - Rookie Omar Speights proves his run-stuffing ability
The coaching staff was very reluctant to even discuss the merits of giving undrafted LSU rookie inside linebacker Omar Speights a shot in this defense. Despite Speight's very impressive performance in preseason, the decision was made to start veteran ILBs Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom.
And the matter seemed to be decided, much to the chagrin of Rams fans, myself included. I don't know why, but I seem to lobby for the throwback defenders. The best inside linebacker is one who fears nothing, who sheds blockers and attacks the holes to meet runners head on. That is football worth watching. And yet, the coaching staff doesn't appreciate that type of linebacker.
Perhaps that is why the team doubled down on passive, pass coverage types. What I mean is that the team started both Reeder and Rozeboom, both possessing similar skillsets and presence on the defense. In 372 defensive snaps, Troy Reeder missed six tackles. In 318 defensive snaps, Christian Rozeboom missed six tackles.
In 22 defensive snaps, Omar Speights made every tackle.
If not for the injury to Reeder, we would remain in the dark about Speights proficiency. But he made a huge impact against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8. And I expect that as long as he is on the football field, the Rams run defense will be significantly better.
(3) - DB Darious Williams is active once more
While the Rams secondary is still forming, the return of veteran defensive back Darious Williams to the active roster has been a boon to the entire defense. Every jigsaw puzzle needs the corner pieces to set the foundation for the image to come. Every arch needs that final keystone in place to hold the entire structure in place. Darious Williams is the keystone to the team's pass coverage.
Early results show the challenge of DWill's return from injury, and competing in a new secondary. He has allowed 76.9 percent of passes targeting his receiver to find their mark. And he has already allowed one touchdown in just 158 defensive snaps.
Darious Williams is coming off a light amount of work throughout training camp, and twice injuring his hamstring, one of the more complex injuries to recover front in an NFL season. Since secondaries rely as much on communication and coordination as offensive line units, Williams resumes his role on the Rams roster with a bit of a handicap. He is a veterans defensive leader, but he is still learning how to trust his teammates.
So far in 2024, Williams has appeared in three games, and started twice. That is hardly enough time to work out all of the bugs. And so far, his season reflects that fact.
But his presence in the secondary allows his teammates to handle their roles, and they are doing quite well. The defense generated four turnovers against the Las Vegas Raiders, allowing the team to pull a sensational victory. As long as Williams starts, his teammates will find ways to win.
(2) - Rams young defensive front is starting to gel
The LA Rams fans have been spoiled in recent years. The team has a remarkable history of accumulating some of the legends in the NFL. Not just one at a time, but in a collection of defensive dominance that had led to one of the most recognizable nicknames of NFL myths, legends, and lore: The Fearsome Foursome.
You needn't turn the wayback machine to the days of black-and-white television and household aerial antennae to recapture that energy and excitement. As recently as 2016, the team's defensive front boasted all starters as Round 1 picks. So it's no fault of the fans to set the bar of expectations as high as they come.
And the current Rams defensive front, not limited to OLBs Byron Young and Jared Verse, and DTs Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, is delivering today, with the logical projection of dominating for year's to come:
The team has invested in the defensive front. That is not just in 2024 alone, but in both the 2023 and the 2024 NFL Drafts. The team has added players in:
- Round 1 - 1
- Round 2 - 1
- Round 3 - 2
And it's quite likely that the team's surprising success in the 2023 NFL Draft with both OLB Byron Young and NT Kobie Turner that fueled the strategy of doubling down for the defensive front in the 2024 NFL Draft. And that is despite a rickety start to the season as the team acclimated to life in the NFL.
The team boasts as strong of a core as there is in the NFL today:
If you widen the net to include under-appreciated OLB Michael Houecht (23 tackles, 2.5 QB sacks), and recently added DE Jonah Williams, this defense is starting to congeal at the right time. While Williams is a recent addition, he adds superb run defense, as well as a bit of pass rush pressure. With just 12 defensive snaps in Week 8, look for him to contribute more as the season progresses.
(1) - Young DB Jaylen McCollough is ball-hawking savant
It's mind boggling to comprehend the fact that undrafted Tennessee defensive back Jaylen McCollough has played only 54 defensive snaps, but leads the team in interceptions by a country mile with three picks. One interception was a pick-six. So to say that McCollough has a promising start to his NFL career is significantly understated.
Curiously, McCollough has only seen 10+ defense snaps in three games, and in two of those three games, he has recorded at least one interception. Because he plays behind teammates Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens, Quentin Lake, and eventually John Johnson III after he returns, McCollough has had to make do with limited opportunities.
Three picks in four targets certainly qualifies as making the most of his opportunities.
In fact, quarterbacks have only completed one pass out of four targets when throwing at McCollough. The other three passes? Intercepted.
Let's be fair though. Despite his impressive 6-foot-0 height and 202-pound weight, McCollough is an undrafted rookie. And few NFL Draft scouts awarded McCollough a draftable grade, despite playing superb football for the Tennessee Volunteers. McCollough was one of five defensive backs signed to the team after the 2024 NFL Draft. The team clearly saw flashes of NFL-level competitiveness in him, as the team inked him to a three-year deal plus a $15,000 signing bonus.
The team did not need to wait long to see their investment pay off. McCollough was one of the team's standouts in preseason. Now, as he is rotated in to compete in regular season games, he has upped his game to showcase why he could and perhaps should be considered as a starter.
There are many moving pieces in this defense so far. And as a new NFL defensive coordinator, Chris Shula has needed evidential proof to make moves to reconfigure this starting lineup. As the team prepares for Week 9, it seems that he continues to inch closer to the optimal 2024 defense.
