LOS ANGELES — The first four games of the Rams’ 2024 season weren’t what fans, coaches or players expected.
A 1-3 start, compounding injuries to key starters such as linemen Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila, receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua and cornerback Darious Williams, a defense struggling more than a group with veterans in certain positions should even though some regression was expected minus Aaron Donald.
It’s truly a mixed bag for the Rams as they prepare for the Green Bay Packers, then a Week 6 bye.
Here’s what I’m seeing:
Defense struggling in every phase but pass rush
The Rams’ defense is No. 32 in splash plays per snap (4.8), No. 30 in third-down conversion percentage (50 percent), No. 31 in EPA per play (-0.20), No. 31 in EPA per drive (-1.23), No. 31 in defensive points allowed per game (27.3), No. 30 in EPA per opposing rush (-0.08) and No. 31 in EPA per opposing pass (-0.35), according to TruMedia.
“When it comes to the front, being able to adjust and hit blocks, play consistently on the second level, fitting the runs, being consistent with their drops and things like that,” said defensive coordinator Chris Shula, when I asked him Thursday what he’ll focus on into the bye week (coordinators only speak Thursdays and media won’t get them during that break, so the next time he’ll talk to media will be in Week 7). “I think it’s the same for the third level. We’ve been stressing that it’s about communication, playing together. I know we’ve had a few moving parts but I don’t think it’s an excuse for anything. We’ve got to play and we expect to go play well.”
The Rams’ defense has missed 44 tackles this season according to Pro Football Reference, the most of any NFL team. Rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse leads the group in misses with six.
But containing players is especially an issue for the inside linebackers and secondary. Starting inside linebackers Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom have combined for nine of those misses, while the back seven/eight as a collective have missed 25. That number alone would still tie for ninth-worst across the league.
Sean McVay on how ILBs Jake Hummel, Omar Speights earn more opportunities: You continue to give those guys opportunities throughout the course of these practices, and if it got to a point where we felt like that was the best option for us, then those guys would be out there.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) October 2, 2024
Head coach Sean McVay and Shula have both cited communication issues as one of the reasons why the defense is not playing up to expectation. More specifically, Shula wants more of it.
“We’ve stressed (it), the biggest thing is (to) overcommunicate,” he said, “when you go out to walk-through, when you go out to practice, don’t assume the guy next to you knows exactly what is going on.”
The Rams signed defensive tackle Jonah Williams, pending a passed physical, on Thursday according to multiple team sources, with the hope that he can lend their run defense some help. Williams was most recently on Minnesota’s practice squad but the former undrafted free agent spent most of 2020-23 with the Rams.
Where they don’t struggle is in rushing the passer. Led by Verse, who is No. 2 in the NFL behind Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson in pressure rate, the Rams are sustaining a fifth-best pressure rate — but this is not yet translating to sacks (mostly because of missed tackles). Their seven sacks are tied for 25th in the NFL.
Suboptimal start for free-agent acquisitions
The Rams focused on two key themes during free agency this year: No. 1, continue investing in the offensive line to build size and power around quarterback Matthew Stafford’s pocket. No. 2, invest in veteran players in the secondary to help support a developing pass rush.
Well …
• Jackson, three years and $51 million, injured reserve. Injured in training camp, moved from right guard to center, re-injured his shoulder.
• Cornerback Darious Williams, three years and $22.5 million, opened the season on injured reserve but will likely return this week.
• Cornerback Tre’Davious White, one year and $4.25 million, perhaps still finding his way after recovery from a torn Achilles. Targeted 18 times for 12 catches and a 138.4 opponent passer rating, plus four touchdowns, no interceptions.
• Safety Kamren Curl, two years and $9 million. Targeted nine times for seven catches, a 158.3 opponent passer rating and two touchdowns, no interceptions.
• Tight end Colby Parkinson, three years and $22.5 million. Twelve catches for 113 yards, no touchdowns (in fairness, due to disastrous injuries along the offensive line Parkinson has had to be the blocking help much of the time).
• Running back Boston Scott, one year and $1.225 million, released before the season.
• Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, one year and $3.1 million, has not played yet because he’s the backup (which is a good thing, if you’re the Rams).
Rams rookie draft class impresses
Whether due to injuries to other players or by design, the Rams’ 2024 draft class has already looked very solid. All three of their sixth-round picks are now in key roles: kicker Joshua Karty has only missed one field goal (off a bad hold in Week 4) and notched the game-winner against San Francisco in Week 3. Center Beaux Limmer is now starting because of injuries to Avila and Jackson. Receiver Jordan Whittington now plays the hybrid tight end/fullback position in some of the Rams’ run calls and has 13 catches for 112 yards in three appearances this season.
Third-round pick Kamren Kinchens rotates into the second safety spot when the Rams aren’t in their base defense (Quentin Lake shifts down into the “Star”/slot). Sixth-round pick Tyler Davis has rotated into nose tackle a bit.
But the two headliners are Verse, the Rams’ first-round pick, and second-round defensive tackle Braden Fiske. Verse earned Defensive Rookie of the Month honors from the NFL for his productivity in September; he and Fiske lead all rookie defenders in pressures with 17 and 13, respectively. Fiske has forced one fumble and recovered two. Verse’s 17 pressures rank No. 8 (a tie) in the NFL among all defensive linemen and linebackers (teammate Kobie Turner, who plays on the interior defensive line, leads the Rams with 18). Verse and Fiske have just one sack apiece, but with pressure rates like that those will come soon.
I asked Fiske on Thursday — in the middle of the extra training session he always seems to fit in by himself after practice — what he was proud of in his first four NFL games, and what he’d like to continue improving.
“I’m proud of the work that has been put in, how focused I am,” he said. “Just trying to get the little things right, because in this league it comes down to the little things. Everyone in this league is good, so what separates guys (are) the little details. Every pass rush, every run game, where your hands are. Those are things I’m constantly trying to get better at, you know? My footwork in the pass game, my footwork in the run game, getting my hands to the man quicker. It’s constantly something I’m building. I feel like it’s something that will be my whole career, just continuing to try to get better at that until you’re elite at it. It’s an ongoing focus.”
Red zone among top issues
As I wrote earlier this week, the Rams have a major red zone problem. They have gotten into the red zone 17 times, second most of any team. But they’ve scored just seven touchdowns on those drives, a 41.2 percent rate that ranks No. 28 in the NFL.
I’m not going to copy-paste my entire Thursday article here, but Stafford and McVay believe it’s largely a play execution issue and there is some palpable urgency from Rams coaches and players on the topic because they understand it has been the difference between being a top-10 offense in points per game, and No. 22.
“When you get down there, your execution and everything has to be tighter,” Mike LaFleur said Thursday. “It starts with all of us, coaches, players, everyone. We’re all in this thing together. There’s no panic from it. It’s been a small sample size. Of course, in this league when you kick field goals like we have you get the results that we got on Sunday. So, we’ve got to find ways — we know as a unit we got to be better down there, and we will be, and we’ll continue to work at it.”
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Injury updates
Kupp did not practice this week and was immediately ruled out but could start practicing as early as after the bye week. There is a chance Nacua does not return until midseason, though the Rams will use the bye week to assess how he’s doing. Tight end Tyler Higbee, who is on the Physically Unable to Perform list, got field workouts in with athletic trainers this week. Defensive tackle Larrell Murchison, who broke his arm and went on IR, started practicing Wednesday but didn’t practice Thursday. Williams practiced in full on Thursday and could be activated this week.
Specific return timelines for Jackson and Avila, who are also both on IR, are less clear. Avila, who had a procedure on his knee to repair a sprained MCL, is getting light workouts in at the facilities and should still be on track for a November return barring any change in recovery management by the Rams.
(Top photo of Sean McVay: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
