12 days of Christmas winners for the LA Rams in a Week 16 win over the Jets

(11) - Rams defense

11 pipers piping . . .

The 11 Pipers Piping slot has to go to the Rams' defense. They are young and inexperienced, yes. But new Rams Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula certainly has a knack for rallying the troops, making halftime adjustments, and getting the most out of his players. While the defense has been exposed in at least three games this season:

• Week 2 allowed 41 points to the Arizona Cardinals
• Week 12 allowed 37 points to the Philadelphia Eagles and 255 rushing yards to Eagles RB Saquon Barkley
• Week 14 allowed 42 points to the Buffalo Bills, 342 passing yards, and 3 touchdowns plus 82 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns to Bills QB Josh Allen

So how can I have the audacity to showcase this defense on a list of top performers for the 2024 season, and in a vital Week 16 win on the road against that talent-laden New York Jets? Like many solid performers, things change. Performances improve. the same defense that surrendered 42 points in Week 14 has buckled down, allowing just six points in Week 15, and nine points in Week 16.

Two games against prolific offenses with a combined score of just 15 points is pretty good stuff. Keep in mind that the San Francisco 49ers boast Brock Purdy at quarterback, and the Jets boast Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. It was Purdy's worst game of the season, and tied for Rodger's second-worst game of 2024.

The defense has struggled to record quarterback sacks lately. But even as the sack numbers have waned in 2024, so have the scores of opponents. Are the Rams morphing into an elite defense? Two games is hardly a large enough sample size to reach that conclusion. And the team has yet to shut down an NFL Playoff-caliber offense.

But the effort certainly warrants praise for shutting down the wiley veteran QB Aaron Rodgers.