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Los Angeles Rams: 4 grades for Week 9 loss at the Saints

By Steve Rivera

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams looks on from the sidelines with Sean Mannion #14 and Robert Woods during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams looks on from the sidelines with Sean Mannion #14 and Robert Woods during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 04: Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 04: Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Stop pretending. It’s high time fans own the fact, even begrudgingly that the Los Angeles Rams defense is not very good. They just aren’t. If this is a preview of an NFC championship game, LA would be a significant underdog and likely on the road. Defense coordinator Wade Phillips has his hands full, and nine games in has had few answers even with high priced free agent talent.

You can run on the Rams.
You can pass on the Rams.
Quarterbacks can have monster games against the Rams.
Worse, you can score 35 points and the Rams defense will render it not enough.

Cornerback Marcus Peters has failed. By his own admission he hasn’t played well the last few week. The honest self assessment is appreciated, but unless a fix is in the offing, he’s nothing but a liability on a defense that can’t afford another.

New Orleans exposed what most saw and knew. As good as the prospects were of a top five defense, it simply hasn’t materialized. After nine weeks the idea that Phillips just needs his crew to gel is a Fool’s Paradise. The defense is what the defense is, and the Rams are who they are. It just doesn’t jive with what fans and the media expected.

Rams Defense – D

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