PFF reminds Rams fans run defense still major concern heading into 2019

Will the Los Angeles Rams figure out a way to improve on defense in 2019 in regards to stopping the run?

Over the last two years, the Los Angeles Rams have worked their way into becoming one of the top contenders in the NFL thanks to Sean McVay quickly turning things around when the head coach was hired in 2017.

Whether it happens to be Jared Goff and Todd Gurley helping the offense become one of the most high-powered units in the league or simply Aaron Donald leading the way on defense, the Rams have become a true powerhouse in the NFL.

Best part is, when looking at all of the key players under contract for years to come, Los Angeles clearly isn’t going anywhere from a contending perspective.

However, even the best of teams tend to have an area or two of weaknesses, which for the Rams would easily be their inability to stop the run on a consistent basis.

As impressive as the Rams’ defense led by Donald has looked at times over the last two years to help Los Angeles become a major threat in the NFC, there have been plenty of times in which opponents shred through the unit with the ground game.

Take a look at las season for example when the Rams allowed opponents to average 122.3 rushing yards per game (5.1 yards per carry), and it’s easy to see why the concern is still there heading into the 2019 season.

Even the folks from Pro Football Focus reminded fans of the concerns surrounding Los Angeles on defense after placing the Rams at No. 31 in their run defense rankings, as it will be interesting to see what sort of adjustments were made during the offseason.

After coming up shy of winning the Super Bowl last February against the New England Patriots, the Rams were already facing a ton of extra pressure to continue being a serious contender in the NFC.

If stopping the run is going to continue being an issue when looking at all of the great rushing attacks in the NFC, that pressure surrounding Los Angeles could end up reaching new levels.

Ironically, the bottom three teams on PFF’s list were all from the NFC West, with the Seattle Seahawks having the highest rank at No. 20.

Still, not even a factor like this should make the Rams feel better about sitting near the bottom of a list like this since if the last two years are any indication along with looking at the current roster, the struggles may continue in 2019, and fans are well aware.