Why LA Rams base 3-4 defense means very little

3-4 defenses are like fingerprints

The LA Rams will not be blitzing much in this new defense. That’s part of the Vic Fangio DNA that has likely passed down to Staley. Phillips defenses tend to be formulated to the down and distance, a prescribed but a finite number of options for the defense, a base of “here’s our 11 best guys on defense, and we dare you to move the ball against them”.  Defensive players have defined roles, and it was a coaching decision to blitz in order to create pressure on the quarterback.

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But the new defense will be far more rotations. far fewer blitzes, and a host of “what are they doing” role-changing elements which are designed to pressure the quarterback at his most vulnerable spot- his ability to read the defense effectively.  That means hesitation in the pocket, giving defenders more time to record a sack. Even more, it triggers misreads and running plays into a defense designed to thwart that play.

Mirage management

The Rams defense taps into the second-guessing nature that is embedded in each of us. So how does that work?  As the Rams replace defensive players in situations to respond in unexpected ways, their confidence is soon erased with a need to diagnose unexpected personnel packages.  Let’s walk through a scenario:

The season opener against the Dallas Cowboys finds the Cowboys at third down and six at their 24-yard line. The Rams show just two defenders as down linemen and Aaron Donald is in a two-point stance at linebacker depth. Seeing this, the Cowboys call an audible out of a pass to run the ball by Ezekiel Elliott. But by doing so, the Rams have dictated the offensive play by the confusing formation.  The Rams are running a 2-5-4 defense on this play, with Aaron Donald over the center.  Now the Rams can swarm to the runner on this play, and with Donald flexing, the offense has no chance to double team him. The result of the play? Elliot gets a one-yard gain, resulting in a fourth-down punt.