Can the LA Rams secondary repeat its dominance?

Now, don’t take this the wrong way folks, but the LA Rams defense may not finish tops among the NFL in 2021. That is not to say anything about the incoming defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. Nor is saying anything about the LA Rams starting roster in 2021, yet. It’s simply tougher to remain atop the NFL defensive ranking than it is to attain that honor. And forces are already at work to make it that much more difficult.

You see, time of possession is a huge plus to the capability of a defense. The longer the offense has the ball, the defense is not trying to defend. In 2020, the LA Rams’ time of possession ranked fifth-best in the NFL at 31:39. Contrast that to the Rams’ 2019 ranking of 22nd with just 29:00. In 2018, the Rams ranked eighth-best at 30:46. In 2017, the team was ranked 21st with 29:39.  It’s a safe bet to presume that the Rams will lose the time of possession battle in 2021 as the team has already committed to a quick-strike offense.

Of course, if we presume that the LA Rams are successful, the offense will put up more points. So that will place more pressure on their opponents to score as well, and that will mean more passing plays. In 2020, the LA Rams defended 548 passing attempts. In 2019, the defense faced 562 pass attempts.

How will the Rams defense combat the increased pressure?

Key secondary players

The Rams prepared for 2021 way back in the 2020 NFL Draft when the team added two safeties in Terrell Burgess and Jordan Fuller.  While it was Fuller who became a day-one starter for the Rams defense in 2020, both will play huge roles for the defense in 2021. Factor in Taylor Rapp and the Rams trio of safeties are fairly set.

For the cornerbacks, the LA Rams starting pair of Darious Williams and Jalen Ramsey will find help from rookie Robert Rochell and returning David Long Jr. Unlike 2020, when it was simply a matter of synching up starters to play cohesively, the Rams will be breaking in non-starters in 2021, which could mean miscommunication and occasionally blown coverages.

Both John Johnson III and Troy Hill are now donning Cleveland Brown uniforms and the Rams must reestablish their coverage unit with only 60 percent of the starting unit returning. The Rams defense is in good shape later in the season, but the team will need to work patiently through some miscues as the players learn their own roles, as well as to trust one another.