LA Rams: A defense emotional spark has arrived. ILB Ernest Jones is lit

If there is anything that is more disappointing than a listless effort on the football field by defensive players, I’m not sure what it might be. To me, passion is the fuel, and production is the race. Perhaps it’s my era. The LA Rams have a long and lauded history, and that history is worth reading about.

I was raised in football when passion was embraced.  I loved the old Chuck Knox era, that  “Ground Chuck” offense where the offensive line blew holes wide open for running back Lawrence McCutcheon. The defense was handled by the colossal defensive stars Merlin Olsen and Fred Dryer.  It was a blue-collar team, fueled by the passion in the stands. And that worked, as the LA Rams combined all that into a record of 75-26-1, and won seven straight NFC West division titles.

Maybe I’m obsolete, a throwback to when the passion a player felt fueled his play and not his words. But there is hope for a dinosaur mindset like my own. That hope comes with a name for this LA Rams defense. He is rookie inside linebacker Ernest Jones, and he is not here to get autographs or launch an acting career. He’s here to play some hard-hitting football, and he is already raising the bar of expectations.

Very nice.

Rams defensive renaissance

The old school mentality, the guy who is more than his role of where he plants his feet. He sees the field, he is astute at surveying the field, processing everything that he sees, and he calls out the defense to his teammates without fear or hesitation. He is passion-personified, he is a bit of a rough-tough player on the football field. He barks at the opposition, putting his taunts in their ears throughout the course of the game.

He brings a stable and steady performance. But he can deliver jaw-dropping pops when he gets a solid bead on his prey. What more could the Rams ask for? Well, a leader of men. A person blessed with confidence to lead elite NFL players, but who can match their play with a bit of highlight film performance as well. A doer more than a talker.

He is not the guy who will run down speedsters from behind. He simply understands his limits, his role, and he brings a bit of better-than-expected play because he knows how to turn up the dial in key moments in the game. The LA Rams need to be very careful and wary about who they match up at the two linebacker spots.

Who is the best match for Jones?

Both Travin Howard or Christian Rozeboom appear to be ideally suited to complement Jones. Either add the range necessary to give the inside linebackers sideline to sideline coverage. That will be crucial to the defense because the Rams will be playing some inexperienced defenders on the edge in 2021. The inside linebacker is their safety net.

I think Jones has the chops to win the starting role with the Rams defense in 2021. He is a solid fit, because he will drive, direct, and motivate the defense in ways that other potential starters may not deliver. Will he get his shot? He certainly will have ample opportunity.  Hopefully, he will be that guy who can spark the performance of his teammates. Not just seeth and smolder withing, but broadcast that passionate perspective upon his teammates to rally them to peak production.

One thing that gets missing in all of this. Generals are not the guys who engage in the hand to hand combat. Instead, they are the military planners, the tacticians who canvas the battlefield and lead the troops to victory. Ernest Jones has a bit of football rank of general about him. Now, he simply needs to rally the troops and lead them to victory.

Am I a dinosaur? Perhaps. But sometimes it takes a vision of historic wisdom to recognize the special talent of a throw-back player like Ernest Jones. A renaissance is underway with the LA Rams defense this year. That could prove to be a very good thing indeed.