LA Rams secondary retains Top-10 ranking despite FA and injury losses

The LA Rams secondary has not had the same feel in 2021 that it had in the past, and yet despite the loss of DB Troy Hill, John Johnson III, and numerous injuries, the secondary remained among the NFL’s Top-10 for the 2021 season. That is according to Pro Football Focus’s final 2021 NFL secondary ranking published on January 19, 2022.

We know that the LA Rams will need that secondary to put on perhaps its best game of the season in Super Bowl LVI, as the Cincinnati Bengals offense is certainly dangerous with the likes of their wide receiver trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. But this is a defensive backfield that has seen some pretty accomplished receiving groups in their own division.

That Bengals offense has faced and beaten, some pretty impressive defenses along the way so far. In the Wildcard Round, they defeated the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 26-19. That is despite the fact that the Raiders boasted the 12th-best ranked secondary in the NFL.

Bengals can win against good defenses

In the Divisional Round, the Bengals passing attack led them to a victory over the Tennessee Titans by a score of 19-16. Once more, that victory came despite the Titans’ seventh-best ranked secondary in the NFL.  Finally, the Bengals beat the odds once more when they got past the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime by a score of 27-24.  Once more, that is despite the Chiefs’ sixth-ranked NFL secondary. So yes, the Rams have their work cut out for them.

But the Bengals are not alone in that feat. While the Rams got past the Arizona Cardinals’ 21st-ranked secondary and the San Francisco 49ers’ 18th-ranked secondary, both teams have a very deceptive ability to create turnovers. And the Rams overcame the second-best secondary of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite the Bucs defense playing at full strength.

The Rams won those games because they too fielded a very capable secondary. Of course, any secondary that boasts the likes of All-Pro Jalen Ramsey is going to be dangerous. But the secondary had to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14 without Ramsey on the football field. The Rams have found ways to get it done even when they have faced adversity.