5 improvements for the LA Rams defense after off-season additions

Improvement IV – Force more punts

A huge problem for the LA Rams’ defense in 2021 seemed to be their inability to get off the field. Whether it was bad field position, miscommunication, or simply a great play by the opposing offense, the Rams frequently found themselves in the hole by the end of gams in Time of Possession.

The Rams ranked 20th overall in Time of Possession with 29:58 at the end of the 2021 NFL regular season. But by the end of November 2021, the Rams ranked 29th overall. That’s not exactly a spot for a Super Bowl hopeful team to be positioned. In fact, it was so out of whack in 2021 that the team made mid-season changes to correct the matter.

Stouter defense

This year, that will likely change a bit. The Rams are, shall we say, a bit stouter on the defensive front this year? The starting defensive line will be made up of Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, and A’Shawn Robinson. Behind them, the Rams will boast perhaps the best ILB pairing under Coach McVay in Ernest Jones and Bobby Wagner.

But names are just that, names. The proof is in the pudding, and that is where we expect to see huge results this year. Unlike some of the young linebackers who spend more time telling you what they are gonna do, Wagner and Jones are from the old school that goes out onto the football field and deliver and lets all the talking fall to the fans and to NFL pundits.

More punts mean fewer points by opponents, more opportunities to score for the Rams’ offense, and a much more balanced time of possession distribution at the end of the game.