DC Chris Shula's creative blitzing can spark an LA Rams defensive revival

Blitzing hasn't been a hallmark of the LA Rams' defense since the days Wade Phillips was calling plays, but first-year coordinator Chris Shula is changing things. Shula is drawing up and unleashing increasingly sophisticated pressure packages.

The chage in philosophy is reflected by the Rams posting a 30.1 blitz percentage on Shula's watch. It's the eighth-highest mark in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference.

Clever scheming and a more aggressive play-caller are helping a core of young and capable pass-rushers form a formidable defensive front. These are early days, but the signs of progress in the trenches are obvious.

Chris Shula's defensive front becoming a game-changer for Rams

Shula's defense was the key to the 20-15 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7. The unit logged a pair of sacks and also registered an impressive 17 pressures. Many of those pressures came from edge-rushers rookie Jared Verse and Byron Young, who combined to blitz 32 times.

A greater commitment to sending pressure is playing to the strengths of a player like Verse. The team's first-round pick this year is living up to the billing by topping the league's charts for pressure rate, per Next Gen Stats (h/t Los Angeles Rams PR).

Verse isn't the only member of the Rams' pass-rush department who is showing signs of dominance. Second-year defensive tackle Kobie Turner is also proving his impressive rookie season was no fluke.

Turner, Verse and Young are enough to give any offensive coordinator nightmares. The trio's talent for wrecking protection schemes is being amply assisted by some elaborate blitz concepts.

Rams getting more creative defensively

Overloading sides of a formation, sending unexpected players on the rush and bringing pressure from multiple angles. Those are the hallmarks of any credible blitz scheme, and they are the same things Shula is doing every week.

A great example came against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. Shula showed a six-man pressure look, but had defensive back Quentin Lake blitz late from deep, while Young (0) and fellow outside linebacker Michael Hoecht (97) bailed into coverage underneath.

The resulting confusion got a free rusher in the face of Packers quarterback Jordan Love. As Derrik Klassen of The Athletic highlighted, the Rams used deception "to waste the LG and get a (mostly) free rusher to the side of the back."

Shula kept his finger pressed firmly on the blitz button against the Raiders. This time, he deployed a three-safety package that again put Hoecht onto the field with Young and Verse.

Hoecht lined up inside and helped create an interior gap safety Kam Curl (3) blitzed through. The creativity was shown and applauded by Blaine Grisak of SB Nation's Turf Show Times.

Shula is getting more and more comfortable coming up with ways to craft free lanes of attack for his best defensive players. His schemes are helping a youthful defense develop ahead of schedule.

The unit's improving performances will be an asset now an offense preparing to welcome back its best wide receivers is finally getting healthy.

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