How well will Rams run defense hold up over 17 games in 2025?

Regular Season Games

While you are likely all too familiar with the 2025 Rams schedule by now, let's introduce a new wrinkle for your benefit. Let's add the rank and average rushing yards per game from 2024 for each opponent to give you some additional information to use in judging the difficulty of the Rams' opponents this season.

• Week 1 - Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams (112.3, 15th)
• Week 2 - Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee Titans (109.1, 20th)
• Week 3 - Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles (179.3 YPG, 2nd)
• Week 4 - Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams (137.1 YPG, 8th)
• Week 5 - San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (TNF) (127.2 YPG, 12th)
• Week 6 - Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens (187.6 YPG, 1st)
• Week 7 - Los Angeles Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars (@ Wembley Stadium) (101.7 YPG, 26th)
• Week 8 - BYE
• Week 9 - New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (114.9 YPG, 14th)
• Week 10 - Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers (127.2 YPG, 12th)
• Week 11 - Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams (95.7 YPG, 28th)
• Week 12 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams (SNF) (149.2 YPG, 4th)
• Week 13 - Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers (110.5 YPG, 18th)
• Week 14 - Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals (144.2 YPG, 7th)
• Week 15 - Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams (146.4 YPG, 6th)
• Week 16 - Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (TNF) (95.7 YPG, 28th)
• Week 17 - Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons (MNF) (130.5 YPG, 10th)
• Week 18 - Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (144.2 YPG, 7th)

As you can see, the Rams' run defense will certainly be tested this season. The Rams drew the top two rushing offenses in 2024 on their schedule, but missed the last four rushing offenses. The worst rushing offense facing the team this year, the Seattle Seahawks, plays the Rams twice in 2025. But the Rams face the Arizona Cardinals twice this season, and they had averaged 144.2 yards per game on their way to the seventh-most effective rushing offense last season.

The Rams did have mixed success against the Cardinals in 2024. In Week 2, the Rams allowed 231 rushing yards and one touchdown. In the rematch in Week 17, the Rams run defense stiffened, allowing only 113 yards and no touchdowns. That averaged 172 rushing yards per game, much better than the Cardinals 144.2 YPG average.

Still, the presence of undrafted ILB Omar Speights made a huge difference in the second half of the season. He ended the season with a 78.3 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus, much better than any of his ILB teammates.

Will Speights earn the starting slot as the team's play-calling inside linebacker? It's hard to envision a scenario where he does not, but the Rams have done wacky moves in the past. The team started veteran ILB Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom in 2024, despite their duplicative skillsets and ho-hum track record.

The Rams will need to show stiffer and stingier run defense this year if the team is to earn a playoff seed, let alone advance in the playoffs once they get there. But if they get the right people on the football field in Week 1, and stick with them, this could be another success story for the legacy of Rams DC Chris Shula.

I'm eager and optimistic. How about you?

As always, thanks for reading.

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