It's not even training camp, but Rams defense already disproving 3 critics

What and why negative Nancies get wrong about the Rams defense

Arguments that omit contrary facts and try to appeal solely to your emotions and existing opinions are bad for the reader. Why? It reinforces flawed observations, turns a blind eye to data, and creates a mental fortress that is akin to religious zealots. So let's not try to do that.

If you show any mental resistance to these arguments, you find that many conflicting data, facts, observations, and things are true. It's vital not to get swept up in the torrential downpour of emotions, but to focus on the key points made, hold them up to the light, and view those points from different angles.

Most of the bad takes are based on tantrum thought processing. What do I mean? Read the arguments closely. In all three examples above, the opinion was a result of the author wanting or expecting the Rams to do something, and the Rams failing to do that. And so? The Rams' defense will be horrible because they did not do what the author wanted them to do.

Tantrum thought processing. It's like a married couple who argue continuously over loading the dishwasher. No matter how it's loaded, the dishes still come out clean. But the argument would lead one to believe that there is only one way to load dishes.

What they get wrong.

I - Don't homogenize the Rams' secondary. This team opened the 2024 NFL season by starting CBs Cobie Durant and Tre White, while switching up midseason to CBs Ahkello Witherspoon, Darious Williams, and Cobie Durant. Witherspoon was signed after the season started, and just in time to allow the Rams to trade away veteran CB Tre White. Williams was on IR for the first four weeks of the season, and even after returning, struggled to get back in the groove. The Rams front office and coaching staff learned painful lessons early in the season and used those lessons to improve the team as the year wore on.

II - What about that new defensive coordinator? The Rams' defense was not just an assembly of rookies with some new veterans trying to figure out their roles. This was a team that was trying to figure out how to optimize their production in Chris Shula's new defensive system. And Chris Shula, despite his promotion on the Rams staff, was trying to experiment and place his players into the best roles for them to succeed. Experimentation opened the defense up to discovery as well as failure.

III - Why does everyone miss the additions of Witherspoon and Forbes? The critics of this defense invariably insist on the belief that the front office did nothing to improve the secondary. But that is not true, as the Rams signed veteran free agent CB Ahkello Witherspoon and claimed former first-round selected DB Emmanuel Forbes off the Washington Commanders' waiver wire.

IV - Adversity was a huge reason for early-season struggles. When the Rams opened the 2024 NFL season, the defense had already traded away ILB Ernest Jones, lost DB Derion Kendrick for the season, and lost DB Darious Williams for four games. By the start of Week 3, the team had lost DB John Johnson, realized that Tre White was by far the worst cornerback on the football field, and had just signed Ahkello Witherspoon to the practice squad. And the team was even forced to give undrafted safety Jaylen McCollough playing time. Speed bumps? Perhaps. But it was the wild west start to the season that everyone remembers.

V - The best is yet to come. The worst critics of the Rams' defense are those who seem to be the least familiar with it. It's no secret that the Rams' pass rush put up 16 quarterback sacks in two playoff games against proficient offenses. It's not even a secret that the Rams' net passing defense average just 114 passing yards per game in postseason competition. But it's certainly not something that critics share when bashing this defense.

Hey, lots of things can go wrong. But lots of things have and can go right. I'm not touting this group as the top-ranked defense in the NFL. But I'm going to point out the fact that it is far from the worst defense too.

As always, thank you for reading.

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