LA Rams DC Chris Shula just turned the corner with his young defense

It's time to give LA Rams DC Chris Shula his due. Without Shula's opportunistic and ball hawking defense showing up in Week 7, the team almost certainly falls to 1-5. At that point in the season, the hope for earning a berth in the 2025 NFL Playoffs is the stuff that myths, legends, and fairytales are made of. Thankfully, that is a scenario that we needn't discuss. After five games and a BYE, this defense may finally be turning the corner.

Let's be quite direct about what newly hired Rams Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula is up against this season. Not only is he competing without All-Pro DT Aaron Donald, he lost the team's defensive leader and leading tackler in ILB Ernest Jones IV just before the regular season started. He is working at rebuilding the entire defense, and has suffered multiple setbacks in the process due to injuries.

He has had to rely upon unknown players, many of whom are either trying to re-establish themselves and their NFL careers or are embarking on a journey to establish themselves as NFL-capable player and or starter. All the while, he has had to do so with the cheapest defense in the NFL. If you think it's easy to do, consider the fact that the Rams are outspending on offense over the defense by a factor of four to one.

And yet, it was the defense that secured the win in Week 7.

"It's always about the team!"

🎥 Coach McVay's Week 7 Victory Speech pic.twitter.com/uGIAuBWP21
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 21, 2024

We have been harsh in our criticism of the defense in the past, and this is by no means an apology for that criticism. The defense did not make tackles anywhere near the expectation of an NFL defense in the past. The team was not good at pass coverage, often allowing season-high or career-high performances against them. Worst of all, the defense had struggled in stuffing the run.

Defense had themselves a day. 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/8yZMLzGFt3
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 21, 2024

But it was not on this day. In Week 7, the defense congealed into a swarming opportunistic group of mad hornets. Even before knocking Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Aiden O'Connell out of the game, this defense had already bared its teeth and shown a level of ferocity and energy that fans had not seen so far this season.

I assert that this is the start of the defense turning the corner. Now, here's why:

Schedule