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.

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.

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:

Rams defensive roster is finally starting to get healthy

One of the biggest hurdles to getting a handle on this defense is the fact that this was always going to be a work in process. From the get-go, the team's reliance upon rookies to reinforce the line of scrimmage, while simultaneously signing free agent veterans to lock-down the secondary, was by design creating a kaleidoscope or personnel who would fit the scheme. Atop all of it, DC Chris Shula was in the control room, trying to create HIS defense, with the collection of players who had never competed in the same defense together.

The team formed around a theory, a defensive image that was more conceptual than historical. Complicating the process is the setbacks that injuries caused the group. Whether it was injuries in training camp, though the preseason period, or as the season started, Shula was forced to improvise. That improvisation forced him to form a secondary around players he hoped could deliver.

Unfortunately, some did not.

To be sure, Shula had to allow players to fail to trigger changes. And some challenges his defense faced was to be expected from the number or rookies who were infused into the defense. All rookies need time and patience to acclimate to the NFL game. Some may need less time, yes. But even rookies who seem to fast-track in professional football have good days and bad days.

In Week 7, many of the Rams defenders had good games:

Still, let's not become overly-confident. The Las Vegas Raiders benched QB Gardner Minshew for the very reasons that the Rams secondary found so much success against him. Minshew is a gun-slinger, and he loves to take chances in the pocket. He has thrown for four touchdowns, but been picked off eight times, this season. This season is lining up to be the worst of his career.

Key players are starting to assert themselves

Still, the Rams have been known to let down when facing a struggling quarterback. But that was certainly not the case in Week 7. Quite the opposite, in fact. The defense tasted blood in the water much like a shiver of Mako Sharks, and the longer the game went on, the defense riled up into a feeding frenzy. This was a defense that finally had an opportunity to play from the comfort of a lead.

And that was in spite of the fact that the offense did not score a single point without the help of a defensive turnover.

Week 7 was all about the defense coming of age. After struggling to defend passes and hold opposing offenses to under 24 points, the defense held the Raiders to just 15 points. Better still, the defense did not allow a single touchdown all game.

It was not just turnovers. Veteran DB Ahkello Witherspoon had a sensational pass break up to deny the Raiders a huge completion. And DB Kamren Curl showed why he was such a vital addition to the team's secondary in this on,

The Rams defense fed off one another. The pass rush had Raiders' quarterbacks scrambling throughout the game. And it was that pressure that force bad decisions, decisions that led to key turnovers. It is a game like that of Week 7 that gives so much positive feedback as to incentivize this young and hungry defense even more for the next opportunity.

Until now, the players have been trying to live up to the concept of DC Chris Shula's defense. But now, after such a solid showing in Week 7, the players have tangible proof that Shula's vision succeeds. And it's that type of game that instills trust and esprit de corps among the players.

The Minnesota Vikings bring an entirely new set of problems and challenges. But we cannot overlook the fact that this defense played such a sensational game against the Raiders. Hopefully, the offense will take up the gauntlet thrown down by the defense, and step up in Week 8.

As always, thanks for reading.

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