Rams secondary fix may have nothing to do with defensive backs in Week 6

There has been a great deal of discussion about the Los Angeles Rams' secondary. The defensive backfield has been a hot topic, as it has been a hotbed of underwhelming performers, an epicenter of speculation for personnel moves, and even a place for a controversial cornerback to repair his tarnished reputation.

But the solution may be much simpler than all of that. The unit was built to slow down quarterbacks and harass wide receivers, not shut down passes altogether. So perhaps the 'fix' for the secondary is not to tinker with the roster, but rather find ways to get more pressure on opposing signal callers. And that theory could be put to the test in Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens

Related: Rams just got the fortunate break they needed in Week 6 against Ravens

The Flock has allowed 16 quarterback sacks in five games, tied for 23rd-best. The Rams' pass-rush has recorded 15 sacks in five games, tied for third-best. And the Ravens are without a starting guard for this one. So, from a quick overview, this should be a wonderful opportunity for a good pass rush to show up. It also helps a million that superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson is out for the contest.

Rams' pass-rush won't have cakewalk against Ravens' backup Cooper Rush

While it's logical for fans to expect mobile quarterbacks to be more difficult to sack, oftentimes the opposite is true. For the Ravens, Jackson has been sacked 15 times. His less mobile backup quarterback, Cooper Rush, has only been sacked once. And Los Angeles will face Rush in Week 6.

The quarterback chasers — Jared Verse, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Josaiah Stewart, and even Poona Ford — should be motivated in this one. San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones exposed the defense, allowing him to show up and perform far better than expected. It's safe to expect a far more aggressive defense Sunday afternoon.

But LA's pass rush is more than sacking quarterbacks. It's about forcing mistakes, something that Rush is vulnerable to this season. Despite an impressive 69.7 completion rate this season, he has thrown three interceptions to no touchdowns this year. And in his lone start, he threw for only 179 yards, most of which on short routes.

As long as the defenders interrupt the timing and move the quarterback in the pocket, the secondary has a chance of zeroing in on the football — something they're well-equipped to do.

A complementary roster construction is difficult to troubleshoot because problems may surface far from the root cause. However, the fix for a struggling secondary could be in the queue for Week 6. While another backup quarterback will try his hand against this Chris Shula defense, the timing is not on Cooper Rush's side. Having been shredded by Mac Jones in Week 5, expect a much stronger game plan from the defense. As always, thanks for reading.