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Let's not be too rigid in interpreting Coach McVay's recent ILB comments

'If it got to a point . . .' is not never. Here's why the door to making changes at ILB remain open.

By Bret Stuter

Sep 22, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the sidelines during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on the sidelines during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The LA Rams are stumbling a bit right now. After the month of September 2024, the team has emerged with a record of 1-3. That's a huge deficit for a team that is seeking to be pursuing a berth in the 2025 NFL Playoffs. And yet, in the midst of losing so many games so quickly, the coaching staff seems to remain defiant as to the quality of this team.

But one thing seems to be apparent. This team is closer to good than many suspect.

Fundamentally, this team has a pretty solid passing offense, a very bad rushing offense, a terrible run defense, a pretty bad secondary, and a pretty solid pass rush. The team struggles to put up points (touchdowns) in the Red Zone. The defense struggles to remain stingy in the Red Zone. The team needs a beachhead, some success somewhere that the coaching staff can clearly point to.

And yet, it has not truly happened. Not yet.

The defense has been struggling at defending the run. In my opinion, that is the result of a deficit created after the team traded starting defensive leader ILB Ernest Jones IV just before the beginning of the 2024 NFL season. Despite what you may believe, no coach is going to respond to those types of unexpected roster moves by saying the team screwed up. That was the case as the team pivoted from Jones to a defense led by veteran ILBs Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom.

And they have combined to lead the defense to the 32nd-ranked run defense in the NFL.

In 2020, Troy Reeder was the ILB, and DB John Johnson III led the team in tackles. In 2021, Troy Reeder was the ILB and again DBs Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp led the team in tackles. It was not until 2022, when this defense added All-Pro ILB Bobby Wagner, that the position not only began to emerge in importance, but the inside linebacker finally led the defense in tackles. In that season, the Rams run defense was sixth best at defending the run. The following season, without Wagner but with Ernest Jones leading the defense, the team was 13th-ranked at stopping the run. In 2022, the Rams defense was 12-ranked at stopping the run.

In 2024, after four games and without Ernest Jones, the defense is ranked 32 at stopping the run.

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