Rams gave Chris Shula everything he could ask for (and now it's make-or-break)

Since taking over as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator in 2024, Chris Shula has had to perform miracles. Despite coaching one of the youngest and least expensive defenses, he has led his group to surprising success and powered the team to the playoffs each year.

But the defense was depleted by injuries last season. And against a backdrop of special teams snafus, that cost the Rams a trip to Super Bowl LX.

Things were bound to change. Fortunately, no team poached Shula to become a head coach, so there's that. But the front office has finally invested in his defense. And now, the talent level and subsequent expectations have skyrocketed.

After all was said and done, that's what fans and analysts wanted. But it's one thing to shop at IKEA for new affordable furniture. It's another thing altogether to assemble them. And that is the true test Shula faces this season. How can he assemble an elite defense with so many new elite players?

Ah, so glad you asked.

Be careful what you wish for, because Chris Shula just got it

To review: the Rams grafted into their own defense two elite cornerbacks from a potent Kansas City Chiefs secondary. Both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson not only add superb pass coverage, but they are sure-handed tacklers who upgrade the run defense.

In addition, Myles Garrett has arrived to elevate the pass rush as reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He is chaos personified in the trenches as he piles up sacks at a record-setting pace. All the same, L.A. knows that offenses will eventually discover ways to neutralize Garrett's impact, at least to a degree.

And so, it falls to Shula to spin the wheel and keep the defensive strategy both random and disguised. He struggled to unlock the raw power of former Rams first-rounder Jared Verse. Under Shula, Verse disrupted offenses but often struggled to finish the play. With Garrett, sacks are the expectation. Pressuring quarterbacks is no longer enough.

Every innovation and wrinkle must be weighed against its impact on what already works. The Rams return a defensive front and safety corps that were outstanding in their own right. And there is the need to fold in young players to ensure their growth and development.

It's a make-or-break crossroads for Shula and the Rams defense. If he succeeds, he will almost certainly be hired away as another team's new head coach. If Shula fails, he may not be hired away, but L.A. will then be in the awkward position of what to do with a coordinator who fell short of necessary objectives.

Shula is too good. He won't fail. And so, fans should prepare for the inevitable. With each defensive success, Shula's future fate is sealed. But that's how this team is built, and it's what keeps the wins coming.

As always, thanks for reading.

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