Rams LB Nate Landman continues to make Falcons look foolish for letting him walk

The Los Angeles Rams have fielded a defense that is difficult to score against. After two games, defensive coordinator Chris Shula's defense has allowed just one touchdown and just 28 points.

Of course, contrarians will point to the fact that L.A. has allowed field-goal kickers to successfully hoof seven of seven field goals. But if you had to choose a defense that allowed field goals or touchdowns, I suspect fans would unanimously choose field goals.

In his post-game press conference following the 33-19 victory over the Tennessee Titans, head coach Sean McVay wasted no time in naming his turning point in the game. With his team leading by a score of 20-16, the Titans took over on their own 27-yard line. After a 2-yard run by Titans running back Tony Pollard, quarterback Cam Ward dropped back to pass the football, but linebacker Byron Young caught up to him for his second sack of the game.

But this time, he stripped Ward of the football, which just happened to end up in the arms of linebacker Nate Landman.

That gave Los Angeles the football at the Titans' 21-yard line. After two plays that gained 5 yards, quarterback Matthew Stafford found wide receiver Davante Adams for a 16-yard touchdown pass that put the Rams up by the score of 27-16.

It truly was the turning point, because with 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, one team had finally claimed a double-digit lead.

Nate Landman gave the Rams another key turnover

It was clear that L.A.'s Week 1 victory was possible thanks to Landman's peanut punch. Well, it seems only fitting that the Week 2 win was only possible thanks to Landman's fumble recovery. And that only adds to his impact, a game in which he added eight tackles as well.

Surprisingly, he was only available to sign as a free agent in 2025 after his premature release from the Atlanta Falcons.

Landman is the emotional and statistical leader of the defense. After Week 2, he leads the team with 18 tackles. He has also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

While "what if?" scenarios are fruitless, he seemed to be the crux of both wins this season after just two games. And his instant promotion to defense signal-caller, as well as one of the defensive captains, is a huge sign of how much respect his teammates have for him.

Is Landman worth more to Los Angeles than the Atlanta Falcons' Round 1 draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft? Many fans might say yes at this point. After all, he is a tackling machine. He has been at the epicenter of two consecutive turnovers that have played a huge part in consecutive victories.

And Landman is only getting better with each week.

Even with a Round 1 rookie, it would be hard to match that impact this quickly. And then, there is the uncertainty of where that Round 1 pick will fall. As of right now, the Falcons could lose a top-10 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. But it's early in the season, and Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. appears to be NFL-ready this season, so hopes for Atlanta to struggle in 2025 are dimming quickly.

One in the hand is worth two in the bush, and Landman is on this defense and making plays. In the future, the scales may balance differently. But for now, Landman is clearly the more valuable asset the Rams possess that once belonged to the Atlanta Falcons.

And that suits the fans just fine.

As always, thanks for reading.

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