Rams' rising defensive star poised to crush Titans in Week 2 showdown

If fans had to guess who would be the star of Week 1 from the Los Angeles Rams defense, the number of options might prove to be too difficult to discern among the best of the bunch.

L.A. loves to invest in pass-rushers and the defensive line but doesn't exactly invest much into the inside linebacker position, and that simply is how it views the best ways to build a championship-caliber defense.

However, before you fret about another season with lackluster linebacker performances, the narrative has already dramatically improved in 2025.

As soon as Los Angeles signed under-the-radar free-agent linebacker Nate Landman, the defense has taken on an entirely new level of swag. Landman is a seasoned veteran who is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, big enough to manhandle running backs and tight ends who dare to invade his territory. He is also big enough to toss blockers aside.

And best of all, he can impact the game.

The defense is not accustomed to getting impact plays from that position. And to be fair, it's not something the Rams should depend on too readily. The NFL has a huge population of elite defensive players, and even after a sensational debut, nobody views Landman as elite... yet.

But he is just getting started, so don't take that off the table just yet.

Rams Defensive Player of the Week is ready for Week 2

The best way to get onto the football field is to make plays.

The way to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week is to make impactful plays. And that's exactly what Landman did in Week 1 against the Houston Texans:

He not only led the team in tackles (tied with safety Kam Curl), but his patented peanut punch forced a fumble at a key moment in the game, shutting down a late Texans offensive rally.

While it was just another day at the office for the veteran linebacker, it was exactly what L.A.'s defense needed to get the job done.

If you pull the mad scrambles by quarterback C.J. Stroud in Week 1, Houston's rushing offense averaged just 3.73 yards per carry. That's pretty good from Los Angeles' vantage point, considering the defense had to face one of the NFL's feared running backs in Nick Chubb. That's also what defensive coordinator Chris Shula says to expect from Landman, whom he said everyone knew early on would fit in well.

Landman will need to do so again in Week 2 against another solid running back in The Tennessee Titans' Tony Pollard, who rushed for 60 yards against the Denver Broncos on 18 carries. While he did not run free against the Broncos, Pollard has the potential to put up over 100 rushing yards in any given week.

Landman will also call the defensive plays, and he masterfully choreographed a defensive game plan that held the potent Texans to just nine points. Now, he will face an equally frustrated Titans offense that was held to just 12 points in Week 1. But it's not too far-fetched to expect an even better performance from this defense.

Landman is at the helm, and he's just getting started.

As always, thanks for reading.

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