Rams secondary anoints Bills QB Josh Allen as favorite for NFL MVP honors

The LA Rams have many reasons to pat themselves on the back after a sensational Week 14 win. But the continuing disappointing play of the Rams secondary is becoming more than a slight annoyance. It's a downright concern. And to be honest, the secondary, and the cornerbacks especially, have not shown much progress or improvement all season.

The lone bright spot in the LA Rams' secondary (in terms of cornerbacks) this season has been the durable Cobie Durant. Now, his availability with the team is no longer guaranteed. You see, he suffered a bruised lung in Week 14. With the team's next game being played on Thursday Night Football, the time to recover is rather limited.

The Rams are currently the 24th ranked pass defense in the NFL in terms of passing yards allowed with 225.1 yards per game. But in terms of passes attempted against the Rams defense, they have seen the ninth-fewest passes in the league. So the stats can be a bit misleading. The Rams have allowed 23 passing touchdowns, which is one of the most generous secondaries in the NFL. The lone bright spot for the defense is the fact that they have 10 interceptions. Only one cornerback, Cobie Durant, has picked off a pass.

Rams secondary punctuates Bills QB Josh Allen for NFL MVP honors

In Week 1, the Rams allowed Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams to put up 121 yards and one touchdown. He has only matched that performance once for the rest of the season. In Week 2, the Rams allowed rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to put up 130 yards and two touchdowns. It was the best performance of the season. In Week 3, the Rams allowed San Francisco 49ers Jauan Jennings to put up 175 yards and three touchdowns.

So it's not as though the Rams defensive backs have been particularly stingy this season. But the Week 14 performance of Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen elevated the level of production against this Rams defense to an entirely new level. And this is after Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley gashed the Rams for 255 rushing yards and two touchdowns as well as 47 receiving yards.

Barkley could not hold a candle to Allen's performance.

Bills QB Josh Allen completed 22 of 37 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns. But when he wasn't passing into the endzone, he was rushing into it. You see, Allen added 10 rushes for 82 yards and three more touchdowns. It was enough to put his name in the NFL Record Books, Yet, the Bills lost the game anyway.

It's too late to fix the secondary. And at the NFL Trade Deadline, how ironic is it that the Rams traded away veteran cornerback Tre'Davious White to the Baltimore Ravens for next to nothing?

That could prove to be problematic for the team as the season winds down. White was clearly hampered by lingering effects of several serious injuries. Unfortunately, the team was forced to play and start White due to injuries to other players.

Now, the haste to trade aways White seems very unwise.

Of course, the Rams claimed former Round 1 cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off the Washington Commanders waiver wire, and he could prove to be a diamond in the rough. But he cannot be expected to improve a secondary that has struggled all season. And in all likelihood, even if Forbes takes the field in Week 15, he won't.

The Rams are 7-6 with four games remaining in the 2024 NFL season. Even after winning a game that nearly everyone expected them to lose, they cannot afford to lose any more games. And with a secondary that seems incapable of shutting down opposing quarterbacks or receivers, that is definitely a difficult row to hoe.

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