WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. -- A few years removed from being the team's cornerstone, the Los Angeles Rams defense has been maligned through the first quarter of the 2024 season.
Things were bound to change once future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald opted to hang up his cleats, but watching things unfold is another thing entirely. A once seemingly impenetrable defense is now grappling with an identity crisis as it stumbles through a messy transition; the growing pains of this young group are painfully obvious.
On Thursday, Chris Shula, the Rams' defensive coordinator, peeled back the layers of what's ailing the young defense, highlighting areas that need improvement, particularly the need for overcommunication in the secondary.
Along the defensive line, things need to be more consistent. Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Bobby Brown III, Braden Fiske and Byron Young have played stoutly. Amidst their flashes of brilliance, brute strength, and athleticism, there is room for growth in terms of consistency, particularly in adjusting to blocks and maintaining their level of play.
"Adjusting to blocks, playing with consistency," Shula said when asked how they could improve.
Basic football fundamentals, yet there are times these young Rams have struggled to grasp them.
The Rams need more relentlessness from this young corps. Like Donald did throughout his career, it's more than blowing blocks up; it's about shedding them with force and attacking the gaps like their season depends on it. Because, it does.
Shula wasn't overly critical and was effusive with his praise about Verse's motor.
"We noticed that in college, he's got a motor, and that's one of the things we loved about him, Shula said.
"He's got a motor, he's got an attitude, and you know when you play like that all the time...effort is a skill, and you create muscle memory, and when you're able to do that, that's just how you play the game all the time and uh because of that he he's able to get stronger throughout the game I think that's part of you know getting more comfortable."
Linebackers are left out to dry when the defensive line cannot impose their will. They can't roam free, hunt down ball carriers, or do their job when the line collapses, and the Rams linebackers need all the help they can get.
The Rams are feeling the sting of a decision they can't easily undo—the trade of linebacker Ernest Jones IV to the Tennessee Titans. The trade has left a gaping hole in the heart of the defense that Reeder and Christian Rozeboom are trying to fill but have so far struggled to do so. At times, their play has resembled trying to patch a leak with tape.
Both play with passion, but only so far can grit and hustle carry you. There's more to it—like run fits, pass coverage, and, well, the confidence that Jones had in spades.
It's no secret—Pro Football Focus spells it out clearly. Reeder's sitting with a 57.9 grade, Rozeboom's down at 48.0, and for the sake of comparison, Jones is a 60.6 as he unpacks his bags in Tennessee.
That drop-off? It's precipitous. Painfully so. The kind of plummet leaves you shaking your head, wondering if the trade was worth it.
To his credit, Rozeboom has shown flashes as the better coverage guy between the two, but even his "decent" isn't enough. Against Chicago, he got stuck with a brutal assignment—covering DJ Moore in the red zone. The result? Six points for the Bears.
Shula didn't mince words afterward; he took accountability.
"That was just not a good plan on my part," he admitted, a rare moment of brutal honesty from a coach trying to hold the seams together.
The Bears lined up in empty formation, and the Rams failed to make the necessary adjustment. The result, touchdown Chicago.
Linebackers, though, are the pulse of the defense. They’re the ones who shut down those intermediate plays, the short stuff that, if you hesitate for even a beat, turns into big yardage. It’s like trying to hold sand in your hands—every misseIt'sep, every miscommunication, lets it slip through, and suddenly, the defense is chasing, not attacking. And if the linebackers can’t lock in? It’s more time on the field and more fatigue, and by the final quarter, the cracks start to show.
Shula’s mantra this season is simple but surprisingly profound: “overcommunicating.” It’s become the heartbeat of the Rams’ defensive strategy, especially in the secondary, where one misstep, one missed signal, can unravel everything instantly.
"We've been stressing it's about communication, playing together and I know we've had a few moving parts, but I don't think it's an excuse for anything," Shula said.
He put it bluntly—players can’t assume the guy next to them knows what they’re thinking or supposed to do. That assumption? It’s a ticking time bomb, waiting to go off in the form of a wide-open receiver streaking downfield.
Every single assignment and every adjustment needs to be spoken out loud. No silent heroes, no lone wolves. Because when everyone is vocal, when everyone is in sync, magic happens.
When the defense moves as one, anticipates routes and closes passing lanes before the quarterback even sees them, it forces turnovers. Communication is the great equalizer in a league where offenses are always one step ahead, throwing out new formations and wrinkles.
Shula knows it’s not just about athleticism or talent—it’s about trust, about knowing that when you’re out there, your teammates aren’t just hoping they’re in the right spot; they know because you’ve told them, and they’ve told you.
That’s where “over communication” turns into a weapon. When it clicks, the secondary isn’t just reacting; it’s dictating.
This Rams defense, though, is still very much a work in progress. It’s a unit constantly morphing, from the guys in the trenches fine-tuning their techniques to the secondary striving for flawless overcommunication. Shula’s words are a glimpse into this evolution, a reminder that staying dominant at this level isn’t about standing still—constantly sharpening, tweaking and ensuring no one gets too comfortable.
Make no mistake, comfort on the field leads to confidence, which leads to quicker play, fewer mistakes, and those game-changing plays the Rams desperately need.