Turf Show Times
It’s may be easy to throw in the towel after a 1-3 start, but LA has proven to be a resilient franchise under Sean McVay
The Los Angeles Rams have struggled out of the gate thus far in 2024. Whether it be an absurd amount of injuries or a lack of communication and execution on the field, things have not gone well for Sean McVay’s group. There has been a cascade of criticism towards LA since Sunday, and admittedly a lot of it has been warranted after their performance vs the Chicago Bears, still there are plenty of reasons why fans should stay optimistic on the Rams.
This start to this season has felt eerily like the 3-6 beginnings of 2023. LA struggled out of the gate last season due to major injuries, including losses of WR Cooper Kupp and RB Kyren Williams. Post-bye week it was a completely different story. The team was able to regroup and regain some injured players, like Williams and Kupp, going 7-1 to finish out the remainder of the season, while claiming a wild card spot in the process.
The Rams were only 2-3 after Week 5 last year, and at this point they still have a chance to match that same record with an underdog win at home over the Green Bay Packers this weekend.
While 2-3 would be nothing to brag about, if last season showed anything it’s that McVay builds resilient groups that are able to stay focused despite slow starts, and many of the same players that went through the 2023 rollercoaster are still on the roster this time around too.
The Rams have struggled mightily against the run including a ton of missed tackles, but with a defensive line now lacking Aaron Donald and built mostly of second and first-year players, mistakes are bound to happen. The pressure they are putting on teams is undeniably top tier though, leading the NFL by pressuring the quarterback on 41.3% of drop backs. They are also finding this success despite a low number of actual blitz plays being called by defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
Rookie Jared Verse is standing out the most, getting to the QB 18% of the time which ranking him fifth in the entire NFL. However, the problem is Verse also leads the NFL in missed tackles with 11. Rookie Braden Fiske has also been doing his part, ranking 11th in the NFL with 15.9%. Second-year pillars LB Byron Young and DT Kobie Turner are also both having success with double-digit pressure percentages of their own as well.
Since the Rams are struggling so badly at corner, both with injuries and overall play, LA needs more of the pressures finished by the d-line so it will naturally cut down on throws being completed during scramble plays, something that mobile quarterback Kyler Murray made them pay for in their...
