The Los Angeles Rams made headlines for their historic turnaround on the offensive side of the ball. However, they also benefitted from having one of the league’s stingiest defenses.
It goes without saying that the Rams had some issues with their run defense. Fortunately, they made up for it with one of the most formidable pass rushes in the league. According to Next Gen Stats, Los Angeles finished behind just the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, and Philadelphia Eagles for the most pressures by any team in the 2017 NFL season:
While the Rams’ top-ranked scoring offense stole the headlines during the team’s epic turnaround, their ferocious pass rush was just as big a factor in the team’s playoff berth. Led by Defensive Player of the Year winner Aaron Donald, Los Angeles racked up 260 pressures during the 2017 regular season. Donald bullied through offensive linemen all season, posting 65 pressures. He trailed only Chandler Jones (66) for the league lead in pressures, despite playing two fewer games than the Cardinals edge rusher.
There is no question that Donald has established himself as the gold standard for defensive lineman throughout the league in terms of both rush and pass defense. However, defensive tackle Michael Brockers has also stepped up big by getting to the quarterback.
That said, there are still lingering concerns about their rush defense after finishing 28th against the run last season. Fortunately, it did not translate into very many points for opposing teams. The Rams have some major improvements to make this offseason. However, they will want to continue to build on their ability to get to quarterbacks, especially in such a pass-heavy league.
