Following their impressive Week 1 victory to open the 2017 NFL season, it is hard to pin-point where the Los Angeles Rams were at their best this weekend. The offense looked pleasantly sharp while the defense was nothing short of dominant despite the absence of All-Pro Aaron Donald.
It took a collective effort to perform the way this defense did versus the Indianapolis Colts. However, spectacular outings from defensive backs Trumaine Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner were good enough to earn them a spot on Pro Football Focus’ Team of the Week:
The best defensive players from all the NFL's week 1 actionhttps://t.co/zSZ8CYU2yP pic.twitter.com/PdXSTn7IYT
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 12, 2017
Joyner graded out as the top defender after Week 1. Listed as a flex, Joyner was all over the field for the Rams defense on Sunday after cornerback Kayvon Webster left the game early. Needless to say, Joyner and Johnson received a nice scoring boost thanks to their pair of pick-6’s.
It is encouraging to see the Los Angeles secondary take control of playmaking duties on the defensive side of the ball, especially with Donald still getting acquainted with the new system. The Rams have boasted a quality defense for some time now.
However, their weakness in recent years has been their thin secondary. If Johnson and Joyner can continue to propel this group, the Rams defense may just take that next step amongst the league’s elite.
