The Rams Defense – Soft, Predicable and Uninspired Under Chris Shula

[GlendoraRam]

Chris Shula’s promotion to the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator role in 2024 raised some eyebrows. As the grandson of legendary coach Don Shula and a long-time assistant under Sean McVay, Shula stepped into the void left by Raheem Morris, who departed to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. But two seasons into his tenure, with the Rams sitting at 3-2 but showing cracks, the narrative around Shula has shifted from promising understudy to a coordinator whose predictable schemes, lack of innovation, and subdued leadership are holding back a talented young defense.

Shula’s background is steeped in football royalty, but his path to the DC role feels more like a comfortable inheritance than a merit-based ascent. Joining the Rams in 2017 as a defensive assistant, he climbed the ranks through positions as linebackers coach and pass-rush coordinator, largely under Morris’s wing. Morris, known for his adaptable, soft ‘bend but don’t break” defenses, provided Shula with a blueprint. Yet, critics argue Shula has merely replicated a watered-down version of Morris’s system, leaning heavily on soft zone coverages that, as we witnessed last night, opponents exploit with ease. This understudy label isn’t a compliment—it’s a critique, suggesting Shula lacks the originality to evolve beyond his mentor’s shadow.
Read more: https://www.theramsnews.com/the-rams-defense/

[brasilrams]

Very good article. Shula must improve a lot otherwise it will be proved that this was a bad hire. A very bad one. Probably as bad as Morris. And this is on mcvay. I watch spagnoulo, fangio aggressive schemes and it looks totally different. Kc defense is always close to the LOS.

[SoCalRam78]

First two drives were everything underneath. Rams were totally unprepared. Niners had like 165 yards in two drives with no WRs. A joke.

[malibu]

I will say he did not adjust well early. Why no blitzing? Why no underneath coverage to take away the short pass? We had zero sacks in regulation unacceptable.

[GlendoraRam]

First two drives were everything underneath. Rams were totally unprepared. Niners had like 165 yards in two drives with no WRs. A joke.

Exactly how you pick apart the scheme Shula runs. Rams play way off the ball making everything underneath so easy.
Problem is, everyone sees this scheme and the Rams won’t change up.
Cowardly and chickenshit.

[bigklein]

No real adjustments, and the NGS graphic you integrated says so much. The defense dropped a couple of interceptions too.

[Utah Rams Fan]

It’s unacceptable. This defense allows everything in front it, then respond. This allows for a moving the chains, dink, dunk and run. This allows for very long drives that wear out your defense. This allows points.

My question is why? WHY Dammit! Knock it off and play aggressive football. That soft D doesn’t work and never has. Knock it off!

[Ncromwell21]

What makes no sense is playing off on a team fensive scheemewith a noodle arm QB with no mobility that has a bum leg and backup receivers with little speed.

you basically told them throw short and take our biggest weapon out of the game (dline).

The defense was the exact opposite of how you play a team in the condition the Niners were in

[RammingItSince’69]

JMO but I think Shula fell into the defensive coordinator position and had success given the players that were already there, not what he schemed.

Get some taller and more physical CB help and this D will be fine with or without Shula.

[brasilrams]

What makes no sense is playing off on a team fensive scheemewith a noodle arm QB with no mobility that has a bum leg and backup receivers with little speed.

you basically told them throw short and take our biggest weapon out of the game (dline).

The defense was the exact opposite of how you play a team in the condition the Niners were in

Exactly , how is that shula took forever to adjust to the dink and dunk ? Actually , he should knew they were going to do it since the first minute.

[Cornell29]

Shula has lost all faith in his DBs, so he is playing this soft 10 feet off wr trash. I dont blame him for losing faith in the dbs, they suck. Les needs to get in the phone. I dont like how Shula tries to hide the dbs sucking. Having the dbs play 10 yards off the wr so they dont get burnt against a dink and dunk team, is stupid. If they get burnt in press man coverage, fine, but don't let the opposing team eat up clock doing safe dink and dunk passes. Thats the niners strength, as the DC you are supposed to at least take their strength away and beat make them beat you another way. Shula didn't scheme to take away McCaffrey and he didnt scheme to take away the dink and dunk. What was he doing all week?

The poor DB play if this team have effected the team and coaching staff alike. It like a disease, the dbs are herpes.

[DelMar]

Wonder why we haven’t heard anything from Coach (Commish) or Raminec?

Thought for sure those two cats would have some good stuff to say about the current state of the Rams…

Wake up you two….

[NorCal RF]

Search Shula and click on page 7. And just read. The theme what just 2 weeks ago was he is gone n will be a HC next year. Now he is a bum……….

[Claremontram]

Good article; Shula better deliver the rest of this season or he needs to go.

Got to be prepared for more dink and dunk offenses.

[brasilrams]

Search Shula and click on page 7. And just read. The theme what just 2 weeks ago was he is gone n will be a HC next year. Now he is a bum……….

Things can change pretty fast imo . The rams defense had a great first half against the eagles and since then , have played terribly . That is 10 quarters of bad football in a row . I think Jury is still out on Shula but I am not liking what I see so far. Different than Blackburn , which the jury is not OUT anymore , HE needs to be shown the door .

[therealheadslap75]

Search Shula and click on page 7. And just read. The theme what just 2 weeks ago was he is gone n will be a HC next year. Now he is a bum……….

I find it hard to disagree with a good old-fashioned negative post, with that being said, I think Shula is good. I think he had a major disconnect this past game.

i've been saying it for years, shanny is dinking and dunking, clog his short passing lanes, take away the first read and you're going to get sacks or errant throws by mediocre deep passers.

Instead, he was playing two deep safeties do you think the whole game

[NorCal RF]

Search Shula and click on page 7. And just read. The theme what just 2 weeks ago was he is gone n will be a HC next year. Now he is a bum……….

I find it hard to disagree with a good old-fashioned negative post, with that being said, I think Shula is good. I think he had a major disconnect this past game.

i've been saying it for years, shanny is dinking and dunking, clog his short passing lanes, take away the first read and you're going to get sacks or errant throws by mediocre deep passers.

Instead, he was playing two deep safeties do you think the whole game

I can actually agree slap with this. As I said after last game why he has stopped bringing the house in the 4th………

JMO he has stopped because he knows how bad the secondary is in coverage. JMO that IS the reason to bring more than 4 in pass rush……..

But I agree with you overall, counting last year, I think Shula has been good.

[ocram23]

the only way to cover up a weak secondary is to have a ferocious pass rush....you can't just play a vanilla defensive scheme and hope your front 4 get to the QB. That obviously wasn't happening in the Niner game so he needed IMO to call some blitz packages and put some pressure on Jones. He rarely did that and Jones had a career day. He needs to get better if we stand a chance moving forward

[DVA_ram33]

I'm on the fence about playing off the ball a lot..you need a good run defence/short pass defence to give a long 3 and something.. then the odds are in your favour that the other team will be punting. Its more of a percentages game at this point

It has worked but i agree it needs to be mixed up to keep the offense guessing.

[RAMFAN71]

Yeah- I see what y'all see. I would no go so far to say Shula is no good or a bum or same as Morris just yet. He has been way better overall (last season to now) than bad. Yes, SF game was bad. But they really improved the run D- bottled up Barkley and mcCaffrey for the most part. Lot of sacks. Lot of hurries. I think Shula has a bad game playing way too soft vs SF. Agree with the non use of blitzes being dumb. But again, the Rams D up to now has been considered one of the better in the league by a lot of people. I think the CB situation sucks and has been exposed. I will not complain about the rest of the D. And I still give Shula some credit. But I agree he needs to wake up and make adjustments. It's hard to compensate for bad players, but it can be done with our D. I hope he give AJ Green a shot. And i hope he has Forbes looking in the mirror.

[Commish]

Thursday night's fiasco by the Rams gave me 'flashbacks' to the 2020 season, when our team fell apart in both games vs. an injury-devastated 49ers team, thus giving the Seahawks the NFC West title.

There were numerous critical mistakes during the recent failure by the Good Guys, however ultimately they were outhit and outhustled, simply unprepared to physically take the game to the Western Evil Empire.

Simply put, had Sean McVay had his players emotionally focused to play consistently hard in a prime-time contest, the Rams would have won by at least two touchdowns and a couple mistakes wouldn't have mattered to the game's ultimate outcome, only perhaps to the margin of victory.

Our team should have dominated the 49ers, just like it should have twice back in '20... :? ;) :x

RAM SEASON!!

--The Commish