The RAMS Forum

What happens when you pair Stafford with a great defense?








Matthew Stafford seems to be paired with the best defense of his 17-year NFL career. The Los Angeles Rams rank first in Defensive EPA (Estimated Points Added) through seven weeks and Chris Shula’s side of the ball is second in points allowed and 2nd in points per drive allowed.

It is the first time the Rams have ranked this high on defense since they were first in 2020, the year before they traded for Stafford. Is this the best defense of Stafford’s career and could it lead him back to another Super Bowl?

The Rams have ranked the following Stafford’s seasons:

2021: 15th in points allowed
2022: 21st in points allowed
2023: 19th in points allowed
2024: 17th in points allowed

Stafford era Rams have never ranked higher than 15th. They went 12-5 the year that they won the Super Bowl with a decent defense and since then went 5-12, 10-7, and 10-7.

The Rams are now 5-2 going into the bye week and Shula’s defense is top-10 in both yards per pass and yards per carry allowed: 4th in NY/A (7.1) allowed and 7th in YPC (4.1) allowed. L.A. is tied with the Seahawks for the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (2) and they are eighth in takeaways.

Pass rusher Byron Young has emerged from a very good player to leading the league in sacks with 9!
Teammate Jared Verse has 4 sacks in 7 games, putting him on track to potentially get to double-digits. Both Young and Verse have 17 QB hits and could be the top edge rusher duo in the NFL.

Although the Rams need help in the secondary, Quentin Lake has emerged as one of the NFL’s top nickel corners and he has 9 passes defensed and a forced fumble. Nathan Landman has acclimated himself well to the middle of the defense with 67 tackles and a ton of splash plays.

Is this the best defense of Stafford’s career? It could be.

Back in 2014, the Detroit Lions ranked 3rd in points allowed and 2nd in yards allowed. That Lions team went 11-5 with Stafford, the best year of his 12-year career in Detroit. They lost in the wild card round of the playoffs.

In no other season of Stafford’s Lions career did the team rank inside the top-13 in scoring defense. They ranked outside the top-20 on seven occasions. In fact, Jared Goff has enjoyed 2 top-12 scoring defense seasons in Detroit already, a big reason why he’s had success there.

What’s the limit for a Stafford team that also has a great defense? There should not be one. If the Rams and Stafford can continue on this path, they will be a contender to emerge from the NFL’s toughest conference as a number one seed and/or Super Bowl team. This is probably the best defense of Stafford’s career and he’s already won a Super Bowl with an even lesser unit on that side of the ball.


https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-angel ... d-stafford

Great piece

Offense been explosive, the D been making plays and keeping the opposing team out if the end zone

The special teams, well let's just say, they need alot of work and is the biggest risk to the rams future success. Already cost the rams 2 wins.

Cornell29 wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 10:12 am Great piece

Offense been explosive, the D been making plays and keeping the opposing team out if the end zone

The special teams, well let's just say, they need alot of work and is the biggest risk to the rams future success. Already cost the rams 2 wins.

Its all about the gelling... Rams have started the heater. Im just hoping the bye does not stop the rhythm... but w healthy guys back after the bye, I think we only improve.

The defense is mostly a function of the schedule so far,

If you look at yards per play offensive rankings:

1- Colts
18- San Francisco
21- Jacksonville (1x)
22- NY Giants
23- Houston (1x)
24- Philly (1x)
25- Carolina (1x)
26- Arizona (2x)
27- Las Vegas
28- New Orleans (1x)
29- Cincinnati
30- NY Jets
31- Cleveland
32- Tennessee (1x)

Plus the Ravens without Lamar are def a bottom quality offensive team. The Rams have played 5/7 games vs bad offensive teams. The 6th team (49ers) was missing their QB and numerous starters, and the 7th team was the Colts who have a good offense.

So 6/7 teams were either poor bottom 1/3 offenses or missing their QB.

Let’s see how the D looks vs Lions, Tampa, and Seattle 2x. Those are the only top 10 offenses even on the schedule.

Cornell29 wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 10:12 am Great piece

Offense been explosive, the D been making plays and keeping the opposing team out if the end zone

The special teams, well let's just say, they need alot of work and is the biggest risk to the rams future success. Already cost the rams 2 wins.

You could make a real good case that the Offense should carry at least some of the blame for the Philly loss.
Perhaps if they would have managed to score a TD instead of settling for a FG, on just one of the 6 times they lined up in FG formation.
4 FG's were good, 2 were blocked. Just one and they aren't in need of a last play FG!

Truth wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:04 pm The defense is mostly a function of the schedule so far,

If you look at yards per play offensive rankings:

1- Colts
18- San Francisco
21- Jacksonville (1x)
22- NY Giants
23- Houston (1x)
24- Philly (1x)
25- Carolina (1x)
26- Arizona (2x)
27- Las Vegas
28- New Orleans (1x)
29- Cincinnati
30- NY Jets
31- Cleveland
32- Tennessee (1x)

Plus the Ravens without Lamar are def a bottom quality offensive team. The Rams have played 5/7 games vs bad offensive teams. The 6th team (49ers) was missing their QB and numerous starters, and the 7th team was the Colts who have a good offense.

So 6/7 teams were either poor bottom 1/3 offenses or missing their QB.

Let’s see how the D looks vs Lions, Tampa, and Seattle 2x. Those are the only top 10 offenses even on the schedule.

We've played 2 really bad offenses in Tennessee Houston.

SF, Philly and the Colts are solid teams and with good offensive talent, coaching, ect.

Then Baltimore without Lamar and the Jags who are a unknown.

I wouldn't say it's been a cake schedule. We have played 4 teams with winning records. So I believe we have earned our rank. The front 7 was touted long before the season started. But we will have more teams to test us. I dont see the Rams falling out of the top 6/7 worse case.

HellRam wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:19 pm

Truth wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:04 pm The defense is mostly a function of the schedule so far,

If you look at yards per play offensive rankings:

1- Colts
18- San Francisco
21- Jacksonville (1x)
22- NY Giants
23- Houston (1x)
24- Philly (1x)
25- Carolina (1x)
26- Arizona (2x)
27- Las Vegas
28- New Orleans (1x)
29- Cincinnati
30- NY Jets
31- Cleveland
32- Tennessee (1x)

Plus the Ravens without Lamar are def a bottom quality offensive team. The Rams have played 5/7 games vs bad offensive teams. The 6th team (49ers) was missing their QB and numerous starters, and the 7th team was the Colts who have a good offense.

So 6/7 teams were either poor bottom 1/3 offenses or missing their QB.

Let’s see how the D looks vs Lions, Tampa, and Seattle 2x. Those are the only top 10 offenses even on the schedule.

We've played 2 really bad offenses in Tennessee Houston.

SF, Philly and the Colts are solid teams and with good offensive talent, coaching, ect.

Then Baltimore without Lamar and the Jags who are a unknown.

I wouldn't say it's been a cake schedule. We have played 4 teams with winning records. So I believe we have earned our rank. The front 7 was touted long before the season started. But we will have more teams to test us. I dont see the Rams falling out of the top 6/7 worse case.

Stats are stats. Baltimore without Lamar is an awful offensive team. There’s a reason even a bad team like the Texans blew them out without him in the game. SF was missing a bunch of starters and had their backup QB in. Jacksonville is a bottom 1/3 offensive team.

The Eagles for whatever reason are poor on offense this year. Saquon is a shell of himself

When you’ve played 7 games, and only 1 game vs a top
10 offense with a healthy QB, your numbers should be good.

Did he really say “stats is stats? Seriously did he…………….

Truth wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:29 pm

HellRam wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:19 pm

We've played 2 really bad offenses in Tennessee Houston.

SF, Philly and the Colts are solid teams and with good offensive talent, coaching, ect.

Then Baltimore without Lamar and the Jags who are a unknown.

I wouldn't say it's been a cake schedule. We have played 4 teams with winning records. So I believe we have earned our rank. The front 7 was touted long before the season started. But we will have more teams to test us. I dont see the Rams falling out of the top 6/7 worse case.

Stats are stats. Baltimore without Lamar is an awful offensive team. There’s a reason even a bad team like the Texans blew them out without him in the game. SF was missing a bunch of starters and had their backup QB in. Jacksonville is a bottom 1/3 offensive team.

The Eagles for whatever reason are poor on offense this year. Saquon is a shell of himself

When you’ve played 7 games, and only 1 game vs a top
10 offense with a healthy QB, your numbers should be good.

I'm a bigger believer in PPG than yards, personally

And you're right stats are stats. And the Rams are 2nd in PPG allowed until they no longer earn the right to be. Not all teams are playing elite teams week in and week out. As of now the Rams are 17th in stregth of schedule.

Sure, I can agree they need to keep it up vs the better teams. But I also won't punish them for doing what they are supposed to do and what many predicted they could do.

There's so much that plays into rankings. Like stats from prevent defense BS. Look at the London game.
Jags ended up with 358 total yard and 7 points but they got the TD and almost half those yards in the last 10 minutes, after the Rams D softened up with a 28-0 lead.
The Jags went the length of the field twice, once for a score and once a TO on downs.

Truth wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:04 pm The defense is mostly a function of the schedule so far,

If you look at yards per play offensive rankings:

1- Colts
18- San Francisco
21- Jacksonville (1x)
22- NY Giants
23- Houston (1x)
24- Philly (1x)
25- Carolina (1x)
26- Arizona (2x)
27- Las Vegas
28- New Orleans (1x)
29- Cincinnati
30- NY Jets
31- Cleveland
32- Tennessee (1x)

Plus the Ravens without Lamar are def a bottom quality offensive team. The Rams have played 5/7 games vs bad offensive teams. The 6th team (49ers) was missing their QB and numerous starters, and the 7th team was the Colts who have a good offense.

So 6/7 teams were either poor bottom 1/3 offenses or missing their QB.

Let’s see how the D looks vs Lions, Tampa, and Seattle 2x. Those are the only top 10 offenses even on the schedule.

While you have a bit of a point here Truth, you sure are a debby downer...

And Hellram already replied what we are all thinking... So....

HellRam wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:41 pm

Truth wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:29 pm

Stats are stats. Baltimore without Lamar is an awful offensive team. There’s a reason even a bad team like the Texans blew them out without him in the game. SF was missing a bunch of starters and had their backup QB in. Jacksonville is a bottom 1/3 offensive team.

The Eagles for whatever reason are poor on offense this year. Saquon is a shell of himself

When you’ve played 7 games, and only 1 game vs a top
10 offense with a healthy QB, your numbers should be good.

I'm a bigger believer in PPG than yards, personally

And you're right stats are stats. And the Rams are 2nd in PPG allowed until they no longer earn the right to be. Not all teams are playing elite teams week in and week out. As of now the Rams are 17th in stregth of schedule.

Sure, I can agree they need to keep it up vs the better teams. But I also won't punish them for doing what they are supposed to do and what many predicted they could do.

The statement should be "past stats are past stats".

You dont get bonus points for having a highly ranked defense, or offense. The only stats that are important is "how did you do in today's game".

The Rams lost to the 9ers because they couldn't stop a backup QB and the #3 and 4 Wrs.

They lost to Philly because the offense couldn't put them away and the defense couldn't make a play in the 2nd half.

Perfect example. The Browns are a top 2 ranked defense. They'll be sitting at home for the playoffs.

And now some geek has come up with EPA??? Good God! Thats as fictional as WAR is in baseball!

Ramsfan08ny wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 8:59 pm

HellRam wrote: ↑October 22nd, 2025, 12:41 pm

I'm a bigger believer in PPG than yards, personally

And you're right stats are stats. And the Rams are 2nd in PPG allowed until they no longer earn the right to be. Not all teams are playing elite teams week in and week out. As of now the Rams are 17th in stregth of schedule.

Sure, I can agree they need to keep it up vs the better teams. But I also won't punish them for doing what they are supposed to do and what many predicted they could do.

The statement should be "past stats are past stats".

You dont get bonus points for having a highly ranked defense, or offense. The only stats that are important is "how did you do in today's game".

The Rams lost to the 9ers because they couldn't stop a backup QB and the #3 and 4 Wrs.

They lost to Philly because the offense couldn't put them away and the defense couldn't make a play in the 2nd half.

Perfect example. The Browns are a top 2 ranked defense. They'll be sitting at home for the playoffs.

And now some geek has come up with EPA??? Good God! Thats as fictional as WAR is in baseball!

This makes zero sense!

Stats matter, because they show you what you did do in "today's game".

Sorry, but the Rams have a good defense. That's fact. Not opinion or emotion. Has nothing to do with EPA. Lol.

Rams defense collapsed twice this season . 1) when they allowed Brown to destroy the entire secondary in the second half of the Philly game and 2) when they allowed the 49ers back up QB to have a career day throwing for almost 400 yards to Wr3 and Wr4 . Outside of that they have been solid but those are 2 BIG FAILS for the defense so far . I hope it stops there.

brasilrams wrote: ↑October 23rd, 2025, 10:59 pm Rams defense collapsed twice this season . 1) when they allowed Brown to destroy the entire secondary in the second half of the Philly game and 2) when they allowed the 49ers back up QB to have a career day throwing for almost 400 yards to Wr3 and Wr4 . Outside of that they have been solid but those are 2 BIG FAILS for the defense so far . I hope it stops there.

Having the bigger Spoon back should help, but I cant say I wouldnt like a move for another physical bigger cb. Just not sure of who and if the Rams would do it.