Without a doubt, the Los Angeles Rams defense has not lived up to the hype thus far in the 2024 campaign. This has been one of the worst NFL defenses, even if it was expected that the team would regress. Whether Aaron Donald is lost or not, that is an unacceptable outcome, particularly considering the Rams added two starting-caliber cornerbacks in free agency and used the top three of their first four draft selections on defense.
Chris Shula, the new defensive coordinator, is already under fire in a world where some people demand rapid satisfaction, especially if things do not improve right away. Clearly, there was a problem between Ernest Jones and Shula, which resulted in a trade. At linebacker, the Rams defense now mostly relies on Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder.
Shula’s tenure with the Rams as a coordinator is currently on a similar path to that of Liam Coen in 2022. Aside from Darious Williams and John Johnson III’s injury, Shula’s defense has been largely healthy even without Aaron Donald. Coen’s offense was down Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, and had a historic number of injuries, notably to the offensive line.
However, this does not imply that Shula has received a perfect hand. Aaron Donald’s departure would be difficult for many coordinators. This is also a defense that now ranks dead lowest in defensive spending a $44.2M. The Kansas City Chiefs are ranked 31st with $75.3M. The Chiefs at 31 and the Baltimore Ravens at 9 are separated by the same $31.1 million. The Rams are at 32 and the Chiefs are at 31.
While options may be restricted, at some time changes are going to need to be made. Something needs to be done, whether it is with the players or the coaching staff above and beyond. It seems doubtful that McVay would make a coaching change this early, but if things don’t begin to improve, especially after the bye week, it’s something that will need to be in the cards.
A team firing a coordinator in their first season is not common. McVay might consider what happened to Mike Macdonald after he was granted a second season in Baltimore. Even when the Philadelphia Eagles made a coaching change last season, Sean Desai continued to serve as an assistant coach until the end of the year, and Matt Patricia assumed play-calling duties. That adjustment was made by Eagles coach Nick Sirianni following a Week 14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
If the defense does not get better, McVay will find himself in a scenario he has never encountered. Would he switch position coaches if he did not make a change at coordinator? Aubrey Pleasant was elevated to associate head coach this past offseason after serving as the defense’s passing game coordinator for the previous two years.
Pleasant has been with the Rams for two stints now. He departed the Rams in 2021 to take a position as the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator with the Detroit Lions. The Lions finished 30th in pass defense EPA and 27th in pass defense DVOA under Pleasant.
The following year, Pleasant had a 1-6 start and was let go. Through eight weeks, the Lions ranked dead last in pass defense DVOA at 25.5 percent and pass defense EPA at 0.29. The Lions finished rated 23rd in pass defense DVOA and 17th in pass defense EPA during Weeks 9–18 when Pleasant was not on the team.
The Rams pass defense is ranked 31st in DVOA and EPA, even though their pass rush leads the NFL in quarterback pressure rate. In contrast, the five teams (HOU, NYJ, SF, CLE, and DEN) that trail the Rams in pressure rate are ranked 11th, 12th, 5th, 16th, and 10th in terms of pass defensive DVOA. Tre White, Kam Kinchens, and Kam Curl have also been among the worst in the secondary at their positions.
Pleasant is obviously respected by McVay and the Rams. There was a reason he was brought back, and he was being considered for the role of defensive coordinator. McVay elevated him to assistant head coach even though he was passed over for the position of defensive coordinator. But Pleasant’s track record as a defensive passing game coordinator dates back to his time with the Lions in Detroit.
To be clear, this isn’t to argue that the Rams should fire Shula or even Pleasant. On and off the field, some adjustments will need to be made if things do not get better, especially during the bye week. The Rams’ defense is not the best in the NFL, but it is surely not the worst either. On the defensive end, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Jared Verse, and Byron Young have performed admirably. Kinchens, a talented youngster, has not performed well, and Derion Kendrick nearly seems like an improvement over White.
In 2022, when things were at their worst, McVay only made one in-season change: he fired running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples. that’s worth asking whether that is something he would explore again if things don’t improve on defense.
