2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 12-5
Rams defense
Every snap the Rams defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.06 EPA a play allowed, 9th of 32, and 0.07 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (10th).
- How they playThey blitz on 25% of dropbacks, the 25th-most in the league, and get pressure on 27%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.2 a carry, 16th, and runs outside right gain 5.7 a carry.
- Who hurt themKendrick Bourne (SF): 161 yards and +12.4 EPA on 12 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.06 | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | -0.06 | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.07 | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 42% | 11th of 32 | 67th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 9% | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Yards per play | 5.2 | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| Yards per carry | 4.2 | 16th of 32 | 52nd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 36% | 6th of 32 | 83rd |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 7.1% | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 27% | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 17% | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.4% | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 45% | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.75 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.5 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.07 | 10th of 32 | 70th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Rams. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 9 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 12 against the Buccaneers, 0.45 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.01 a play elsewhere, the 13th-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs HOUW 14-9-0.13usual 0.00
at TENW 33-19-0.12usual -0.16
at PHIL 26-33+0.03usual +0.03
vs INDW 27-20-0.09usual +0.09
vs SFL 23-26+0.13usual +0.09
at BALW 17-3-0.33usual +0.06
at JAXW 35-7-0.16usual +0.05
vs NOW 34-10-0.32usual -0.08at SFW 42-26+0.14usual +0.09
vs SEAW 21-19-0.20usual +0.05
vs TBW 34-7-0.43usual +0.02
at CARL 28-31+0.24usual -0.05
at ARIW 45-17-0.06usual -0.01
vs DETW 41-34+0.16usual +0.08at SEAL 37-38-0.02usual +0.03
at ATLL 24-27+0.12usual -0.03vs ARIW 37-20+0.04usual -0.02Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is intermediate left: +0.77 EPA a throw against a league +0.35. The lockdown zone is deep left, -0.25 a throw (league +0.42). Completions against them run 0.6 points under expected, 11th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.2 yards a carry against them, 16th of 32. The leak is outside right: 5.7 a carry and +0.15 EPA (league 5.2, +0.07).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 19.928th | 158.625th | +0.1410th-toughest | 20.313th-most26.013th-most31.713th-most |
| Tight ends | 7.519th | 45.17th | +0.074th-toughest | 7.716th-fewest10.416th-fewest13.116th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 6.529th | 39.126th | +0.0418th-toughest | 15.78th-fewest18.212th-fewest20.612th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 15.214th-fewest15.214th-fewest15.214th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kendrick Bourne | SF | 12 | 161 | +12.4 | |
| Michael Wilson | ARI | 24 | 241 | 3 | +10.9 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | 18 | 172 | 2 | +10.6 |
| George Kittle | SF | 9 | 84 | 1 | +9.3 |
| Kenneth Walker III | SEA | 33 | 275 | 2 | +8.9 |
| Jameson Williams | DET | 10 | 126 | 1 | +8.7 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-7+: offenses convert 18% against a league 26%. They are stingiest in the red zone (-0.18 a play, league 0.00) and weakest in games they trail by 9+ (+0.13, league +0.04).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 449 | -0.02 | +0.01 | -0.04 |
| 2nd down | 347 | -0.05 | +0.02 | -0.07 |
| 3rd down | 225 | -0.22 | -0.05 | -0.17 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 65 | 60% | 60% | −0 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 48 | 48% | 44% | +4 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 112 | 18% | 26% | −8 pts |
| Red zone | 156 | -0.18 | 0.00 | -0.18 |
| Two-minute drill | 124 | -0.05 | +0.03 | -0.08 |
| When they lead | 700 | -0.08 | -0.01 | -0.07 |
| One-score game | 628 | -0.06 | +0.02 | -0.08 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 30 | +0.13 | +0.04 | +0.10 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 25% of dropbacks and average 4.1 rushers; 81% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.09 EPA when they blitz and -0.05 when they do not.
They put 6.3 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 6%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.4 a carry; into eight or more, 4.2.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 2 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.23 EPA against them on 18% of throws; screens -0.06.
32 defensive penalties for 252 yards, 24 of them first downs, the 1st-fewest. They miss 8% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 6th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Byron Young leads the pass rush with 40 pressures and 12 sacks on 76% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0Byron YoungLB | 76% | 40 | 12 | 29 | 12 | 81 | 1 |
| 8Jared VerseDE | 76% | 36 | 7.5 | 27 | 11 | 54 | 3 |
| 91Kobie TurnerDE | 67% | 21 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 47 | |
| 55Braden FiskeDT | 48% | 18 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 29 | |
| 95Poona FordDT | 45% | 10 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 45 | |
| 90Tyler DavisDE | 42% | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 43 | |
| 57Ty HamiltonDT | 12% | 1 | 1 | 11 | |||
| 52Larrell MurchisonDT | 11% | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
| 94Desjuan JohnsonDE | 10% | 8 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 12 | |
| 93Jack HeflinDT | 1% | 1 |
Nate Landman plays 91% of the snaps with 130 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53Nate LandmanLB | 91% | 130 | 8 | 2.5 | 11 | 55 | 93.4 | 12 |
| 48Omar SpeightsLB | 61% | 83 | 1 | 44 | 72.9 | 3 | ||
| 10Josaiah StewartLB | 33% | 21 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 63.3 | 1 |
| 6Nick HamptonLB | 10% | 10 | 1 | 2 | 112.5 | 1 | ||
| 51Troy ReederLB | 7% | 25 | 8 | 75.3 | ||||
| 56Shaun DolacLB | 3% | 23 | 2 | 2 | 102.1 |
Cobie Durant is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 75.8 passer rating on 74 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Kam CurlSAF | 99% | 64 | 47 of 64 | 522 | 1 | 92.7 | 2 | 5 |
| 26Kamren KinchensSAF | 75% | 43 | 34 of 43 | 346 | 4 | 103.4 | 2 | 6 |
| 1Emmanuel ForbesCB | 74% | 76 | 43 of 76 | 623 | 6 | 83.4 | 3 | 18 |
| 14Cobie DurantCB | 73% | 74 | 41 of 74 | 529 | 4 | 75.8 | 3 | 7 |
| 37Quentin LakeSAF | 55% | 47 | 29 of 47 | 353 | 1 | 80.8 | 1 | 10 |
| 2Jaylen McColloughSAF | 46% | 47 | 29 of 47 | 280 | 79.2 | 4 | ||
| 31Darious WilliamsCB | 37% | 41 | 22 of 41 | 261 | 3 | 77.8 | 1 | 8 |
| 30Josh WallaceCB | 23% | 23 | 16 of 23 | 162 | 1 | 95.3 | 1 | 3 |
| 4Ahkello WitherspoonCB | 17% | 16 | 10 of 16 | 187 | 1 | 97.1 | 1 | 2 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.