2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 4-4
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-0.11 EPA a play allowed, 4th of 32, and 0.12 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (4th).
- How they playThey blitz on 29% of dropbacks, the 16th-most in the league, and get pressure on 19%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: -0.07 EPA a dropback, 4th, softest behind the line middle (-0.16 a throw).
- Who hurt themMike Evans (SF): 49 yards and +8.2 EPA on 7 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Commanders, whose offense ranks 18th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.11 | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | -0.07 | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.16 | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 40% | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 8% | 7th of 32 | 80th | |
| Yards per play | 5.0 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Yards per carry | 3.5 | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 33% | 6th of 32 | 83rd |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 4.2% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 19% | 26th of 32 | 19th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 11% | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.5% | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 43% | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.85 | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.0 | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.12 | 4th of 32 | 89th |
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 5 of 8 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 2 against the Giants, 0.50 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.01 a play elsewhere, the 11th-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs SFL 7-27+0.18usual +0.17
vs NYGW 28-6-0.43usual +0.07
at DENL 26-30-0.04usual -0.03
at PHIW 24-20-0.29usual -0.10
vs BUFL 34-37+0.28usual +0.16
vs ARIL 16-18-0.02usual -0.02
at LVW 35-21-0.14usual +0.05
vs LACW 24-9-0.45usual -0.22Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is behind the line middle: -0.16 EPA a throw against a league -0.59. The lockdown zone is deep right, -0.91 a throw (league +0.33). Completions against them run 6.9 points under expected, 2nd-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 3.5 yards a carry against them, 6th of 32. The leak is off right tackle: 4.4 a carry and +0.18 EPA (league 4.1, -0.07).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 15.52nd | 112.02nd | +0.086th-toughest | 18.08th-fewest22.46th-fewest26.85th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 8.425th | 45.59th | -0.301st-toughest | 5.66th-fewest8.17th-fewest10.67th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 6.926th | 43.328th | +0.0012th-toughest | 14.45th-fewest17.28th-fewest19.911th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 16.013th-fewest16.013th-fewest16.013th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Evans | SF | 7 | 49 | 1 | +8.2 |
| Khalil Shakir | BUF | 3 | 80 | +5.9 | |
| Pat Bryant | DEN | 2 | 44 | 1 | +5.4 |
| Ty Johnson | BUF | 4 | 72 | +4.7 | |
| Brock Bowers | LV | 8 | 73 | +4.3 | |
| Darnell Mooney | NYG | 3 | 48 | +3.5 |
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-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 48% against a league 61%. They are stingiest in 3rd down (-0.42 a play, league -0.04) and weakest in 2nd down (+0.15, league +0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 208 | -0.09 | +0.02 | -0.11 |
| 2nd down | 164 | +0.15 | +0.00 | +0.14 |
| 3rd down | 102 | -0.42 | -0.04 | -0.39 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 33 | 48% | 61% | −12 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 30 | 40% | 44% | −4 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 39 | 15% | 27% | −11 pts |
| Red zone | 82 | -0.19 | +0.03 | -0.22 |
| Two-minute drill | 48 | -0.08 | 0.00 | -0.08 |
| When they lead | 250 | -0.06 | +0.01 | -0.06 |
| One-score game | 318 | -0.06 | -0.01 | -0.06 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 41 | -0.16 | +0.03 | -0.19 |
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 29% of dropbacks and average 4.4 rushers; 71% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.14 EPA when they blitz and +0.04 when they do not.
They put 6.7 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 14%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.3 a carry; into eight or more, 1.6.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 3 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.15 EPA against them on 21% of throws; screens +0.06.
28 defensive penalties for 264 yards, 19 of them first downs, the 26th-fewest. They miss 9% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 20th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Byron Young leads the pass rush with 18 pressures and 4.5 sacks on 80% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0Byron YoungLB | 80% | 18 | 4.5 | 10 | 5 | 32 | 1 |
| 10Josaiah StewartLB | 67% | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 22 | |
| 55Braden FiskeDE | 56% | 8 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 15 | |
| 99Aaron DonaldDE | 47% | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 91Kobie TurnerDE | 45% | 3 | 1 | 22 | |||
| 90Tyler DavisDE | 38% | 1 | 1 | 20 | |||
| 97Poona FordDT | 30% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 57Ty HamiltonDT | 21% | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||
| 94Desjuan JohnsonLB | 13% | 2 | 1 | 9 | |||
| 52Larrell MurchisonDT | 10% | 3 |
Nate Landman plays 77% of the snaps with 58 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53Nate LandmanLB | 77% | 58 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 68.6 | 2 | |
| 48Omar SpeightsLB | 45% | 37 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 78.0 | 2 |
| 47Wesley BaileyLB | 30% | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 72.9 | 1 |
| 56Shaun DolacLB | 6% | 15 | 1 | 83.3 | 1 | |||
| 44Grant StuardLB | 0% | 2 |
Trent McDuffie is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 38.4 passer rating on 21 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37Quentin LakeSAF | 100% | 41 | 25 of 41 | 261 | 2 | 69.2 | 3 | 11 |
| 3Kam CurlSAF | 93% | 16 | 12 of 16 | 124 | 1 | 97.1 | 2 | |
| 35Jaylen WatsonCB | 74% | 36 | 17 of 36 | 197 | 2 | 69.5 | 1 | 9 |
| 30Josh WallaceCB | 73% | 26 | 13 of 26 | 93 | 53.5 | 1 | 5 | |
| 22Trent McDuffieCB | 72% | 21 | 7 of 21 | 42 | 38.4 | 2 | 8 | |
| 5Kamren KinchensSAF | 51% | 11 | 9 of 11 | 134 | 2 | 123.9 | 2 | |
| 2Jaylen McColloughSAF | 36% | 6 | 6 of 6 | 114 | 1 | 128.1 | ||
| 1Emmanuel ForbesCB | 25% | 14 | 7 of 14 | 49 | 1 | 69.3 | 2 | |
| 36Maximus PulleySAF | 0% |
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.