How Chris Shula's Hybrid Defense Dismantled the Jaguars

A deep dive into the Fangio-Phillips hybrid that's taken the Rams to the top of the NFL's defensive charts.

Against the Jaguars in London, Shula’s defensive acumen was on full display. Trevor Lawrence had a season low QBR of 13.0 (ESPN). Though rookie Travis Hunter went for over 100 yards, the offense only mustered seven total points.

The Rams’ defense used multiple attacking styles to keep the Jaguars off balance. From pressures to coverage rotations, Shula seemed to have an answer for everything. The Jacksonville offensive line has struggled all season, and the Rams’ defense took full advantage with seven total sacks.

The use of Cover 3, combined with sub-packages, allows Shula to disguise coverage through post-snap rotations to confuse quarterbacks. Closed-Post coverages flood the underneath zones and limit explosives in the Post. By eliminating quick intermediate throws and forcing the quarterback to hold the ball, the elite pass rush of the Rams has time to hit home, which they did in London.

Overall, the Rams’ secondary matches the NFL league average, but leans more toward Cover 3 (zone) than Cover 1 (man). In ‘25, LA is currently second in EPA/play when running zone coverage (FTN). Part of that surge in success has been the alignment within the secondary in year two under Shula.

Under Shula, the Rams have run the most Dime in the NFL for the past two seasons. Part of that has been their front structure, but the main culprit has been the surge in play for Nickel Quentin Lake. The fourth year Safety has become the critical piece in the Rams ’ sub-package heavy defense.

Though LA is 28th in Nickel usage (five DBs), they are first in Dime (six DBs). Currently, Lake is ranked fourth in Slot Havoc by Field Vision. Veterans Safety Kam Curl and CB Darious Williams are also excelling in the zone-based system created by Shula.

Related Content: What are Havoc Ratings?

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