The Rams' Defensive Primer Pt. 1
MQ breaks down LA's defensive philosophy.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), the Rams had five “pass rushers” on 90% of their snaps. Though this may sound like LA’s scheme is blitz-heavy, it is all by design. Beginning with the now-infamous Brandon Staley hire to take over as the defensive coordinator for the 2020 season, the Rams made a shift to what was considered “exotic” two years ago. It is incredible how quickly things can accelerate in a copy-cat league like the NFL.
Staley’s ‘20 design maximized leverage and match-ups. Placing five defenders on the line of scrimmage (LOS) forces the offense into man blocking. With more teams running zone-centric schemes, meshing wide and inside zone to yo-yo defenses, and marrying it with an even more pass-first philosophy, the Rams decided to leverage their roster against their opponents. The key cog in the first-level scheme is the use of Aaron Donald in the interior.
Warren Sapp became a star in the Under Front Tampa 2 defenses that terrorized the early 2000s. Sapp was lightning quick and played like a DE, but aligned inside versus inferior Guards. Placing him inside and stacking an edge rusher outside of him created one-on-one match-ups in pass protection. The result was a Hall of Fame career and 96.5 sacks, second-most by a primary inside defender at his retirement.
Donald, who mainly features inside, has accumulated 98 sacks while moving around, causing mayhem for offenses. Donald is unique because he can play every position on the line at an elite level. A rare talent born into the exact moment when hybrid players and schematic creativity on defense are at a premium.
The Rams’ base front stems from the Tite Front tree (404), the Odd Fronts version of the four-down Under Front. One of the main knocks on the Tite Front is the lack of pass rush and soft edges created by a C-gap bubble. Defenses have to blitz the overhang to the passing strength to achieve a hard edge. Thus, the defense is essentially blitzing-to-Bear or creating a five-man rush. In many cases, defenses that feature the Tite Front are inclined to spin to single-high and run variations of Fire Zones (3-Under/3-Deep) when sending the Nickel, which can cause issues as the weak side linebacker is now responsible for the vertical of #2.
The need to constantly control the C-gap area of the box is one reason why some coaches prefer a four-down alignment. We’ve seen this trend evolve in the past several years as Tite Front dominant schemes in the Saban and Aranda systems have opted to move towards an even front. Pass rush is king and as more teams at all levels dabble in outside (wide) and mid-zone runs combined with play-action, the use of wide 5s or 9s in the 5-1 help funnel those runs.
The Staley system of using a 5-1 alignment uses the wide-9s to build natural walls on the edge of the box. Everything is bottlenecked into a predictable area. Last year the Chargers struggled to stop the run, finishing 31st in rushing EPA (-.004) according to Ben Baldwin’s site rbsdm.com. For the defense to function properly, it needs EDGEs that can build a wall and rush the passer. Being able to stop the run allows the Rams and this system to dominate the air.
One trend that has been seen across the board in the NFL is the higher usage of two-high secondary structures. This does NOT mean that teams in the NFL are abandoning single-high coverages and running more Quarters-based schemes. Instead, defenses are using the two-high shell as leverage. I have always argued when teaching defensive back play that it is easier to play down than to play back. For NFL offenses that are now using play-action and RPOs at higher rates, it is not surprising that two-high shells are being used with more frequency.
Related Content: Where Single-High & Two-High Collide: 6-Cross
The Fangio system, and the Rams’ base defensive scheme, feature almost solely two-high contours to combat the modern NFL offense. With Safeties placed deep, the picture changes for the QB post-snap, even more so if they are from under center (UTC/Dot). The NFL is already a tough place to play QB; playing two-high makes it more difficult because the defense is leveraged for the deep pass. As the NFL's tweet illustrates below, Fangio and Staley did this at an astonishing rate in ‘20.
If a QB is under center, he has to turn his back on the defense to hand the ball off to the RB and, consequently, in play-action. His pre-snap mental model of the field is now completely different as he turns around. With defenders hurdling toward him, the QB has to reset his mental model by identifying the coverage rotation while deciding where the ball should go. Hesitation is death in the NFL.
Another reason the two-high shell is so successful is the way QBs are taught to read the secondary pre-snap. In most instances, QBs will read the weak side safety, or the safety away from the passing strength. If the DB aligns high, the most likely result is some type of Quarters or Cover 2 scheme. If the DB aligns near the box, the QB can safely assume the defense is in some kind of Cover 1 or Cover 3 scheme. The pre-snap reading of the defensive contours allows the QB to anticipate his post-snap mental model.
Where the Fangio system is king is in creating doubt post-snap for QBs. Quick action where the Safety sits high and then “slams” into the box is nothing new, and it gives away the defense relatively quickly. Fangio plays a lot of coverages where the Safety and underneath LB must read the departure of the #2 WR in order to understand where to fit. Even when playing Cover 3, the Safety stays high as long as he can or leverages a crossing route coming from the other side. The hesitation by the Safety muddies the read for the QB.
Even Fangio’s split-field coverages make it hard for QBs to decipher coverage. In many situations, the weak side Safety and CB will bracket any deep route, allowing the LB or EDGE to take underneath routes while the secondary caps verticals. The ability to eliminate chunk plays in the passing game is crucial to the success of this defense. Regardless of single-high or split-field, Fangio and his disciples have found ways to force the QB to throw underneath or hold on to the ball until the rush can hit home.
The NFL is a pass-first league and the Rams’ defense, designed by Staley in ‘20, is at the top for schematic evolution. LA has built a monster that was able to sustain a coaching change when Staley took the Head Coach title for LA’s other team, the Chargers. Though Raheem Morris has put his stamp on the defense, the basics haven’t changed. According to Football Outsiders’ ‘21 DVOA, the Rams finished 5th at -8.5%, only down one place from 2020. Plus, they won a Super Bowl!
Retlated Content: The Fangio Philosophy Pt. 1 (Foundational Concepts)
As noted, one of the main issues in the 404 alignments is the lack of pass rush by a defense’s DEs. Playing in a 4 technique or even a 4i isn’t as natural a rush path because it works inside out. As a result, defenses are forced to blitz with the lack of rush, exposing them to the pass. Consequently, it is best to start with pass defense in a pass-first league and work down.
Teams use a four-down alignment to allow their EDGEs to rush and pinch the pocket, boxing any runs that may come their way. The idea is to create a funnel while placing the standard seven defenders in the pass distribution. The modern NFL defense has become a Bear Front versus “heavier” personnel groupings (21p/12p) and four-down Nickel/Dime alignments versus 11p and 10p groupings. The Rams’ structure combines the utility of the Tite Front with the pass rush flash of an Even Front.
Starting with Staley, the Rams used a five-man front and a two-high shell to get the best of both worlds. LA ensured that their D-line would get favorable match-ups versus the pass while clogging gaps and funneling the RB versus the run by covering up every O-linemen. Donald, A’Shawn Robinson, and Greg Gaines are a perfect fit inside and do a tremendous job of winning their match-ups. Then, with the addition of Von Miller at EDGE from the Broncos in ‘21, the defense settled in and charged to a Super Bowl victory.
Related Content: The Argument For A Light Box (Fangio System/LA Rams Defense)
In the secondary, the Rams leverage their star CB in Jalen Ramsey, moving him all around to defend the opposing team’s top WR. “X-ing” out one WR is crucial when placing five defenders on the line. With one threat eliminated, the defense can now focus on distributing the other WRs.
The other vital defenders are the Drop or “box” Safety (DS). Taylor Rapp and late addition Eric Weddle were crucial to the Rams’ ability to stop the run with a light box last year. The DS has to read, from depth, the intentions of the offense and fill the open gap left in the front. With a Nickel on the field, the Rams have leveraged the pass strength and gained the extra box defender away from it with the Drop Safety. In reality, it is a “tilted” 3-4 structure, modernized to fit the needs of a changing onslaught of offenses.
In reality, the five-man front is built to funnel the RB into the A-gap for a “phonebooth” tackle. As the Packers illustrated in ‘20, it can be a long night when the Rams’ front five can’t win their match-ups. Six and seven-yard runs slowly turn into larger chunks later in the game. Green Bay used quick motions and 3x1 alignments to stretch the box ‘backer and stress the DS. The diagram below illustrates the philosophy.
As the RB/WR created a three WR side, the Mike LB (#3 above) moved outside the box. The Safety, who is at 11-12 yards, is forced to move to the LOS and collect the RB quickly. In the clip below, the Rams tucked the EDGE to the open side in the B-gap, creating a soft edge (ex. of Tite Front issues). The DS now has to attack the A-gap and quickly scrape to the C-gap. That’s easier said than done.
Though the play didn’t create an explosive run (+10-15), the body blows of these runs add up over time. Eventually, LA had to start moving the Safety down pre-snap, defeating the purpose of the two-high shell and exposing the defense to the pass. It’s probably not a great idea to give Aaron Rodgers an idea of what coverage you are using. The Packers attacked the Rams again with a 3x1 set to start the second half. Again, LA dropped the Safety, and the D-line couldn’t win their match-ups. The result was a 60-yard run.
The addition of Von Miller, the emergence of Gaines inside, and Donald staying healthy was a recipe for success for the ‘21 Rams. Weddle stepped in at the conclusion of the season to take on Rapp’s crucial role in the secondary. Though the defense struggled early in the season, and rightfully so under transition, it became a top unit and mirrored a stellar offensive onslaught en route to a Super Bowl victory. The Rams have taken an unorthodox personnel approach, meshed star players, and built schematic superiority to attempt to create an NFL dynasty.
The addition of Bobby Wagner from Seattle solidifies the inside and gives the Rams the ability to change looks while staying in a Nickel personnel grouping (2-4-5). As Morris settles in for his second year at the helm, he loses an EDGE in Miller but gains a sideline-to-sideline presence in Wagner.
LA is committed to the 5-1 Front, as ‘21 illustrated. They will probably run more four-down alignments with Wagner, but as Part 2 of this article will show, the Rams are already multiple within their 5-1 package. It isn’t just Bear Cover 3.
Related Content: Part 2 of the Rams’ Defensive Primer
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