As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. This year, Jonathan Heitritter and I will cover the opposing team’s defense. I will focus on the scheme, Jonathan on the players.
Today, reviewing the Los Angeles Rams’ defense.
ALEX’S SCHEME REPORT
RAMS RUN DEFENSE
Statistically, not a great-looking unit. They’re allowing 4.3 yards per carry, which ranks 22nd in the NFL, and the six rushing touchdowns given up is 21st. Good news for a Steelers unit that has yet to find the end zone on the ground this year. They’ve also allowed 19 runs of 20-plus yards, which is 22nd. Across the board, this unit looks below average.
They’re still a base 4-3 front but play a ton of 5-2 defense. Five down linemen with two linebackers and a two-high shell. The idea is to have five down linemen to stop the run but play with two deep safeties to defend the pass. In theory, a best of both worlds. The way to beat it? Use pullers to gain extra gaps to the play side and make them pay for playing their safeties deep with no one to fill the alley.
Up front, there’s household names like Aaron Donald but N0. 97 Michael Hoecht is an interesting player. Sort of their DeMarvin Leal, though less athletic overall, he’s a guy who can stand up, play with his hand down, walk out against split out receivers, drop into coverage, he does a bit of everything. He’s not a super-high impact guy but wears lot of hats.
But to the scheme. They want to two-gap and stop the run, they’re not the one-gapping team you might think they are with Donald, and they want to win at the first level. If you can get into the second level, you might break one because there’s only two linebackers and they’re playing two-high. Examples.
The Rams’ leading tackler is LB Ernest Jones, who has 63 stops on the season. He’s dealing with a knee injury and as of this writing, his status for Sunday’s game is unclear. There’s a lot of unheralded names up front but this defense hasn’t been terrible. Guys you might not know about like Christian Rozeboom, Russ Yeast, and Kobie Turner are big parts of their defense.
Some other stats. They’re allowing 19.5 points per game, 11th-best in football. They’ve only allowed more than 23 points once this season and held the opposition under 20 three times. They’re not a takeaway type of defense, creating only five turnovers through their first six games. Their red zone defense is strong, ninth best at 47.4 percent. Their third-down defense isn’t as strong, dead-average at 39.2 percent.
Rams Pass Defense
Overall, it’s been a good unit. Statistically, they’re impressive. Opposing quarterbacks have the third-lowest completion percentage against them, just 56.9 percent on the season. Their YPA allowed is also low at just 6.4, ninth lowest of any defense and they’ve given up just four passing scores this season, tied for the fewest in football.
The pass rush has been poor with just 10 sacks, tied for 28th in the league. Rookie Byron Young leads the team with three of them with Aaron Donald notching 2.5. They’re the only players with more than one this season. Their pressure rate is predictably low at 19.6 percent (tied 24th in football) and they aren’t a blitz-heavy team at 20.4 percent, 28th overall.
Not a ton of splash when it comes to interceptions. Ex-Steelers CB Ahkello Witherspoon has two of the team’s three and the only defensive back with a pick in 2023. Witherspoon also leads the team with five pass deflections. Safety Jordan Fuller has forced a pair of fumbles. As a unit, they have allowed 18 completions of at least 20 yards, tied for 17th in football this season.
Conceptually, they play more zone than man coverage, but they mix things up. Again, much of this comes out of a two-high shell so you get plenty of Cover 2 and quarters coverage. On third and long, they like to show a lot of pressure and mug every gap. Or align with wide defensive tackles and defensive ends and a linebacker in a ’00’ technique, head-up over center.
Aaron Donald has been used more and more creatively as well. If he aligns at left defensive end in a passing situation, alert him looping inside on a stunt. He’ll even align as an off-ball rusher too, similar to what the Browns have been doing more often with Myles Garrett. So identifying Donald will be key.
Near the goal line, they do tend to man up and blitz more. They’ll also send an extra rusher against empty to force the ball to come out hot. Should also note I noticed several coverage busts over the past few weeks. Cornerbacks who thought they had help, crossers that weren’t picked up. There’s a chance to take advantage here.
Jonathan’s Individual Report
The Steelers come off their bye week to face the Los Angeles Rams, hoping to get their sputtering offense going against a defense that is about middle of the pack. The Rams rank 11th in the league in total points allowed and 13th in yards allowed, ranking 13th against the pass and 22nd against the run. The have produced five turnovers in six games and may not have the flashy names littering the roster like they did a couple of seasons ago, but still have some notable stars as well as new faces making names for themselves in expanded roles this season.
Defensive Line
For the Rams, everything defensively starts with No. 99 Aaron Donald. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer has been wrecking opposing offense for over a decade, currently having 105.5 sacks and 24 forced fumbles as one of the best interior defenders of all-time. Donald is a nine-time Pro Bowler and seven-time first-team All-Pro, having won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times as a stout, powerful defensive lineman who overwhelms his competition with a combination of strength and explosiveness.
His size allows him to win the leverage battle, effectively shooting gaps when he doesn’t go right through opposing offensive linemen. He is priority No. 1 for this defense as any success opposing offenses have hinges on making sure he doesn’t single-handedly wreck the game.
Starting opposite Donald on the defensive line is No. 92 Jonah Williams. The former undrafted free agent out of Weber State has worked his way into a full-time starting role. After starting six games last season, he has posted 21 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack thus far in 2023. Williams has good play strength and can push the pocket as a pass rusher while holding his own in gaps as a run defender.
He pursues the quarterback with great effort, providing a decent interior rush to complement Donald. Rookie No. 91 Kobie Turner often plays the nose tackle spot for the Rams. While a tad undersized (6-2, 288 pounds), he does a good job eating up blockers while providing more athleticism in pass-rush situations.
Behind the starters on the interior are No. 90 Earnest Brown IV, who has seen only 17 defensive snaps this season and No. 94 Desjuan Johnson, who has played only 10 snaps.
Linebackers
The Rams have undergone an overhaul of their defense since their 2021 Super Bowl run, relying on guys who were once depth pieces to take on prominent roles on the defense. One of those guys is No. 97 Michael Hoecht, who has kicked outside to the edge, being a 6-4, 310-pounder playing standup outside linebacker. Hoecht started six games last season before becoming a full-time starter in 2023, logging 4.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in 2022. He sets a strong edge against the run and is pretty athletic for his size, rushing with a blend of speed and power. The Rams will drop Hoecht into coverage, making him a nice matchup for tight ends like Pat Freiermuth.
Opposite of Hoecht is No. 0 Byron Young. The rookie third-round pick out of Tennessee is enjoying a strong start to his NFL career, posting 24 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble thus far. Young has impressive play speed and explosiveness, closing in on the passer or ball carrier quickly in pursuit. He does a good job winning with speed off the edge, using the dip/rip combo to win the corner around the tackle. Backing up Hoecht and Young are rookies No. 51 Zach Van Valkenburg, No. 32 Ochaun Mathis, and No. 31 Nick Hampton with Van Valkenburg rotating in as a disruptive pass rusher.
Starting at inside linebacker for the Rams are No. 53 Ernest Jones IV and No. 56 Christian Rozeboom. Jones, a third-round pick in 2021, has started 24 career games, displaying the skill set of an aggressive run-and-chase linebacker who flies to the football and fares well in coverage over the middle of the field.
Rozeboom is a player I personally know well, having grown up 15 minutes from playing at rival Sioux Center High School in Iowa. An All-American at South Dakota St before signing as a UDFA with Los Angeles in 2021, he was a core special teamer before cracking the starting lineup this season. Rozeboom is an instinctive run defender, doing a good job flowing to the football while having the movements skills to cover backs and tight ends. Behind Rozeboom and Jones are No. 59 Troy Reeder and No. 35 Jacob Hummel, who mainly play on special teams.
Cornerbacks
The Steelers will see a familiar face at corner for the Rams on Sunday in No. 44 Ahkello Witherspoon, who spent the previous two seasons in Pittsburgh. Since arriving in Los Angeles, Witherspoon has played well, according to the stats. He has started all six games and has allowed only 10 completions on 30 targets (33.3%) for 131 yards and zero touchdowns while picking off two passes and breaking up another four. He has allowed only 4.4 yards per target and a passer rating when targeted of 20.3, according to Pro Football Reference. He should see plenty of WR George Pickens on Sunday, setting up a fun matchup to watch.
The Rams have had No. 1 Derion Kendrick starting opposite of Witherspoon on the outside, but his status for the game Sunday is in doubt after getting arrested on a weapons charge and being held out of practice so far this week.
The Rams also have No. 14 Cobie Durant, who primarily plays the slot but may kick outside if Kendrick doesn’t play. Durant flashed as a rookie last season, picking off three passes with one returned for a touchdown as a fast, twitchy defender in the secondary. If he plays in place on Kendrick, No. 26 Duke Shelley and rookie No. 6 Tre Tomlinson could step in at slot corner. Both are undersized, but Shelley has experience as a starter in the league and Tomlinson is a promising rookie out of TCU.
Safeties
The Rams have quite the ragtag tandem at safety that may not have the highest pedigree but still plays well covering the back end of the defense. No. 4 Jordan Fuller has been a starter since arriving in Los Angeles as a sixth-round pick back in 2020, posting four picks thus far in his career. A quality run defender, who will come down into the box or near the line of scrimmage. He is an aggressive hitter who can also cover ground in the secondary, making him a quality starter.
His running mate is No. 2 Russ Yeast, who was a seventh-round pick last year and has become a full-time starter this season. He has been pretty quiet in terms of splash plays but shows decent range on the back end of the defense, displaying good pursuit of the football as a run defender as well as covering the pass. Behind those two is No. 37 Quentin Lake, son of Steelers great Carnell Lake. He sees some action in sub-packages as a third safety on the field. The Rams also have former starter No. 43 John Johnson back on the team, but he’s only played five defensive snaps this season.
