Most of the credit for the Rams’ 5-2 start has been given to quarterback Jared Goff, coach Sean McVay and the offense. They, along with running back Todd Gurley, deserve every bit of praise up to this point, ranking first in the NFL in points scored. However, there hasn’t been enough talk about the turnaround on the other side of the ball.

Through the first 14 quarters of the season, the Rams had allowed 99 points. They were pegged as one of the worst defensive teams in the league, allowing 606 rushing yards through four games.

Prior to their Week 4 matchup with the Cowboys, Wade Phillips made a subtle change on the defensive side of the ball. He moved Michael Brockers — a one-technique defensive tackle by trade — to defensive end. In his place, Tanzel Smart took over at the nose, allowing Brockers to become more of a pass rusher.

The switch wasn’t announced in the week leading up to the game. There were no indications that a move was coming. It just . . . happened. After four games with the Rams’ new-look defensive line, the slight change is paying dividends.

Since the move, Brockers has two sacks, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and two passes defensed. In Weeks 1-3, he didn’t have a single sack and hit the quarterback just once in three games.

On the play below, you can see just how much of a difference it’s made for Brockers. He’s able to slip between the tight end and right tackle to make a play on Adrian Peterson up the middle.

This is a play that simply isn’t possible to make from nose tackle, which is why it’s benefitted Brockers in such a huge way. He’s become more of a pass rusher, as you can see on this snap against the Jaguars last week where Brockers beats the left guard with an inside move.

Since moving Brockers outside, the Rams have 13 sacks in their last four games. They also have 10 run stuffs against the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Adrian Peterson. Kicking him to defensive end has had a huge impact on the defense.

It’s not the only change the Rams have made, either.

A few weeks ago, the Rams made Maurice Alexander a healthy scratch against the Seahawks. Not long thereafter, he was released in a wildly surprising move by the Rams. The reason for it? Rookie safety John Johnson.

Since Alexander’s benching, Johnson has started all three games at strong safety. He has 11 tackles, two passes defensed and an interception, which he nearly returned for a touchdown against the Seahawks. Johnson also had a huge hit on Marcedes Lewis last week, setting the tone with an extra level of physicality that Alexander didn’t bring.

On the year, Johnson has an overall grade of 80.0 from Pro Football Focus – good for 27th among all safeties. Before his release, Alexander was the 77th-ranked safety with a grade of 42.5. He wasn’t physical enough as a strong safety and lacked playmaking ability in the passing game.

This isn’t something you saw from Alexander in the first three games of the season.

Nor was this.

It’s no coincidence the Rams’ defense has been absolutely dominant since the second half of the Cowboys game. Brockers’ production has improved dramatically, while Johnson has brought excitement and big-play potential to the secondary by taking over for Alexander.

They haven’t been the sole reasons for L.A.’s improvements defensively, but they’ve played a big role in the team’s resurgence.