In Summation

It’s a relatively small sample size, but the past ten years of Rams’ football has left a bit to be desired on the defensive side of the ball, and the chart above - along with their loss column - shows for it. It is a team game, though, and neither the offensive or defensive units have been reliable enough to secure victory when in crunch time.

The fact that the Rams have a run-stuffing defense superior to their pass defense won’t suggest that they’re in a better position to succeed or imply easy entry into the playoffs. What it may allude to is the Rams having a more well-rounded, competitive defensive unit. In seven of the seasons where the Rams ranked higher at defending the pass, five of them placed the Rams in the bottom four teams in the entirety of the NFL in defending the run. It wasn’t happenstance that they were facing team’s who preferred not to ask much from their Quarterback. It was as a result of fielding a defense who found themselves down early, and then having no answers offensively or defensively that put the opposition in a spot where throwing the ball was a necessity.

What happens in 2013 will be telling. I think it’s general consensus that the Rams’ defense should be improved this season. It will also be much younger. As it stands, the Rams will be replacing 23 years of NFL experience [Mikell, Dahl, McIntosh] with two years of experience between Darian Stewart, T.J. McDonald, and Alec Ogletree. The drop off in NFL-ready talent may be minimal... it may be non-existent. You cannot teach experience but, as you’ve seen, sometimes experience puts the Rams in the hole early in games. If history’s any indication, that would make for a long day for their opponents Running Back - as he’s asked to continuously chew up precious clock - and a longer one for the defensive line.

The product you’ll see on the field in 2013 is a far cry from that of 2011, when the Rams finished 31st in the NFL in defending the run. Chris Long and James Laurinaitis will be the only familiar starters from that season, while Robert Quinn and Darian Stewart will be asked to contribute far more. It’s good news. Having also added two more 1st round picks [to their front seven], and two solid free agent acquisitions puts the Rams in prime position for a second consecutive year finishing inside the Top 20 in both statistical categories.

Listen up, Rams foes. Go ahead and take the lead early in the game. Then tell yourselves that you’ll maintain it by punching it up the gut or occasionally bouncing it outside the tackles. Consuming time in an effort to maintain the lead is still a very good idea.

Just be prepared to live with the consequences

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