- Mar 19, 2006
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http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-fun-entertaining-football-2018-season-week-2
Over the past six quarters, the Rams have been absolutely unbelievable on defense. They've allowed zero points, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Over 16 possessions, the Rams have allowed the Raiders and Cardinals to rack up just 11 first downs. Those two offenses have generated more than one first down just twice, in both cases on the final drive of each offense's respective game. Those 16 possessions have generated just 244 yards, for an average of just over 15 net yards per drive.
To put things in context, the Cardinals didn't make it over midfield and take an offensive snap on Los Angeles's side of the field until the final play of the game on Sunday. No team has gone an entire game with just one snap on the offensive side of the field since the Giants failed to make it past the 50 even once against the Saints on Christmas Eve in 2006. Arizona's offense might be truly awful -- the Cardinals have started the year going 4-for-20 on third down and have scored the fewest points (six) over their first two games of any team in the past decade -- but Sam Bradford & Co. never once even seemed threatening against Los Angeles.
The scary thing for opponents is that the Rams aren't even winning the way we might have imagined on defense before the season. They have just two sacks on 69 dropbacks through two games. Neither of them have come from Aaron Donald, who doesn't have a single quarterback knockdown or a tackle for loss through two games. Los Angeles has four interceptions over two games, but it hasn't yet forced a fumble. What happens when Donald starts getting to the quarterback?
The schedule gets tougher for the Rams over the next two weeks, with home games against the high-powered offenses of the Chargers and Vikings, although both Philip Rivers and Kirk Cousins can be baited into interceptions. They have road games against the Seahawks and Broncos afterward, offenses whose lines will struggle to hold up against L.A. While the Rams added big names this offseason, they incurred significant risk by taking the league's sixth-ranked defense by DVOA from a year ago and rebuilding it on the fly. So far, it has been fun to see Wade Phillips' unit suffocate opposing offenses.
Over the past six quarters, the Rams have been absolutely unbelievable on defense. They've allowed zero points, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Over 16 possessions, the Rams have allowed the Raiders and Cardinals to rack up just 11 first downs. Those two offenses have generated more than one first down just twice, in both cases on the final drive of each offense's respective game. Those 16 possessions have generated just 244 yards, for an average of just over 15 net yards per drive.
To put things in context, the Cardinals didn't make it over midfield and take an offensive snap on Los Angeles's side of the field until the final play of the game on Sunday. No team has gone an entire game with just one snap on the offensive side of the field since the Giants failed to make it past the 50 even once against the Saints on Christmas Eve in 2006. Arizona's offense might be truly awful -- the Cardinals have started the year going 4-for-20 on third down and have scored the fewest points (six) over their first two games of any team in the past decade -- but Sam Bradford & Co. never once even seemed threatening against Los Angeles.
The scary thing for opponents is that the Rams aren't even winning the way we might have imagined on defense before the season. They have just two sacks on 69 dropbacks through two games. Neither of them have come from Aaron Donald, who doesn't have a single quarterback knockdown or a tackle for loss through two games. Los Angeles has four interceptions over two games, but it hasn't yet forced a fumble. What happens when Donald starts getting to the quarterback?
The schedule gets tougher for the Rams over the next two weeks, with home games against the high-powered offenses of the Chargers and Vikings, although both Philip Rivers and Kirk Cousins can be baited into interceptions. They have road games against the Seahawks and Broncos afterward, offenses whose lines will struggle to hold up against L.A. While the Rams added big names this offseason, they incurred significant risk by taking the league's sixth-ranked defense by DVOA from a year ago and rebuilding it on the fly. So far, it has been fun to see Wade Phillips' unit suffocate opposing offenses.
