Problem is that article indicative - it's a good try by him

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AlbaNY_Ram

According to this article [https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2023/9/14/23873305/rams-defense-adjustments-raheem-morris-aaron-donald] "... the Rams’ base defense has been a 3-3-5 which is your standard nickel package". The takeaway is the the Rams' base defense only needs 1 ILB.

Also from that same article: "In 2021 and 2022, they lined up in a 3-4 on 17 percent and 15 percent of snaps.

[www.turfshowtimes.com]

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Blaine Grisak
As mentioned, over the last two years under Morris, the Rams have remained as a 3-4 team. In 2021 and 2022, they lined up in a 3-4 on 17 percent and 15 percent of snaps. On Sunday, that number was zero. Instead, the Rams utilized a 4-3 look 20 percent of the time which was their second most frequent defensive formation.

To know that it was not "zero" just look at the first play -- its a 3-4


then in the second drive


So there was an issue of the count. Rams did run a 4-3 (6-1) alignment that day some but that is nothing new ... it's the "Tape" front I posted about and Rams use it as a run stopping defense vs teams like the Titans and 49ers and other teams that use a FB and obvious run looks

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Blaine Grisak
This is a dramatic shift from Morris and lines up with what he did in Atlanta with the Falcons in 2020. It was the case throughout that season, but especially during the first five weeks when Morris was only the defensive coordinator and not also the interim head coach. The Falcons were a 4-3 team and lined up that way on 14 percent of their defensive plays in Weeks 1-5 and 21 percent for the season.

He's just wrong in projecting something based on one week of info that may have an issue or two characterizing things... (After two drives two errors) but it would be like if we played the 49ers or Titans or Dolphins in week one and then deduced from the user of the 6-1 (sks a 4-3) that the scheme had changed

I don't blame him -- Blaine is trying, he is watching all-22 and posting it on Twitter --- he's just not quite familiar yet as to what the schemes are.

Anyway, I cannot find the year-end tallies --- but this gives and idea of what happened in 2023 -- including week 1...
Rams remained a 3-4 base defense but were in nickel most of the time. And on occasion Rams that 4-3


As to Trotter, ot any other guy, no disagreement ...because in the so-called "3-3-5" it shows as a 5-1 and it's called the Penny front and it does use one ILBer ... not two. It's not the base defense, but they use it a lot, it's the twist in the Fangio defense, the one where they want to run a light box .. that's what they ar talking about.