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wv ram
They have a chance to be special. I mean seriously special. For one year, anyway.

Could be as good as any defense the Los Angeles Rams have ever had.

We'll see, though.

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You know, it's funny. I don't know if I am thinking that way. I don't know if this will be the sort of defense one thinks of as spectacular. And we old Ram fans have seen that.

Maybe it's because in thinking of great Rams defenses, I lean toward great pass rushes. And we don't really have that. AD is a great pass rusher for a DT, but we don't have the edge rusher one thinks of with a terrifying defense.

I don't know that we will be able to shut down elite offenses the way great defenses do.

I am confident, however, that we can contain and limit them. That's what I was saying in the post. Disciplined containment and tackling. It goes a long way, but if may not be a #1-type defense.

This week we play Rivers. Now, let's say that he makes good throws to highly performing receivers. Let's say these "should" add up to 350 yards and 3 TDs. Disciplined containment can limit him to, say, 275 and 2.

I dunno if that would qualify as a "special" defense. I do know that it would be extremely productive and make us damn hard to beat. And I know that, as a fan, watching unit discipline gives me a real thrill. Much more of a thrill than seeing 5 sacks from a unit that is also gashed repeatedly.

I may well be limiting this defense's ceiling more than is warranted. I don't really have much experience as a Ram fan of a defense with ultra-elite DBs. (I think we do have that.) Maybe this will become a truly special defense.

But I don't demand it. I am thrilled with consistent discipline and tackling!