To begin, I don't care if you are running a 34 or a 43 or a combo of both. You have no 43 DEs on this team except for John Franklin Myers and Westbrook (is he even playing? I havent seen him) You have even fewer 34 DEs. Suh fell in their laps, but it basically leaves the Rams running 3 DTs at all times. DT aren't going to get consistent pressure off the edge lined up in the 43. In a 34 pressure comes from one of your 2 OLBers. as the 4th pass rusher. The Rams have had zero outside pressure from Ebukam and Longacre. None. So there is that.
The Rams also are 24th in yards per rush given up on defense. Barron and Littleton are OK players. I still really like Littleton on the outside. But they are not run stuffing ILBers. Littleton can cover some, but he could be so much more on the outside.
As far as the secondary. I agree with almost everyone, they miss Talib. That forces Hill to start and it has been a domino effect. Peters is so much better off man in some space then in press man. He is thinking way too much and is basically paralyzed by over thinking it.
Johnson has been good to very good. but Joyner is trying to audition for a huge payday and is pressing. Going for knockout hits and not even seeing the ball. He has missed at least 2 picks this year because of it. He is also not wrapping up. He is also just not in the right place half the time. He needs to sit as much if not more then Peters.
One last thing, im not sure exactly what Bums son is running on defense, but I believe its a 1 gap 34 type. Either way, he ran the same thing in Denver and 1) he had bigger ILBers and 2) he had a true NT. For some reason he has neither here. I just don't get what they are trying to accomplish.
Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok
