The Los Angeles Rams made two of the biggest offseason acquisitions in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. McDuffie was brought in via a blockbuster trade. Watson was an out of character free agent investment by LA.
But why would the Rams acquire two premium corners if they were going to run a defense designed for the players they wanted to replace?
That’s exactly what happened in Week 1 in the stunning loss against the San Francisco 49ers. Whether the issue persists is something worth monitoring.
Rams
vs Chiefs 2025: Coverage Breakdowns
Rams zone coverage ranking: 8th at 76.3%
Chiefs zone coverage ranking: 24th at 66.3%
Rams zone coverage rate vs 49ers: 77.8%
Los Angeles ranked in the top 10 in terms of the teams who most often utilized zone coverage according to data from SumerSports. The Chiefs ranked in the bottom 10 of the NFL. These are two distinct approaches to defense, and it was reasonable to expect a shift from LA.
Zone coverage can be the great equalizer. You can take heady players who are maybe less physically talented and maximize their production. Zone is more apt for takeaways and allows defenders to keep their eyes on the quarterback.
Playing man coverage often requires the horses to do so. Simply put, the Rams did not have them last year. They should now. They shouldn’t continue to play a defense that is designed for the players they were intent on replacing.
Counterpoints: Why 49ers were a bad example
There are several key reasons why you wouldn’t want to play man coverage against the 49ers:
- Brock Purdy is athletic enough to gash you
- Christian McCaffrey is a unique receiving threat
- The SF offense is designed for YAC
Purdy finished with 29 yards on five carries with a long of 18 despite how much zone coverage Los Angeles presented. Asking corners to turn their backs in man coverage proves this was probably a bad matchup.
Also, the biggest threat against San Francisco is not that passes are completed—it’s what happens thereafter. The 49ers are built to turn 10-yard catches into explosive gains. Zone coverage is the better method to mitigate this risk than man.
But the counterpoints don’t tell the whole story
While the 49ers might have been a bad team to deploy a new-look defense against, the single matchup doesn’t completely dismiss the idea that the Rams’ defensive scheme needs to change. McDuffie and Watson are capable of playing sticky man coverage. This would help a talented pass rush, especially after Myles Garrett’s eventual return from injured reserve.
The coverage mix is worth keeping an eye on over the coming weeks. We may not get true answers on who the defense wants to be until after they are healthy and back at full force.
