The Los Angeles Rams came into the 2026 season with a defense that, on paper, could rival the league's best. After their season opener, they have a defense in need of change. To say they were a disappointment would be understating the issues. They were simply awful, with a scheme that has failed to improve over the offseason.
The good news is that, unlike in 2024 and 2025, no single pass catcher torched Los Angeles, with Brock Purdy distributing the ball in a way that let multiple 49ers burn the Rams' "revamped" secondary. Mike Evans was cooking, making Quentin Lake and Jaylen Watson look inadequate, while Deebo Samuel looked revitalized after returning to San Francisco.
Demarcus Robinson took the top off the defense, while Purdy launched three
passing scores in the victory. Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black found gaping holes against a defensive line that looked shell-shocked, almost as if they were back in Philadelphia or Carolina or Seattle for the playoffs.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula was at his worst, seemingly failing to find answers to the same questions Kyle Shanahan poses every year. Shanahan is going to use the run to attack. His passing game is predicated on hitting voids in the zone, especially with quick passes underneath. Shanahan is going to tire out defensive lines before launching his downward attack, and he will scheme up speedy pass catchers against linebackers.
It's not a secret; Shanahan just does it very well, and exceptionally well against Shula. You know who also does it well? Shanahan's ex-assistants. Klint Kubiak did it with Seattle last season, and the Seahawks replaced Kubiak with Brian Fleury, who worked for San Francisco last season. Mike LaFleur in Arizona comes from Shanahan's tree, too, and he's been observing the Rams' defense in person for the last three seasons.
Even better, Kubiak is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, who also play the Rams this season. Former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDonald is calling the shots for the Los Angeles Chargers, another team on the Rams' schedule.
Then, they'll take on other top offensive minds like Andy Reid, Sean Payton (with Davis Webb as playcaller), Sean Mannion, Joe Brady, Matt LaFleur, and more.
Myles Garrett had arguably the worst game of his career and the team is lacking an emotional leader without Jared Verse. Despite over $200 million in investments made into the secondary, they didn't look any better. How much of an improvement has it been after elevating Jimmy Lake to defensive pass game coordinator to replace the outgoing Aubrey Pleasant? Because for the first time in a long time, the defensive backs had the talent but were simply unprepared. Unprepared isn't a term that we often use for Rams defensive backs. Say what you want, but Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon outplayed their projected production, while Super Bowl champions faltered down under.
To be fair, Trent McDuffie came to play, but that was about it. Also, there's still a depth problem on defense. Watching Shaun Dolac come in for an injured Omar Speight was surprising, as I believed Grant Stuard would be the guy. Not that it made much of a difference. (Side note: Would love to see Dolac play more. He's a tackling machine out there.)
What did we see? A defensive line that can't handle the run and overpursues when attacking the quarterback, leading to open lanes for a quarterback to navigate with ease. A secondary whose Achilles' heel was pre-snap motion. A Defensive Player of the Year who looks like a shell of himself because of knee issue.
Shula once said that one of the biggest challenges for him as defensive coordinator was learning how to live without Aaron Donald. If changes aren't made immediately, he might have to learn those lessons again, because there's no chance this is the product Donald decided to come back to play for.
Thank goodness Donald is not a quitter because a lot of players would opt to watch RedZone on their couch next week instead of defending it after what the Rams allowed all of us to witness on national television. This is the 49ers. Make no mistake, they still hate the Rams' guts.
Where was that hate from Los Angeles? Where is the Rams' disdain for the enemy? It didn't disappear because of a flight; in fact, prolonged exposure to pressurization should induce more hatred.
This was a statement game for the 49ers. Not just because of their opponent, but this was about them feeling like a championship contender again – a contender who's taking a small lead in the race for the NFC, a feeling they haven't had since losing Super Bowl LVIII.
For the Rams, this was business, and they failed to remember that the NFC West is war. It's not just Seattle that they have to overcome.
Shula has time to reinvent his unit. He's done it before. However, the stakes are greater, and unlike before, when he had a young team that went through growing pains with him, this team does not have the time or tolerance for experimentation. Let's see how he responds.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Chris Shula's revamped Rams defense fell flat in opener vs. 49ers
