Rams Don't Have to Look Far For Ultimate Lesson in Defensive Construction

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams had to watch their rival win a championship they should've won because one side made consistent investments into every level of their defense and one side didn't.

The Seahawks Built Their Defense Perfectly

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano spoke about how he underestimated the Seattle defense and what made the Seahawks defense so special.

"I’ll take this one on the chin," stated Manzano. "I was dead wrong when I foolishly said early in the season that his Seattle defense was overrated."

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) celebrates with safety Nick Emmanwori (3) and cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) after intercepting a pass against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

"At the time, Macdonald had just watched his defense get torched by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers during a Week 5 setback. There was also a Week 1 home loss to the 49ers, when the defense failed to get a stop in crunch time against Brock Purdy."

"But I had an even more foolish early-season takeaway, saying this defense lacked star power, adding that they’re missing what Houston has with edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., or Denver with edge rusher Nik Bonitto and cornerback Patrick Surtain II. But Seattle’s duo of defensive tackle Leonard Williams and cornerback Devon Witherspoon are just as good and bona fide stars with what they’ve shown this season."

Witherspoon outshone Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was outstanding in coverage, because he offered more as a pass rusher, generating a sack and pressure on Uchenna Nwosu’s pick-six in the fourth quarter.

But the Seahawks don’t just have a pair of stars. Rookie safety Nick Emmanwori and second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who had two sacks against the Patriots, are well on their way to elite status, too. Seattle’s defense has it all, with depth, an abundance of talent and a defensive mastermind at the helm.

Maybe I should take credit for motivating this defense because the Seahawks only lost one game after falling to Mayfield’s Buccaneers.

The Lessons the Rams Learned the Hard Way

Most of Seattle's defense was easily acquirable by the Rams. While it's easy to be a Monday morning quarterback and the Rams tried desperately to make moves for Byron Murphy, they passed on Emmanwori when they traded the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, a player for whom I thought the Rams should select.

Demarcus Lawrence's contract was more than affordable and based on what Jared Verse stated, Lawrence would've been the mature voice that the Rams' defensive line needed to stay in the fight against Seattle in the NFC Championship Game.

Ernest Jones won a Super Bowl with the Rams.

The Good News

The Rams are not that many pieces away and they have the money/ draft picks to take care of business. All they need is a veteran pass rusher who can keep the youthful eyes of the Rams focused, cornerback help, a veteran safety, a coverage linebacker, and passionate depth pieces who love to blitz.

Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula will bring the heat if he feels confident enough in his coverage players to be able to play man coverage for more than three seconds.

The Rams have the blueprint and the offense to beat Seattle...now let's see if they execute.

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