Focus Will Be on One Key Rams Unit Against Bears

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams' outside linebacker duo of Jared Verse and Byron Young have come under criticism after their performances in the Wild Card round so let's dive into the claims and what might come out from them.

Manzano's Claim

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano stated that the Rams need more from edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young after neither man were able to get Bryce Young on the ground in Carolina.

"I recently came around on the idea that the Rams’ high-scoring offense is enough to overcome a weak secondary and a thin linebacker group to win the Super Bowl," stated Manzano. Still, it would go a long way if edge rushers Byron Young and Jared Verse provided more than they did in Carolina. They combined for three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and zero sacks."

"They’re talented pass rushers and it’s not a surprise that both were named to the Pro Bowl for consistently applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks. But when the back end of the defense is littered with issues, it’s on them to do more than push the pocket—they need game-changing plays that lead to takeaways or else they’ll need Stafford to bail them out again."

Are the Rams as Ineffective as Manzano Claims

It's a complex conversation because Manzano is correct in the fact that Jared Verse and Byron Young didn't do enough to put Bryce Young under pressure, especially after the Panthers lost Ikem Ekwanu for the game. However, this leads to a deeper discussion regarding their utilization.

Rams head coach Sean McVay touched on this during his Monday presser.

“I think there are some things that we can look at," stated McVay. "The enemy has to say. We’ve played some good teams and they made some good plays. You give credit to Carolina for the things that they did, but I know the standards that we have for what we can do defensively. I'm really excited about leaning in with our staff and being able to address the things that we can do at a better clip and try to apply it. That's all you can do."

"How can we be present? How can we not live in the past? But being able to say like, ‘These are the things that we can do.’ I think it first starts with us looking at ourselves and saying, ‘Let's do a great job of putting our players in the most advantageous spots to have successful outcomes.’ Then what is it about and what does it look like relative to the opponent we're playing and some of the things that they do schematically that can pose some issues and how do we counter that? More interested in how we do a great job with this week and how we move forward. I think we can play better. I'm excited about being about it and not talking about it. Hopefully it shows when we play Sunday.”

From my perspective, the rotations are messing with their rhythm and unless an opponent dares to go with a heavier formation, the Rams must remain in nickel, swapping in Jaylen McCollough and Josaiah Stewart on passing downs because the constant in and out isn't producing results.

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8), defensive end Kobie Turner (91) and linebacker Josaiah Stewart (10) celebrate after a sack of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

I'll also make the argument that it's time to stack Verse and Young on the same side, letting them truly coordinate their rush off each other. These are two premier players and it's time to see how much the Bears' offensive line wants to win.

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