Why the Rams Can Get Away With Consistently Spending Less on Their Defense

It says plenty about Matthew Stafford that Los Angeles is in a position to win another Super Bowl despite a lack of talent on the back end of the defense.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been front and center since being traded from the Lions. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

I finally understand why Rams GM Les Snead is content with having the cheapest defense in the NFL. 

When Matthew Stafford threw a high fastball above the head of Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig, where only tight end Colby Parkinson could catch the game-winning pass in Saturday’s thrilling wild-card matchup, it made sense in my stubborn head. 

Honestly, I’m not embarrassed that it took me this long to see why a team prioritized helping its star quarterback because the Rams’ poor secondary nearly put them on the wrong end of one of the biggest playoff upsets in recent memory. But weaknesses can be overcome when Stafford is your quarterback. I now see the light, but Snead building his defense like the unfinished horse drawing that goes from Picasso to kindergartner, made it difficult. 

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You know a defense is struggling when the quarterback is completing passes of 10-plus yards at a high rate, which Panthers quarterback Bryce Young did before Jimmy Horn Jr.’s brutal drop on fourth down iced the 34–31 Rams playoff win. Keep in mind: Young aired it out despite left tackle Ikem Ekwonu missing most of the game due to injury.

If it weren’t for Horn’s drop, this high-scoring affair could have easily ended with the team holding the ball last advancing to the divisional round. But I’m not here to make myself look better. It’s time to take my medicine. 

Snead has had the luxury of toeing the line between wise and reckless while overprioritizing the offense the past three years because Stafford is capable of making the unreal passes on a consistent basis, like the game-winner to Parkinson. Stafford finished 24-of-42 for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. 

So, yeah, it makes sense to give an elite quarterback the best receiving duo in the NFL with Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, plus an abundance of playmakers at the other skill positions. The Rams have four starting-caliber tight ends in Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen when teams are barely getting used to the idea of having two tight ends on the field at the same time. L.A. also kept drafting running backs and now it has the duo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. 

The Rams have gotten away with neglecting their defense for three consecutive seasons—no team has spent less money on that side of the ball since 2023, and it’s not even close—because No. 9 is on their side and I’m not talking about J.J. McCarthy, who turned that same jersey number into an alter ego. 

Many teams that consider this all-offense approach will end up getting results similar to the Bengals and Cowboys. It works in Los Angeles because Snead knows he can overload that side, because Stafford and coach Sean McVay will find creative ways to make the most of all the resources. 

It also helps that the Rams keep hitting on their bargain defensive signings and Day 3 draft picks. And when one of those gems becomes noticeable, the team quickly locks them up with hometown-friendly deals, which they did with linebacker Nate Landman and versatile safety Quentin Lake. 

Eventually, the 37-year-old Stafford will lose steam on his fastball, and it probably won’t be next season because he’s in the midst of his best career season and could hoist the MVP trophy next month. Whenever that time comes, don’t expect Snead to continue being frugal on defense. The next quarterback will likely need a balanced roster. Let’s not forget that Stafford finally won a Super Bowl when he was teammates with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. 

But it says plenty about Stafford that the Rams are in position to win another Super Bowl, despite a lack of talent in the back end of the defense. Stafford played hero on a night the defensive front, the one area Snead hasn’t neglected, led by Pro Bowler edge rushers Byron Young and Jared Verse, failed to apply consistent pressure on Young.

The next time the Rams’ defense is getting torched, and it might be next week in the divisional round, just know Snead won’t be regretting his decision to invest most of his resources on the offense because No. 9 is on his side.

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