ESPN analyst sounds alarm on Rams defensive coordinator: ‘They have stunk’

A small sample can still contain a large warning.

Dan Orlovsky found one in Melbourne, where the Rams’ celebrated defense looked considerably less imposing than the collection of names Los Angeles assembled during the offseason.

After initially criticizing Matthew Stafford’s performance in the Rams’ 27-7 loss to the 49ers, Orlovsky redirected the spotlight toward defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

“This ain’t the flaw, and this is not the concern,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s “Get Up!” “I am very concerned about that defense, and I’m very concerned about their defensive coordinator.”

Orlovsky extended his argument beyond Week 1.

“The last four games that we have watched this defense on the field with all kinds of talent, they have stunk,” he said. “Bryce Young lit them up. Caleb Williams lit them up. Sam Darnold lit them up. Brock Purdy lit them up.”

The early schematic numbers make Orlovsky’s criticism more interesting.

During the 2025 regular season, the Rams ran defensive-line stunts on approximately 41.7% of opposing dropbacks. That rate fell to 19.4% against San Francisco. Their use of schemed pressures — a broader category incorporating blitzes, simulated pressures and other nontraditional rushes — dropped from 39.1% to 25%.

Traditional blitz frequency also declined from approximately 18% to 14%.

It is only 36 dropbacks against one opponent, making any conclusion provisional. San Francisco’s quick passing game also reduced the time available for pressures to reach Purdy.

Still, it is fair to wonder whether the Rams ended up oversimplifying their rush plan while integrating Myles Garrett, believing the reigning Defensive Player of the Year could consistently win without schematic assistance. Perhaps fewer stunts and simulated pressures were installed because Shula expected his four-man rush to create disruption without them.

There is no evidence establishing that as Shula’s thinking. If it was the bet, however, it failed spectacularly. The Rams did not sack Purdy, while Garrett finished without a tackle or quarterback hit.

The coverage choices created another contradiction.

Cover 3 and Cover 2 were the Rams’ most frequently used coverages in 2025, accounting for approximately 33% and 19% of dropbacks. Against San Francisco, Cover 3 and Cover 4 each appeared on roughly 31%, while Cover 2 disappeared from the small sample.

The Rams’ man-coverage rate simultaneously fell from approximately 20% to 14%.

Cover 4 frequently incorporates pattern-matching principles that resemble man coverage, so the shift cannot be reduced to Shula simply calling passive zone. But playing less conventional man is curious after Los Angeles paid heavily to acquire Trent McDuffie, one of the NFL’s premier man-coverage cornerbacks. His arrival was supposed to expand Shula’s menu, including the aggressive pressure packages made possible when a corner can survive without help.

Personnel usage produced a similar question. Nickel increased from roughly 42% to 47%, but dime fell from approximately 32% to 25% despite a secondary featuring McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Kamren Curl, Quentin Lake and Kamren Kinchens.

San Francisco’s heavy personnel and productive running game offered a logical reason to keep additional size on the field. Still, Curl and Lake are precisely the hybrid defenders who should allow the Rams to play dime without becoming defenseless against the run.

That makes Curl’s ankle injury especially meaningful. His ability to operate in the box, cover from the slot, play deep and join pressure packages connects multiple sections of Shula’s defense. If he misses more time, a dime package already used less frequently becomes harder to disguise and deploy.

One game is not enough to declare that the Rams have changed their defensive identity. Aaron Donald has yet to return, Garrett was playing through a knee issue and each opponent demands a different plan.

The concern is that Shula’s opening plan deemphasized several tools this roster was specifically constructed to exploit.

The Rams have more than enough defensive talent. Orlovsky is questioning whether their coordinator is making opposing quarterbacks account for all of it.