Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Looking back at 2025
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February 26, 2026 at 10:36 am #162346
znModeratorAdam Archuleta@AdamArchuleta
Trend that I saw a lot of this year. Disguising is a good idea BUT I see a lot of teams give up big plays because they disguise at the expense of players being out of position.Doug Farrar@NFL_DougFarrar
The Rams in particular last season had a tendency to over-complicate their disguises, and opponents could zing guys who were out of position or late to the party.Adam Archuleta@AdamArchuleta
– definitely thought Rams were a team that got to cute especially in late season / playoffs. Didn’t realize they disguised that much from statistical standpoint.Twitter AI:
Doug Farrar echoes Adam Archuleta’s critique of NFL defensive disguises, noting that teams like the Rams over-rely on complex pre-snap deceptions, leading to mispositioned defenders and exploitable gaps, as detailed in Farrar’s October 2025 Athlon Sports analysis.…
from Doug Farrar: https://athlonsports.com/nfl/nfl-disguised-coverages-brian-flores-drake-maye-all-22-analysis
Teams will also study which defenses disguise the most, and how to counter that frequency. The Los Angeles Rams lead the NFL with a 50.5% disguise rate in 2025, but the results have not been great. The Rams have allowed an opposing quarterback EPA of +0.15 when disguising, and -0.02 when they don’t….And just as disguised coverage can fool your opponents, sometimes you can fool your own defense, and there are open receivers running around when they shouldn’t be. These looks require their own coaching points to make sure there aren’t coverage busts.
February 26, 2026 at 10:53 am #162347
ZooeyModeratorAdam Archuleta@AdamArchuleta
Trend that I saw a lot of this year. Disguising is a good idea BUT I see a lot of teams give up big plays because they disguise at the expense of players being out of position.Doug Farrar@NFL_DougFarrar
The Rams in particular last season had a tendency to over-complicate their disguises, and opponents could zing guys who were out of position or late to the party.Adam Archuleta@AdamArchuleta
– definitely thought Rams were a team that got to cute especially in late season / playoffs. Didn’t realize they disguised that much from statistical standpoint.Twitter AI:
Doug Farrar echoes Adam Archuleta’s critique of NFL defensive disguises, noting that teams like the Rams over-rely on complex pre-snap deceptions, leading to mispositioned defenders and exploitable gaps, as detailed in Farrar’s October 2025 Athlon Sports analysis.…
from Doug Farrar: https://athlonsports.com/nfl/nfl-disguised-coverages-brian-flores-drake-maye-all-22-analysis
Teams will also study which defenses disguise the most, and how to counter that frequency. The Los Angeles Rams lead the NFL with a 50.5% disguise rate in 2025, but the results have not been great. The Rams have allowed an opposing quarterback EPA of +0.15 when disguising, and -0.02 when they don’t….And just as disguised coverage can fool your opponents, sometimes you can fool your own defense, and there are open receivers running around when they shouldn’t be. These looks require their own coaching points to make sure there aren’t coverage busts.
That’s the most plausible explanation for the late season dip in performance in the Rams’ secondary. Their disguises got “solved.”
February 26, 2026 at 3:08 pm #162351znModerator2025 Breakout: Quentin Lake continues ascending into a ‘premium nickel’ with leap in ball production
Wyatt Miller
Quentin Lake’s value was on display just as much when he played as when he didn’t. Lake started the first 10 games of the Rams’ season, during which time they were the second-best scoring defense in the league (17.2 points per game allowed). Then he suffered an elbow injury in Week 11 against the Seahawks and was sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. From Week 12 on, the Rams’ defense ranked 23rd in scoring, allowing 24.9 points per game.
It didn’t take long for the Rams’ front office to realize the significance Lake’s presence. He was rewarded with a three-year contract extension on January 1, before he had even returned to the field for Los Angeles’ playoff run.
When healthy, Lake never came off the field in the 13 games he played for the Rams this season, including playoffs. Lake’s versatility and proficiency against both the pass and the run made him an indispensable piece of the Rams’ defense, and he displayed improvement in key areas.
Stats
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
*career-high
Season Games Played Tackles Passes Defended Interceptions TFLs
2023 14 53 6 0 1
2024 17 111 5 0 1
2025 10 61 10* 1* 2*Improvement: Ball production
2024 was Lake’s true breakout season. He played every defensive snap for L.A. (apart from an inconsequential Week 18 game) and set a career-high in tackles. He was as stout as a linebacker against the run and even wore the green dot as the defensive signal caller for part of the year. But Lake took his coverage skills to a new level in 2025.
Lake got hands on 10 passes last season, including one interception against the Ravens in Week 7. As a slot defender, he covered every position on the field, from outside receivers to running backs, while still excelling as a run stopper.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen wrote about how the “premium nickel” has become a new and significant trend among the top defenses in the NFL this year. Lake was included in that group of six players, featuring both proven and emerging stars.
“The best defenses in the league don’t just have good players at nickel, they have difference-makers playing in a spot that was once reserved for a third corner, not good enough to play outside,” Nguyen said. “Look no further than this year’s playoff teams to see examples: The Seattle Seahawks’ Nick Emmanwori, the Houston Texans’ Jalen Pitre, the Los Angeles Rams’ Quentin Lake, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Derwin James and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Cooper DeJean are all standout nickels.”
Lake’s extension indicates the Rams will continue employing him as their premium nickel, placing him close to the ball, in positions to defend both the run and the pass frequently and effectively.
“He’s a guy that… represents everything that we love about what we want be about with the values and the principles,” said head coach Sean McVay. “I think he’s had great production and great versatility but more importantly, I think you look at it, there’s a reason why he’s basically been unanimously voted as a captain the last couple years.”
Lake may have missed significant time in 2025, but this season still represented a breakout for the fourth-year defender out of UCLA. He established himself as a vital cog in the machine that is the Rams defense, and he did so both on and off the field.
March 12, 2026 at 11:29 pm #162830znModeratorfrom PFF: Highest-graded players from the 2025 NFL season at every position — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-players-2025-nfl-season
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (91.9)
Winner of both the NFL and PFF MVP awards, Stafford orchestrated one of the most productive seasons from a quarterback in decades. The Rams’ signal caller is still reaching new heights, as his 91.7 PFF passing grade marked a new career-best for Stafford, while his 4.48 wins above replacement led the NFL by a full win.
Even at 37 years old, the 17-year veteran still possesses one of the best arms in the league, as his 58 big-time throws ranked as the third most in the PFF era (since 2006) and outpaced the next quarterback on this list this past season by more than 20.
from PFF: Highest-graded players from the 2025 NFL season at every position — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-players-2025-nfl-season
WIDE RECEIVER
1. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (96.1)
Nacua embodied “offensive weapon” in 2025, leading all receivers in several PFF categories. He caught 153 passes for 2,047 yards — the second-most receiving yards in a season (including playoffs) in the PFF era. He led all receivers in yards per route run (3.57), first downs (97) and catches of 20-plus yards (32).
Defenses had no answer for the PFF Offensive Player of the Year. Nacua ranked first in PFF receiving grade at every level of the field, including perfect marks at the intermediate and deep levels (99.9). He also placed first in slot PFF receiving grade (96.7), screen PFF receiving grade (96.6) and play-action PFF receiving grade (94.1).
Nacua also ranked in the top two in PFF receiving grade against both primary coverage schemes, with a 91.9 figure against man and a 95.6 figure against zone.
Since entering the league in 2023, Nacua owns a league-best 95.5 PFF receiving grade
from PFF, Highest-graded RBs from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-rbs-from-the-2025-nfl-season-kenneth-walker-iii-comes-in-at-no-1
7. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams: 85.2
Williams never really had a dominant rushing performance on the season, as he never rushed for more than 110 yards in a game and only finished with one other 100-yard performance. However, he rushed for 1,485 yards on 312 carries thanks to his remarkable consistency, as he only rushed for under 50 yards in a game twice while posting a rushing grade sub-60.0 just once (Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers, which was also the only game where he didn’t force a missed tackle).
from PFF: Highest-graded guards from the 2025 NFL season:n — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-players-2025-nfl-season
3. Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams (87.3)
Since arriving in Los Angeles in 2023, Dotson has quietly rounded into one of the premier guards in football. He turned in his best season to date in 2025 with a career-best 87.3 overall PFF grade and a 90.3 PFF run-blocking mark. Moreover, Dotson’s 3.8% pressure rate was the 12th-best at the position.
9. Steve Avila, Los Angeles Rams – 75.0
Avila also developed immensely during his third pro season, compiling a career-high 75.0 overall PFF grade. His 3.3% pressure rate given up was the fifth-highest among guards, and his 72.3 PFF run-blocking grade placed 12th. The Rams have a very bright future between him and Dotson.
from PFF: Highest-graded centers from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-centers-2025-nfl-season
10. Coleman Shelton, Los Angeles Rams (70.9)
After one season in Chicago (2024), Shelton returned to the Rams in 2025, where he played from 2019 to 2023. It was an up-and-down season for the eighth-year veteran, who recorded a career-high 77.2 PFF run-blocking grade (seventh) and also the fifth-worst PFF pass-blocking grade (53.1) among centers.
Since 2023, Shelton ranks 11th in PFF run-blocking grade (78.2) among centers. He excels in the Rams’ zone-blocking scheme, where he earned a sixth-ranked 82.1 PFF run-blocking grade in 2025.
Shelton is sometimes a liability in pass protection, having allowed the fourth-most pressures in the same span (86). Although he ranks near the bottom in pass protection (56.4 PFF pass-blocking grade since 2023, ninth worst), his pressure rate has gradually gone down in each of the past three seasons.
from PFF, Highest-graded tackles from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/highest-graded-tackles-from-the-2025-nfl-season-penei-sewell-leads-the-pack
8. Alaric Jackson, Los Angeles Rams – 84.2
The Rams re-signed Jackson to a lucrative three-year deal last spring, and he was yet again strong in protecting Matthew Stafford’s blindside. Jackson’s 84.2 overall PFF grade was a new watermark for him, and he also improved his run-blocking with a career-best 86.1 grade. Further, Jackson was sound again in pass protection with a 75.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 96.7 pass-blocking efficiency score.
from PFF: Highest-graded edge defenders from the 2025 NFL season — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-edge-defenders-from-the-2025-nfl-season-will-anderson-jr-comes-in-at-no-1
10. Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams (83.6)
Young broke out in a big way in 2025 after two subpar seasons with the Rams to start his career, joining Will Anderson Jr. and Myles Garrett as the only three edge defenders ranking among the top 15 in pass-rush (81.2) and run-defense grade (77.8). His 52 defensive stops were the most for any edge defender this season as well.
from PFF, Highest-graded interior defenders from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/highest-graded-dls-from-the-2025-nfl-season-cameron-heyward-leads-the-list
4. Poona Ford, Los Angeles Rams (86.0)
The Rams signed veteran Poona Ford last offseason in the hopes that the big nose tackle could add some punch on the interior of their defensive line. He succeeded in his first season with the team. Ford had the best campaign of his career in 2025, setting career highs in pressures (34) and stops (33).
His 10.7% run-stop rate was seventh among defensive tackles, and his 78.6 PFF run-defense grade was fifth at the position. Ford was a quiet game-changer for the Rams in 2025.
from PFF: Highest-graded safeties from the 2025 NFL season — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-players-2025-nfl-season
10. Kamren Kinchens, Los Angeles Rams (78.0)
The Rams’ defense was an elite unit in 2025, and though the Los Angeles secondary felt beatable at times, the group was generally a sound piece of the defense. In his second season in the NFL, Kamren Kinchens’ role in the Rams’ secondary grew, and his 78.0 PFF grade was in the top 10 among safeties.
Kinchens’ 8.2 yards per reception allowed in coverage was the ninth-lowest at the position, and his 81.9 PFF coverage grade was sixth. His 24 stops were in the top 20 as well. Kinchens is going to be a good player for a long time.
March 13, 2026 at 7:18 am #162833
wvParticipant“The Rams’ defense was an elite unit in 2025, and though the Los Angeles secondary felt beatable at times, the group was generally a sound piece of the defense”
It wasnt elite and it wasnt sound if the goal is to stop the other team from scoring points.
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