The Los Angeles Rams defense was the highlight of the team’s Week 1 victory as the unit made plays in the fourth quarter to start the 2025 season on a high note.
Nate Landman’s debut with Los Angeles couldn’t have gone any better as he forced a Houston fumble by punching the football out of Dare Ogunbawale’s hands and Braden Fiske was there to recover it. Landman earned his first NFC Defensive Player of the Week nod for the play, but the defense as a whole was worth celebrating after a statement win over a tough and physical Texans squad.
Aside from Landman and the defensive line, the secondary also do its part to limit C.J. Stroud and Houston’s passing attack. Star wideout Nico Collins finished the afternoon with a paltry three receptions for 25 yards, largely in part to Ahkello Witherspoon who spent a good portion shadowing him.
Witherspoon was having another solid outing in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans before he was forced out of the game with what the team called a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, after the game head coach Sean McVay announced Witherspoon broke his clavicle, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Rams head coach Sean McVay postgame said the shoulder injury cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon sustained in Sunday’s 33-19 win over the Titans was a broken clavicle.
“It’s unfortunate,” McVay said. “It’s a big loss.”
“I feel terrible for Ahkello,” McVay said. “Love him, such a bummer. But you do feel fortunate to have the depth where you know a guy like D-Will (Williams) can step up to supplement both Cobie and Forbes.”
Witherspoon was injured in the second quarter and was initially listed as questionable to return before being ruled out. Emmanuel Forbes Jr. took over for Witherspoon as the team’s top corner while Darious William also saw snaps after being benched last week.
It remains to be seen how long Witherspoon will be out for, but a broken clavicle is a multi-month injury. Witherspoon becomes an immediate candidate for injured reserve, so McVay and defensive coordinator Chris Shula will need to find ways to replace the veteran’s presence on the outside.
Witherspoon is the most experienced player in the secondary, with young defensive backs like Cobie Durant and Forbes behind him. While the two have shown flashes of being strong outside corners, Witherspoon was a constant that allowed Shula to be more versatile with his coverage calls.
The Rams will certainly celebrate a win over the Titans, but losing Witherspoon is a tough blow that they’ll need to overcome, especially with a tough matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles coming up in Week 3.
Braden Fiske believes his versatility is helping the Rams defense
Braden Fiske is an unsung hero of the Rams’ defensive front despite his knack for making plays around the football. One of the reasons why Fiske is so important to Los Angeles’ defense is his versatility up front, which he believes is helping the team.
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