Woodland Hills, California – While the chronometer co -hits less than two minutes, Houston’s Texans continued to move forward less than 30 meters from their first hit of the day – and the one who could win them.
The moment sent a bat signal to the new captain of the Los Angeles Rams.
Nate Landman settled in an area in the middle of the field while the quarter-roasted Texans, CJ Stroud, has zipped a quick inclination to dare Ogunbowale, which had inside 20 years, saw the 235 pound landman and plunged towards the lawn to avoid contact. In doing so, football has met the gloved right hand of the new intermediary secondary of the Rams. He traded on the lawn, and the defensive winger Braden Fiske picked him up for recovery.
It was the defensive point of the 14-9 victory of the RAMs on the Texans, and he won the first prize for the week of the NFC of Landman. He also makes Rams believe that they could have the new parts to complete a ready to face defense.
“To rely on the defense, (defensive coordinator) Chris Shula, its staff and the defensive players have done an excellent job,” said RAMS coach Sean Mcvay. “I’m really proud of this group.”
Landman is one of these pieces. Poona Ford, the new nose tackle of 310 pounds, is another. Emmanuel Forbes Jr., that the Rams claimed derogations from the Washington commanders last December, is a third.
They are not Jared Verse or Byron Young, the rushers of passes and the defense stars. But it is the players who will have to intensify when the offenses try to avoid these two by performing the ball or with fast passes. They showed that they were capable of week 1.
For Landman, it meant playing everything except a defensive snap. He arrived on a free agent agreement of the Falcons of Atlanta to replace Christian Rozeboom to the secondary second and solidify a race defense which saw his season end with Saquon Barkley and the Eagles of Philadelphia rush for 285 yards and three affected in the divisional round of the NFC. But he stole under the radar through the league, contenting himself with a one -year agreement for the minimum of the veteran at $ 1.1 million.
Now he is the player who carries the “green point” for the Rams. It is a leadership role that could emphasize a new player adapted to a defense with high expectations. But instead of playing his first match safely and avoiding errors, he undressed and hit the ball as he had done in practice.
Some seconds use a pure recovery speed to adopt the “peanut punch”, a room nicknamed after Charles “Peanut” Tillman, which forced 44 escaped in 13 seasons as an external cornerback. It is not the approach of Landman, which is not drafted outside Colorado before hanging on as a starter with the Falcons during his second season.
Landman does it in his own way, through instincts, recognition and growing confidence in the players around him. Likewise, their self -confidence has developed.
“When we get new free agents here, the coach Mcvay puts the games they made at the team meeting, so we saw the punch-outs and the advice,” said Kamren Curl. “He is one of the best I have seen. We welcome him with open arms because we know he is a playmaker and a great leader. ”
Image Perfect Peanut Punch!
📺 @Nfloncbs | #Ramshouse pic.twitter.com/k3tlabj9kc
– Los Angeles Rams (@ramsnfl) September 7, 2025
Landman also equaled Curl with a summit of 10 plated against the Texans. What is essential to release this version of Landman, as opposed to that which the free agents market has arrived, is to integrate it into a system where its instincts can shine and its hands are free from blockers.
This is why their only important signature This offseason was Ford, three years and 27.6 million dollars. He is an eighth year stepper, which fulfilled the need for a RAMS team that saw Barkley rushed for 460 yards and four affected in two games against them last season.
But Ford brings a specific adjustment as a two -tasted player who thrives in a limited role. On Sunday, this meant requiring double teams at the point of attack which, in addition to the accent, the Texans had to give the verse and young people on the edges, allowed Landman to move without body on his face.
“They do their job at the highest level,” said Landman about his defensive line, “better than anyone I went.”
As a shorter penetrator at 5 feet 11 inches and 310 pounds that prosper on a center of low gravity, Ford is not the type of nose plate that cannot be on the ground. His style can adapt to a tandem of verses, Young and Kobie Turner, who create pass racing around him. Now that Ford is 30 years old in November, Rams must limit its shots to preserve its engine and its strength for these two teams. They did it with a share of Snap of 41% in the opening.
The additions of Landman and Ford to the defense of the race can open a role in Forbes, a choice of first round in 2023 in the state of the Mississippi.
The Rams surprised some when they started Forbes and played it on 79% of the shots in the opening. Darious Williams, who started 11 of the 12 games last year, was a healthy scratch.
“(The Rams) brought me here to show them what I am capable of, honestly,” said Forbes. “It shows that they have a lot of self -confidence, and they always tell me how much they have self -confidence. They want me to play freely and make games, which I have always done in my career.”
The reason why the Rams were ready to start forbes and sit Williams went to adaptation and progression. The weakness that had haunted the young career of Forbes at this point was discussed, because he missed 36% of his attempts to tackle in the last two seasons. The NFL qualification leader for this section, Marcus Peters, missed 35.3%, according to Sports Info Solutions.
The relief is a challenge for an athlete who measures only 166 pounds. But it is something in which he works, and he showed progress on Sunday when he chased Stroud out of the limits on a race and dropped the tight end of the Texans Cade Stover for a gain of 1 penis. He finished with three plated and missed zero.
“Don’t worry about spoiling,” said Forbes. “I am not worried that someone is on my tail to have spoiled. Treating is a question of technique, and physicity will come with it. ”
In a defense which now has more specialists in the race in Ford and Landman, the Rams hope that they will be able to live with the growing pain of Forbes as a set as a compromise for his cover skills. Forbes ran 4.35 in the 40 yards dashboard at the NFL combination in 2023. It allowed the RAMs on Sunday to direct the coverage of man 35% of the time.
This approach allowed the RAMs to cover the Receiver of Texans Pro Bowl differently because they held it with three catches for 25 yards.
“Our defensive line exerts pressure on the quarter-rear allowed us to play Sticky,” said the Cobie half half half.
It was only a week, and it should be noted that the Texans break in two new plasters and were without the receiver of slot machines Christian Kirk, which made the collins doubled all the easier to justify. The defense of the RAMS race will face more rigid tests than a quarter-Arrière mainly in Pocket in Stroud and a ball carrier at Nick Chubb, who underwent a horrible knee injury in 2023 and broke his foot in the week 15 last season.
This week, the Rams will obtain the Titans of Tennessee and Cam Ward. While Stroud finished 9 out of 10 on pressure passes, according to Trumedia, this match could be more favorable against a recruit that holds the ball. Ward saw a high pressure rate during week 1 and took six bags. But he also brings the upward game which made him the n ° 1 choice in the draft.
A big test will come from Eagles in just two weeks in a revenge match of the divisional qualifying match, where the Rams could not stop anything on the ground. Philadelphia will also launch AJ Brown and Devonta Smith on two sides of the perimeter, highlighting Forbes on the cover and the deployment of security to manage the two threats.
But the Rams have a defensive model which, at least in the opening of the season, looked a little more complete.
(Photo of Nate Landman: Harry How / Getty Images)
