The Rams have opened the year 2-2, and the offense has been uneven heading into Week 5. But the defense? That side of the ball has already looked like a problem for everybody else, and Jason McCourty thinks it still hasn’t shown its best version yet.
Speaking on “NFL on ESPN” ahead of Los Angeles’ “Monday Night Football” meeting with the Buffalo Bills, the former NFL cornerback said the Rams are still climbing. In his view, this defense is nowhere near finished.
“This Rams defense has completely shifted from when we were here, and we were talking about them in Week 2 coming off that Australia game. They barely blitz, and they barely play man-to-man coverage,” McCourty said.
“Now this team is developing. When I look at them, they're nowhere near their potential.
And I'm saying that with a team that is leading the NFL in yards allowed and pass yards allowed…
“To me, Myles Garrett isn't out there yet, [and] this team is still learning, and they figured out their identity [for] when he comes back, and Aaron Donald, the further we get along in this season, he's going to continue to get better,” McCourty continued… “So, this team has not yet reached their potential defensively, and they're still at the top of the league.”
"When I look at [the Rams defense], they're nowhere near their potential. And I'm saying that with a team that is leading the NFL in yards allowed."@JasonMcCourty previews Bills-Rams ahead of Monday Night Football 🏈 pic.twitter.com/d0kRFc72Jf
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 12, 2026
That’s a strong statement, especially when you look at the numbers. Through Week 5, the Rams are giving up just 247.5 total yards per game, which ranks first in the NFL. They’re also No. 1 against the pass at 145.5 yards allowed per game, and they sit eighth in points allowed at 20.8 per game.
Buffalo, of course, is a very different test. Josh Allen and the Bills bring one of the league’s most explosive attacks into the matchup, averaging 386.3 total yards per game, seventh-best in the NFL, and 31.8 points per game, which ranks second.
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