Nate Landman, Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Poona Ford can make Rams' D more complete

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.

As the clock ticked under two minutes, the Houston Texans kept inching forward to within 30 yards of their first touchdown of the day and the one that could win them the game.

The moment sent out a bat signal of sorts to the Los Angeles Rams newest captain.

Nate Landman settled into a zone in the middle of the field as Texans quarterback C.J.

Stroud zipped a quick slant to Dare Ogunbowale, who darted inside the 20, saw the 235-pound Landman and dove to the turf to avoid contact.

As he did, the football met the gloved right hand of the Rams new middle linebacker.

It squirted onto the turf and defensive end Braden Fiske scooped it up for the recovery.

Advertisement This was the defensive highlight in the Rams 14-9 victory over the Texans , and it earned Landman this seasons first NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.

It also has the Rams believing they could have the new pieces to round out a defense ready to contend.

To lean on the defense, (defensive coordinator) Chris Shula, his staff and the defensive players did a great job, Rams coach Sean McVay said.

I am really proud of that group.

Landman is one of those pieces.

Poona Ford, the new 310-pound nose tackle, is another.

Emmanuel Forbes Jr., whom the Rams claimed off waivers from the Washington Commanders last December, is a third.

They arent Jared Verse or Byron Young, the pass rushers and stars of the defense.

But theyre the players who will need to step up when offenses try to avoid those two by running the ball or with quick passes.

They showed they were able to in Week 1.

For Landman, that meant playing all but one defensive snap.

He arrived on a free-agent deal from the Atlanta Falcons to replace Christian Rozeboom at middle linebacker and solidify a run defense that saw its season end with Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles rushing for 285 yards and three touchdowns in the NFC divisional round.

But he flew under the radar across the league, settling for a one-year deal for the veteran minimum at $1.1 million.

Now, hes the player wearing the green dot for the Rams.

Its a leadership role that could stress a new players fit on a defense with high expectations.

But instead of playing his first game safely and avoiding mistakes, he was stripping and punching at the ball just like he had in practice.

Some linebackers use sheer recovery speed to enact the Peanut Punch, a play nicknamed after Charles Peanut Tillman, who forced 44 fumbles in 13 seasons as an outside cornerback.

Thats not the approach of Landman, who went undrafted out of Colorado before he latched on as a starter with the Falcons in his second season.

Advertisement Landman does it his way, through instincts, play recognition and a growing trust in the players around him.

Likewise, their trust in him has grown.

When we get new free agents here, Coach (Sean) McVay puts the plays theyve made on in the team meeting, so weve seen the punch-outs and the tips, safety Kamren Curl said.

Hes one of the best ones Ive seen do it.

We welcome him with open arms because we know hes a playmaker and a great leader.

PICTURE PERFECT PEANUT PUNCH! @NFLonCBS | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/k3tlABj9Kc Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 7, 2025 Landman also tied Curl with a team-high 10 tackles against the Texans.

Whats key to unleashing this version of Landman, as opposed to the one the free-agent market pegged, is to integrate him into a system where his instincts can shine and his hands are free from blockers.

Thats why their lone signing of significance this offseason was Ford, at three years and $27.6 million.

Hes an eighth-year run-stuffer, which filled a need for a Rams team that saw Barkley rush for 460 yards and four touchdowns in two games against them last season.

But Ford brings a specific fit as a two-gapping player who thrives in a limited role.

On Sunday, that meant demanding double-teams at the point of attack that, in addition to the focus the Texans had to give to Verse and Young on the edges, allowed Landman to move without bodies in his face.

They do their job at the highest level, Landman said of his defensive line, better than anyone Ive been around.

As a shorter penetrator at 5-foot-11 and 310 pounds who thrives on a low center of gravity, Ford isnt the type of nose tackle who cant be on the field on passing downs.

His style can fit a tandem of Verse, Young and Kobie Turner, who create the pass rush around him.

Now that For is turning 30 in November, the Rams must limit his snaps to preserve his motor and strength for those double-teams.

They did that with a 41 percent snap share in the opener.

The additions of Landman and Ford to the run defense can further open up a role for Forbes, a 2023 first-round pick out of Mississippi State.

Advertisement The Rams surprised some when they started Forbes and played him on 79 percent of snaps in the opener.

Darious Williams, who started 11 of 12 games last year, was a healthy scratch.

(The Rams) brought me in here to show them what Im capable of, honestly, Forbes said.

It shows that theyve got a lot of trust in me, and theyre always telling me how much trust they have in me.

They want me to play freely and to go make plays, which is what Ive always done in my career.

The reason the Rams were willing to start Forbes and sit Williams comes down to fit and progress.

The weakness that had haunted Forbes young career to this point had been tackling, as he missed 36 percent of his tackle attempts over the past two seasons.

The NFLs qualifying leader for that stretch, Marcus Peters, missed 35.3 percent, according to Sports Info Solutions.

Tackling is a challenge for an athlete who measures just 166 pounds.

But its something hes working at, and he showed progress on Sunday when he chased Stroud out of bounds on a scramble and dropped Texans tight end Cade Stover for a 1-yard gain.

He finished with three tackles and missed zero.

Just not worrying about messing up, Forbes said.

Im not worried about someone being on my tail for messing up.

Tackling is all about technique, and the physicality is going to come with it.

In a defense that now has more run specialists in Ford and Landman, the Rams hope they can live with Forbes growing pains as a tackler as a trade-off for his man coverage skills.

Forbes ran a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2023.

He allowed the Rams on Sunday to run man coverage 35 percent of the time.

That approach let the Rams cover Texans Pro Bowl receiver Nico Collins differently, as they held him to three catches for 25 yards.

Our defensive line putting pressure on the quarterback allowed us to play sticky, cornerback Cobie Durant said.

Advertisement It was just one week, and its worth noting that the Texans were breaking in two new tackles and were without slot receiver Christian Kirk, which made doubling Collins all the easier to justify.

The Rams run defense will face stiffer tests than a mostly pocket quarterback in Stroud and a running back in Nick Chubb who suffered a gruesome knee injury in 2023 and broke his foot in Week 15 last season.

This week, the Rams will get the Tennessee Titans and Cam Ward.

Whereas Stroud finished 9-of-10 on passes under pressure, according to TruMedia, this matchup could be more favorable against a rookie who holds the ball.

Ward saw a high rate of pressure in Week 1 and took six sacks.

But he also brings the playmaking upside that made him the No.

1 pick in the draft.

A big test will come from the Eagles in just two weeks in a rematch of the divisional playoff matchup, where the Rams couldnt stop anything on the ground.

Philadelphia will also throw A.J.

Brown and DeVonta Smith on two sides of the perimeter, stressing Forbes in coverage and the deployment of the safeties to handle both threats.

But the Rams have a defensive model that, at least in the season opener, looked a little more complete.

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