How the Rams’ pass rush is driving the D

LOS ANGELES — When Jared Verse met with Los Angeles Rams outside linebackers coach Joe Coniglio during the 2024 draft process, he was pretty sure he knew how the interview went.

“I thought he hated me,” Verse said. “I thought there was no chance of me coming to the Rams, because I thought he hated me. He didn’t laugh or smile at all during our meeting.”

Coniglio laughs when he hears Verse tell that story, because what he remembers about that Zoom call is walking out of his office to talk to defensive line coach Giff Smith to tell him how much he liked Verse and how he thought the Florida State defensive lineman would be “a good fit” in Los Angeles.

Now, nearly two seasons into their partnership — and an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award later — Verse, alongside outside linebacker Byron Young, is thriving in Los Angeles. As the two have gotten to know each other, the resulting trust has helped shape a passing rush that lets their personalities shine through on the field.

Young has 24 quarterback hits this season, which is seventh in the NFL, and Verse has 22 (10th), according to ESPN Research. The Rams, who play the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon), are one of two teams with multiple players in the top 10 in QB hits this season. The bond between Verse and Young – which has developed over the past two seasons – has become a crucial part of the identity of the Rams defense.

“They’re really good football players that I think have some nice complementary skills,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of Young and Verse. “They love each other and care about each other. I think Joe Coniglio does a great job of setting the temperature and the tone of that room, giving the guys the freedom to be themselves, but he also has the structure to continually challenge them and push them to be who they want to be as players and as men.

“I love these two guys, and I love seeing how genuine and real their relationship and support for each other is. They clash too, in a good way.”

THE VERSE DOES NOT HAVE has been reluctant to talk about the struggles he had during his rookie season, as he tried to play what he called hero ball, aiming to make an impact on every play rather than going “one for 11” and playing as part of the defense.

But after some tough times last season, Verse said he realized he had to trust others around him and that his coaches were putting him in the best position to succeed. Verse had 76 pressures last season, which ranked fourth in the NFL and 20 more than the next rookie, earning him the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

So when Coniglio sat down this offseason to evaluate himself and his position group, he wanted to find a way to free up his pass rushers. On a piece of paper, Coniglio came up with “a bunch of different ways we’re going to insert into the line of scrimmage.” It was part of a five-phase plan he worked on to improve the Rams’ pass rush.

During the process, Coniglio said he realized that by better defining what he asked of each play, he allowed his players to put their personality into their games, while still allowing them to “go play fast.”

“The big thing for Jared is having the ability to make his 11th, but we also want to make sure Jared doesn’t play like he’s in a box,” Coniglio said of players doing their part. “When I say that, I mean he doesn’t feel like a robot. He can put his personality into it. His football IQ can come to life. Because that’s the beauty of him as a player. If you tie his hands behind his back, he’s not going to be as good as if you let him play fast and loose.”

Young said the change was evident and also showed Coniglio’s growth as a coach. The couple arrived in Los Angeles in 2023, and Young said that was when their bond began.

“From the rookie year, you could tell [he was] “I kind of do everything here, A, B, C,” Young said. “And then he said, we have you all for a reason, we have you all guys for your personality and what you do well. So he doesn’t want to pigeonhole us and put us in a box. He wants to be able to go out there and do what we do and feel more comfortable and more confident.

“He just saw me evolve and grow and he said, you know what? I’m going to give you a little freedom so you can put your own spin on it so we can be successful.”

McVay said one of the things Coniglio does best is identify “what you are at your best.”

“I think BY and Verse are great players for us,” McVay said. “There’s some crossover, but there’s also some different things where I think they complement each other well.”

Rams rookie outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart, who was a third-round pick, said Coniglio coaches him in a way he wasn’t used to before being drafted because of that “freedom he lets us play with.”

“He trusts us to play there,” Stewart said.

That success showed up for a Rams defense that ranks third in defensive DVOA. Quarterbacks who have been pressured by Young have a total QBR of 2.5, which ranks as the third-best mark for any defender with at least 25 pressures, according to ESPN Research. Verse allowed a total QBR of 5.8, which ranks 10th.

Coniglio has also tried to help his players move away from the hero ball mentality by working on those opportunities, what he calls “earned opportunities.” Coniglio said he would tell Verse, “‘Hey, this call, this is an out for you,’ or ‘You have to play within the scheme and structure here.'”

“It’s about defining those moments in time based on calls where we say, ‘Hey, this would be a great opportunity for you to go play.’ “Hey, at this location on this call, it’s probably not going to be your best opportunity,” Coniglio said. “You have to play within the structure here, and that could be someone else’s opponent.”

This is where McVay has seen growth in this room.

“I just see guys understanding, ‘How can I play my role to the best of my ability, but also understand the concepts and different things that I can anticipate?’” McVay said. “’Not necessarily guessing, but anticipating so that we can impact our group as a collective.’”

THIS OFF-SEASON, YOUNG and Coniglio made it his goal to figure out how he could become a more consistent football player in his third year.

It started with learning how to take care of his body in the offseason — led by a new devotion to Pilates — and “giving myself the best opportunity to be good,” Young said.

“We knew his highlights were really high level in this league,” Coniglio said. “And the one thing we wanted to do is how can we see him at his best consistently throughout Week 12 and Week 13, as long as we play.”

Coniglio said he realizes that when he turns on the tape during all three tries, something the two specifically talked about during the offseason. That happened early and often this season, as Young had at least a half-sack in each of the Rams’ first seven games of the season.

“I saw a consistent player,” McVay said. “I saw a guy that can really understand some of the recognition concepts, whether it’s preparation throughout the week and some normal runs and distances or some known passing situations.”

Young has 11 sacks this season, which is tied for seventh in the NFL and the most by a Rams player since defensive tackle Aaron Donald had 12.5 in 2021.

Not only have Young’s sack numbers, quarterback hits and pressures improved since last season, but he’s doing so against more double teams. According to ESPN Research, Young’s double-team percentage through 14 games increased from 10% to 14.7%.

“He’s playing at a very high level,” Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “Probably the best he’s ever played. On every play, we ask a lot of him, and he goes for it every time. This group is coming together as a whole, and he’s right there at the forefront.”

WHEN CONIGLIO THINKS Of the bond between two of his star passers, he thinks of Verse and Young “trotting around Lincoln Financial Field together” before last season’s divisional round playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the week leading up to the game, Verse told the Los Angeles Times that he hated Eagles fans because “they’re so boring.”

Before the game, as the snow fell, Verse and Young took a tour of the stadium, listening to the fans’ boos. Verse had two sacks in the game, a loss for the Rams.

“It’s a great match because I think sometimes Jared brings BY [Young] “I came out of his shell a little bit,” Coniglio said. “BY is competitive, relentless, everything you see on tape. But I think once… Jared gets going with a little more outgoing personality, he gets into BY too.

“The way they play with each other and the relationship they have, I think they bring out the best in each other.”

When Stewart is asked how he describes Young and Verse’s relationship, he smiles.

“If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ this would be the best representation,” Stewart said. “But they’re just two idiots, and they’re always competing. And you know it comes from a love thing.”

Coniglio said he saw the collaboration between the two men take off because there was “a trust and comfort in our defense.”

Young has described Verse “like a brother” since they started playing together last season. And as they got to know the trends of everyone in the field, they saw it continue to grow.

“He [is] competitive, in a fun way,” Young said. “He makes me better; I improve it and we just work alongside each other. At the end of the day, just for the two of us, be the best you can be.”