LOS ANGELES — A year ago, the Rams’ offensive line suffered through a litany of injuries during training camp. The team shuffled through a new combination on the line every couple of days, and the results spoke for themselves through the first couple of weeks of 2025 as the Rams allowed three sacks and 24 pressures.
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But this summer, the Rams got a cleaner bill of health up front. The five starting linemen – who played together for 33.15% of snaps in 2025, per Sharp Football – worked together every day, learning from every individual snap spent side by side.
And the benefits have been on display through two weeks in 2026. After 14 pressures but no sacks allowed in the opener, the Rams allowed just four pressures and one sack against a deep and versatile Giants front in Week 2.
“That’s been as consistent of a group on our team as anyone the first two weeks,” Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase said. “They’re playing confident. They’re playing physical up front. They’re doing a great job in the run game and a great job in the pass game. They know how important it is for those guys to set a tone and they’ve been that for us.”
In Week 3, the Rams (1-1) and their line will face a different kind of challenge as the team travels to Colorado to face the Denver Broncos (1-1) on Sunday night.
The Broncos led the NFL in quarterback pressures in 2025. That has continued through two weeks this season with 13 pressures per game. The front seven is led by All-Pro outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, but is deep and versatile enough that a team can’t focus solely on blocking one man.
“Pretty good group. It’s a pretty good group,” Rams right tackle Warren McClendon said with a laugh. “Seems like that’s the case every week right now.”
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The Broncos’ pass rush isn’t just about talent, but about deployment, too. The team’s defensive coordinator is Vance Joseph. That’s a name familiar to the Rams from his years serving in the same role for the divisional rival Arizona Cardinals.
Since his time in Arizona, Rams head coach Sean McVay says he’s seen Joseph’s scheme evolve in his four years in Denver.
“He’s aggressive. He’s got a good understanding of what he’s trying to do to create problems for the offenses,” McVay said. “He’ll mix some different personnel groupings. He’s always been a pain in a positive way, out of respect, to go against. You can see he has a real good understanding. I think good coaches put their players in situations to accentuate their skill sets. That’s what’s on display all over the tape.”
Complicating that will be a raucous road atmosphere in the night game. As the Rams try to adjust to the exotic looks the Broncos show, center Coleman Shelton and quarterback Matthew Stafford will be tasked with keeping the group on the same page with clear communication in a hostile setting.
It will be moments like that when the Rams’ offensive line will have to lean on the reps they had together during training camp, when they developed their shorthand and learned how to block five as one.
“Being next to [right guard Kevin Dotson] and getting all those reps through OTAs, camp, just building that rapport with each other and building that trust between each other, it definitely helps a lot,” McClendon said. “I know everybody’s going to do their job and that if I do get in trouble, K-Dot’s going to be there to help me. K-Dot is in trouble, I’m going to be there to help him. For all five of us, just that connection that we have and that bond that we’ve all built to have trust in each other.”
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RAMS (1-1) at DENVER BRONCOS (1-1)
When: 5:20 p.m. PT Sunday
Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver
TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 193, 192