11 Personnel podcast

[Elmgrovegnome]

If you want a good reminder about just what is going on with the Rams, then listen to this episode. Jourdan covers a lot of info while answering questions. It’s one of the best episodes in a while.



View: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/11-personnel-a-show-about-the-los-angeles-rams/id1477535034

 

[XXXIVwin]

Give us some highlights, Elm!

I'm sorry but I don't have the patience to listen to those podcasts. I like Jourdan as a writer, but her podcasts bore me to tears. Just my opinion....

 

[WestCoastRam]

Great episode. I agree. It's hilarious that half the fights on this board wouldn't even happen if people just listened to these weekly.

 

[Merlin]

Yes this board would be incredible if we all wore Jourdan masks and agreed on everything. Man that would be fun.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Give us some highlights, Elm!

I'm sorry but I don't have the patience to listen to those podcasts. I like Jourdan as a writer, but her podcasts bore me to tears. Just my opinion....

I turn the podcasts on when I’m working. I work by myself so it makes the time go faster. I wear a jogging/workout band around my arm that holds my phone. So I can still have my hands free. I also turn it on when cooking or doing housework.

I’m sure I’ll miss some of what Jourdan said, but here is a few points.

1. The coaches study teams defensive tendencies and develop a game plan to exploit it. Some teams who have the capability/personnel have been going off schedule on defense and breaking tendencies, especially against the Rams because McVay is good at attacking tendencies. That is what he focuses on all week. They change the defense just before the snap.
2. There is so much going on during the week and it takes all of the coaches time preparing a strategy. It is difficult to predict when teams will have a counter plan and not easy to adjust, especially with injuries to key players.
3. She mentioned a bit about how Belichick is a great defensive coach and had the right players to change up his defense to the six man front Fangio style, which they didn’t play at all until the 2018 Super Bowl. ( a lot of us expected that would happen)
4. McVay is still learning. He’s an offensive wizard but needs to learn more about defense, like the off-season that he hired Staley. His offensive strategies have been copied by most teams. Everyone uses his concepts. He’s not dumb, but does need to learn to counter more on the fly but that’s not as easy as it sounds, especially with a very limited roster.
5. Higbee is injured. He can’t use one of his arms completely, which affects his blocking and catching. She thinks McVay does need to extend trust to other players. Because it’s hurting the offense.
6. She said Davis Allen looks like he is going to be a very good tight end from what she has seen of him. But he is very raw.
7. Kupp and Stafford are out of synch, other teams are noticing. They didn’t have an off-season to practice and the Rams hope to get that fixed soon. But this is a big problem for offensive flexibility.
8. The Rams were not going to be trade deadline buyers unless a deal came up that really helped the future.
9. What the coaches are currently doing is trying to figure out who is going to be starting games for this team in 2024-25. So each week is an experiment.
10. For example they tried Durant at the star and it just didn’t work. So now he is back on the outside at corner where he fits best. (Many of us questioned why they didn’t start Durant on the outside all along. It was just an experiment) She thinks they are very happy with Lake at the Star now. Expects Tomlinson to be in the slot but he’s just not ready. Duke Shelly has never played this defense so he is still learning it. So this demonstrates that although they are playing to win, the roster is not set and they are taking risks now so they get it right this winter/spring.
11. She is not sure what the plan is with Witherspoon. They obviously like him but likely won’t go all in to sign him to a big deal if they have too much competition. They will settle for the comp pick.
12. They obviously have a lot of needs. One thing they really hope to find is more length at corner in the draft or free agency (this explains trying Kendrick’s for so long he’s one of their bigger corners).
13. So the whole season is a big test period. She hinted that the NFL is not happy about the way the Rams are going about it all.
14. This does not mean that they are tanking. They are still trying to win each week and to suggest otherwise is an insult to the staff and roster.
15. She still expects them to have 5-6.5 wins and possibly a top ten pick.
16. She thinks the draft is loaded at the top and the Rams can get a very good player at many different positions, even outside the top five. She mentioned QB as a real possibility (someone to groom behind Stafford). Doubts they will move up to top two, but anything is possible.
17. She once again ragged on them about the poor backup QB situation. She does have her criticisms of McVay and the Rams. She doesn’t hold back. I think it makes everything she says more believable. She doesn’t just blow smoke up our asses to stay on the coaches good side.

I’m sure there are more things. I apologize for being redundant. It’s been a few days since I listened to the podcast. I will likely listen to this one again. It has more insight than the usual game review podcasts.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Yes this board would be incredible if we all wore Jourdan masks and agreed on everything. Man that would be fun.

Well, I’m not sure of your intent on that. She doesn’t agree with everything that McVay does. She does criticize him. Is that what you mean?

Or, if you sarcastically meant it would be boring if we all just followed suit and said the same things, then yeah, I get it. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and insights. It would be boring if we all just agreed on everything.

I felt that this episode of her podcast was really a ‘clear the air’ type that she does once in a while. It was a Q&A, and kind of got me refocused. Once the Rams came out fast my expectations got a bit higher than maybe they should have. I think listening to it would maybe quell some of the anger that a few posters seem to have about what’s going on. It may reduce some of the few arguments that get stirred up on occasion.

 

[rdlkgliders]

I turn the podcasts on when I’m working. I work by myself so it makes the time go faster. I wear a jogging/workout band around my arm that holds my phone. So I can still have my hands free. I also turn it on when cooking or doing housework.

I’m sure I’ll miss some of what Jourdan said, but here is a few points.

1. The coaches study teams defensive tendencies and develop a game plan to exploit it. Some teams who have the capability/personnel have been going off schedule on defense and breaking tendencies, especially against the Rams because McVay is good at attacking tendencies. That is what he focuses on all week. They change the defense just before the snap.
2. There is so much going on during the week and it takes all of the coaches time preparing a strategy. It is difficult to predict when teams will have a counter plan and not easy to adjust, especially with injuries to key players.
3. She mentioned a bit about how Belichick is a great defensive coach and had the right players to change up his defense to the six man front Fangio style, which they didn’t play at all until the 2018 Super Bowl. ( a lot of us expected that would happen)
4. McVay is still learning. He’s an offensive wizard but needs to learn more about defense, like the off-season that he hired Staley. His offensive strategies have been copied by most teams. Everyone uses his concepts. He’s not dumb, but does need to learn to counter more on the fly but that’s not as easy as it sounds, especially with a very limited roster.
5. Higbee is injured. He can’t use one of his arms completely, which affects his blocking and catching. She thinks McVay does need to extend trust to other players. Because it’s hurting the offense.
6. She said Davis Allen looks like he is going to be a very good tight end from what she has seen of him. But he is very raw.
7. Kupp and Stafford are out of synch, other teams are noticing. They didn’t have an off-season to practice and the Rams hope to get that fixed soon. But this is a big problem for offensive flexibility.
8. The Rams were not going to be trade deadline buyers unless a deal came up that really helped the future.
9. What the coaches are currently doing is trying to figure out who is going to be starting games for this team in 2024-25. So each week is an experiment.
10. For example they tried Durant at the star and it just didn’t work. So now he is back on the outside at corner where he fits best. (Many of us questioned why they didn’t start Durant on the outside all along. It was just an experiment) She thinks they are very happy with Lake at the Star now. Expects Tomlinson to be in the slot but he’s just not ready. Duke Shelly has never played this defense so he is still learning it. So this demonstrates that although they are playing to win, the roster is not set and they are taking risks now so they get it right this winter/spring.
11. She is not sure what the plan is with Witherspoon. They obviously like him but likely won’t go all in to sign him to a big deal if they have too much competition. They will settle for the comp pick.
12. They obviously have a lot of needs. One thing they really hope to find is more length at corner in the draft or free agency (this explains trying Kendrick’s for so long he’s one of their bigger corners).
13. So the whole season is a big test period. She hinted that the NFL is not happy about the way the Rams are going about it all.
14. This does not mean that they are tanking. They are still trying to win each week and to suggest otherwise is an insult to the staff and roster.
15. She still expects them to have 5-6.5 wins and possibly a top ten pick.
16. She thinks the draft is loaded at the top and the Rams can get a very good player at many different positions, even outside the top five. She mentioned QB as a real possibility (someone to groom behind Stafford). Doubts they will move up to top two, but anything is possible.
17. She once again ragged on them about the poor backup QB situation. She does have her criticisms of McVay and the Rams. She doesn’t hold back. I think it makes everything she says more believable. She doesn’t just blow smoke up our asses to stay on the coaches good side.

I’m sure there are more things. I apologize for being redundant. It’s been a few days since I listened to the podcast. I will likely listen to this one again. It has more insight than the usual game review podcasts.

Really well done Elm, thanks for taking the time. Exceptional work!

 

[XXXIVwin]

I turn the podcasts on when I’m working. I work by myself so it makes the time go faster. I wear a jogging/workout band around my arm that holds my phone. So I can still have my hands free. I also turn it on when cooking or doing housework.

I’m sure I’ll miss some of what Jourdan said, but here is a few points.

1. The coaches study teams defensive tendencies and develop a game plan to exploit it. Some teams who have the capability/personnel have been going off schedule on defense and breaking tendencies, especially against the Rams because McVay is good at attacking tendencies. That is what he focuses on all week. They change the defense just before the snap.
2. There is so much going on during the week and it takes all of the coaches time preparing a strategy. It is difficult to predict when teams will have a counter plan and not easy to adjust, especially with injuries to key players.
3. She mentioned a bit about how Belichick is a great defensive coach and had the right players to change up his defense to the six man front Fangio style, which they didn’t play at all until the 2018 Super Bowl. ( a lot of us expected that would happen)
4. McVay is still learning. He’s an offensive wizard but needs to learn more about defense, like the off-season that he hired Staley. His offensive strategies have been copied by most teams. Everyone uses his concepts. He’s not dumb, but does need to learn to counter more on the fly but that’s not as easy as it sounds, especially with a very limited roster.
5. Higbee is injured. He can’t use one of his arms completely, which affects his blocking and catching. She thinks McVay does need to extend trust to other players. Because it’s hurting the offense.
6. She said Davis Allen looks like he is going to be a very good tight end from what she has seen of him. But he is very raw.
7. Kupp and Stafford are out of synch, other teams are noticing. They didn’t have an off-season to practice and the Rams hope to get that fixed soon. But this is a big problem for offensive flexibility.
8. The Rams were not going to be trade deadline buyers unless a deal came up that really helped the future.
9. What the coaches are currently doing is trying to figure out who is going to be starting games for this team in 2024-25. So each week is an experiment.
10. For example they tried Durant at the star and it just didn’t work. So now he is back on the outside at corner where he fits best. (Many of us questioned why they didn’t start Durant on the outside all along. It was just an experiment) She thinks they are very happy with Lake at the Star now. Expects Tomlinson to be in the slot but he’s just not ready. Duke Shelly has never played this defense so he is still learning it. So this demonstrates that although they are playing to win, the roster is not set and they are taking risks now so they get it right this winter/spring.
11. She is not sure what the plan is with Witherspoon. They obviously like him but likely won’t go all in to sign him to a big deal if they have too much competition. They will settle for the comp pick.
12. They obviously have a lot of needs. One thing they really hope to find is more length at corner in the draft or free agency (this explains trying Kendrick’s for so long he’s one of their bigger corners).
13. So the whole season is a big test period. She hinted that the NFL is not happy about the way the Rams are going about it all.
14. This does not mean that they are tanking. They are still trying to win each week and to suggest otherwise is an insult to the staff and roster.
15. She still expects them to have 5-6.5 wins and possibly a top ten pick.
16. She thinks the draft is loaded at the top and the Rams can get a very good player at many different positions, even outside the top five. She mentioned QB as a real possibility (someone to groom behind Stafford). Doubts they will move up to top two, but anything is possible.
17. She once again ragged on them about the poor backup QB situation. She does have her criticisms of McVay and the Rams. She doesn’t hold back. I think it makes everything she says more believable. She doesn’t just blow smoke up our asses to stay on the coaches good side.

I’m sure there are more things. I apologize for being redundant. It’s been a few days since I listened to the podcast. I will likely listen to this one again. It has more insight than the usual game review podcasts.

Holy cow, Elm, thanks for the incredibly detailed commentary!

 

[kurtfaulk]

She mentioned a bit about how Belichick is a great defensive coach and had the right players to change up his defense to the six man front Fangio style, which they didn’t play at all until the 2018 Super Bowl. ( a lot of us expected that would happen)

I still can't believe Mcvay didn't have a plan against that front after the bears game. Surely he had to know he would face it again that season?

There was video on YouTube after that game that showed us all what happened and how to counter it. I was actually relieved it could be overcome so easily. That there was an open receiver every time, Goff just had to find him. Reprogram his brain to go that way.

Thought Mcvay would work with him to look that way when the d showed that front. He obviously didn't because Goff looked lost the whole first half of the superbowl. It's irritating they blew that superbowl because they didn't plan for that front.

.

 

[AvengerRam]

I have a hard time buying the assertion that the league has a particular issue with the Rams’ approach. We’re hardly the first or the only team to jettison expensive vets and go through some growing pains while building a young core.

 

[Oregonram]

If point number 1 is true, then many on this board have erred believing Sean only runs his particular offense and believes he can beat anybody if the execute correctly. It would seem to indicate my fear that Sean was getting suckered into certain play calls based on a false front the DC was miraging and hoping he would call certain plays and then jump out of the look just as the ball is being hiked. A genius is know by their simplicity not complexity…So according to Jourdan, if Sean prepares incorrectly, we’re screwed, because apparently his scheme is too complex to adjust easily on the fly. When he kept running empty sets against the Bengals in the second half, I started to worry that he was beginning to hate Stafford by putting him in such difficult positions over and over again without adjusting. I’m confident the brain trust will sort it out.

 

[XXXIVwin]

Interesting that Higbee is playing hurt. He's had a lot of drops and hasn't been his usual self.

Glad to hear about Quentin Lake. He's got the size and football IQ to be a keeper.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Interesting that Higbee is playing hurt.

Why is that interesting? He's always got some nagging injury that stops him from playing to his potential. Since he's been with the Rams.

Time to move on.

.

 

[Memphis Ram]

I’m sure I’ll miss some of what Jourdan said, but here is a few points.

1. The coaches study teams defensive tendencies and develop a game plan to exploit it. Some teams who have the capability/personnel have been going off schedule on defense and breaking tendencies, especially against the Rams because McVay is good at attacking tendencies. That is what he focuses on all week. They change the defense just before the snap.

I've said it once and will keep saying it. I wish McVay would focus more on simply being more physical vs. trying to outsmart opponents.

Don't get me wrong. I know that you have to be creative and exploit tendencies. But maybe change the make-believe meter from let's say 80% outsmart & 20% physical to 50-60% physical & 40-50% outsmart or something. If they do that on offense, I believe that they'll hold up better on defense, too practicing against such as offense.

 

[OldSchool]

People aren't listening to this weekly? That's a shame it's almost always great and at it's worst it's informative. Just like listening to the coaches show and his pressers.

 

[TXRams86]

If point number 1 is true, then many on this board have erred believing Sean only runs his particular offense and believes he can beat anybody if the execute correctly. It would seem to indicate my fear that Sean was getting suckered into certain play calls based on a false front the DC was miraging and hoping he would call certain plays and then jump out of the look just as the ball is being hiked. A genius is know by their simplicity not complexity…So according to Jourdan, if Sean prepares incorrectly, we’re screwed, because apparently his scheme is too complex to adjust easily on the fly. When he kept running empty sets against the Bengals in the second half, I started to worry that he was beginning to hate Stafford by putting him in such difficult positions over and over again without adjusting. I’m confident the brain trust will sort it out.

While I'm not going to argue what Jourdan said, it really is mind blowing that some of his game plans are to play right into the strength of the opposing defense. 30th ranked rushing defense? Let's throw it all over the place instead of running it. I think she alluded to it in her podcast but this commitment to 11 personnel is also asinine and I'm sure factors in to our offense's inability to adjust based on the flow of the game. How many times have we seen a lineman go out and McVay seemingly refuses to slide help that way? Personnel issue because we're "built" to run 11 personnel all the god damned time? Who really knows but it's apparent that in-game adjustments seem like something this team can't do. And it's cost us games.

 

[I like Rams]

Good podcast, but one contradiction that stood out, not on Jourdan but more of McVay, is if this season is about seeing who stays next season, then how are we supposed to evaluate that if not all of the players we drafted see the field? She said the right thing imo in that, we need to let these young players take up the responsibility of playing and stepping into that big moment and see how they perform. Otherwise this is gonna be a 3 season evaluation process.

 

[Merlin]

Or, if you sarcastically meant it would be boring if we all just followed suit and said the same things, then yeah, I get it. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and insights. It would be boring if we all just agreed on everything.

Yeah I was responding to the idea of how great it would be if we all thought the same thing. Which is a ridiculous thing to wish for on a message board which exists for that struggle of finding common ground on whatever the topic is.

I like Jourdan and she's one of very few writers that I read. But I think the Rams play her and hide behind vagaries and political correctness whenever it suits them. And I think she runs with her own ideas at times and I don't always agree with them. She is very good though, certainly our best beat writer.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Yeah I was responding to the idea of how great it would be if we all thought the same thing. Which is a ridiculous thing to wish for on a message board which exists for that struggle of finding common ground on whatever the topic is.

I like Jourdan and she's one of very few writers that I read. But I think the Rams play her and hide behind vagaries and political correctness whenever it suits them. And I think she runs with her own ideas at times and I don't always agree with them. She is very good though, certainly our best beat writer.

I don't think anyone said it would be great. But... maybe just like above, you tend to make a lot of assumptions?

What's an example of a time you think the Rams played her?

 

[Merlin]

What's an example of a time you think the Rams played her?

There have been many occasions of that. Just recently they had her going on the Boom being a starter nonsense. They've duped her with the RB position more than once. She gets inside information from them and is very good at digging the information but she simply doesn't go back like most of us do here where it's easier to see where the Rams are full of shit.

But don't take this like I'm talking shit about her. I just talked her up. She is clearly our best beat writer.