A few Rams Colts re-watch notes

[XXXIVwin]

Re-watched the first half tonight. A few notes and details, including some "under the radar" players:

Austin Trammel looked GOOD. I was wary of him after seeing some bobbles from him in preseason both this year and last. But today he was extremely sure-handed. Had two real nice returns (of 18 and 12 yards) negated by penalty.

Kevin Dotson is a people mover. A man mountain. I didn't key on him too much in pass pro, but in the run game he definitely had some push. I'm a big fan of Anchrum the person (esp. his charity work in the community), but Dotson to me looked clearly better than Anchrum. Shout out to @oldnotdead on this one, lol.

A Nick Hamptoin sighting! And he had the same impact I saw of him in preseason, which is to say... absolutely nothing.

Tre Tomlinson with a dumb-ass penalty for being over-aggressive with a guy out-of-bounds during a punt return, negating real nice return by Trammel. Later in the game TT had a penalty which negated the sack-fumble by Donald on a key 3rd down. TT competes his ass off, but I'm starting to think his habit of getting penalties is what's keeping him off the field on D. He's gotta figure out where the line is on being aggressive vs. drawing a penalty.

Puka is one tough SOB. Amazing how he consistently requires 2 or 3 defenders to bring him down. I re-watched some of his routes, and it's sorta amazing how unremarkable he looks. My theory is that it's mostly about the amazing CHEMISTRY he's got with MS. I hear Puka joined MS and CK in the "Breakfast Club" to watch film-- and it shows. Puka is definitely a technician. Shout out to CK for helping make Puka the monster he is.

Speaking of chemistry with the quarterback-- Kyren Williams and MS were back on the same page again on dump-off routes. They miscommunicated at least 3 times in the Bengal game. They must have spent some time together cleaning that shit up.
Keep an eye on #99, I think that guy has a chance to be good. Seriously though, AD was unstoppable today. I'm reminded of Jason Kelce's description of trying too block him: "it's like wrestling a Liger coated in baby oil."

Speaking of Kelce... my wife turns to me in the second quarter and says, "Taylor Swift really put that guy Travis Kielce on the map!" Haha. Yes, she was kidding... it's an internet meme thing.

We give VJ crap, but he had two GREAT catches in first half. A gain of 13 on the left sideline, real nice job of getting control and tapping his 2 feet in. And on a key 4th down conversion, VJ comes down with a terrific 16-yard catch with the defender draped all over him and with his hand wedged in there fighting to strip the ball. (Laser from MS on that one, BTW). Eric Yarber (the WR coach) was really pumped up after that one, rightfully so.

All for now, maybe I'll include some notes on the 2nd half in this thread later in the week. In the meantime, I hope other posters feel free to chime in about the Colts game with their own "player scouting notes" or "key little details" in this thread...

 

[TexasRam]

Yea, I am rewatching right now. Just going through the first quarter so far.

What really stands out is how outstanding the Oline is in pass pro. Dotson looks really good. All of them. I figure it may take Stafford a bit of time to recalibrate his internal clock after the shit he dealt with last week. These things take QB's time. Stafford has all day back there and probably doesn't realize it quite yet. This Colts front was #2 coming in as well I believe.

Kyren again shows he has such a great feel for running lanes, making him a huge asset around the goaline and finding alternate holes. He really churns out yardage that other RB's often don't find. He is quick and bursty which makes this vision valuable. He obviously lacks that long speed and power to be an elite RB but he is really makes this offense efficient.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Later in the game TT had a penalty which negated the sack-fumble by Donald on a key 3rd down. TT competes his ass off, but I'm starting to think his habit of getting penalties is what's keeping him off the field on D.

Was that the one they didn't show? We have to take the word of the refs that there actually was a penalty there?

.

 

[TexasRam]

Ok, just Rewatched the whole game and came away with the following:

Noteboom wasn't as solid as I thought. He gave up at least 6 pressures, one of which he was called for holding.

Stafford under pressure was overall solid, but more then a few times he had his outlet wide open in the flat and didn't see it. Can't knock the guy for what he played through though. Was the ultimate competitor. Just something to work on.

Mcvay more then 3 times went too conservative.

Dotson was really solid, defintie improvement over Boom at RG when you consider what he offers in the run game. His pass blocking was good as well.

Oline was just lights out overall. Seriously beautiful to watch. They got beat on a 5 man pressure. Vilma said it was Sheltons fault but I am not so sure, he had another guy to deal with and the whole thing just really beat our blocking for the sack. Other then that though is was incredibly solid with the exception of Boom's 6 pressures that I counted. It's insane how stout our interior is now and Havenstein is playing at a high level.

Good use of a fresh Rivers at the end. He had solid runs getting us in 2 and 4 and other favorable down and distance.

Kyren and Rivers were excellent in pass pro, picking up the blitz or chipping. Kyren was very good at being elusive and getting yards when the intital hole was closed. He sees the backside lane real well.

Defensively we are pretty stout against the run up the middle. Brown stood out on at least 3 plays. We really can be a tough team to run against up the middle. Those dudes are getting it done. Moss was having a nice season until he ran into our front.

Turner was solid but he did fall down on the one play where Richardson was flushed by Young. Turner lost outside contain and allowed for a critical pass completion scramble. Stay on your feet.

Johnson got in the game as well and made some nice run stops.

Young is definitely going to be a top player soon. His power and speed are elite. Just needs a bit more experience to maximize his talents. But he is obviously already a disruptive force. Really knocked a LT on his ass with pure power and just missed the sack.

We may have forgot but Puka not only ended the game but he started the game with an amazing catch. The one handed, hit the ball to self catch. Then was just dominate throughout the game, grabbing everything and breaking tackles. He plays like he is 6'5 250 out there. Like a TE. His feel for the zone and the way he runs his smooth slower routes makes him a perfect target. He did miss the one block where Stafford got hurt, and also caused that pass interference by pushing off. Some things to clean up.

Durant is still not making plays and getting beat a bit much for my taste. But Kendrick and Witherspoon had another good game. Richardson is not exactly a seasoned NFL passer and the Colts WR's are not world beaters, so that should be considered. Next weeks WR group will be quite a test.

Fuller, I don't know man. I would rather see JJ in there. Fuller can respond a bit slow. Like a few plays around the goaline. The 3rd down TD to the TE for example.

I thought the Colts coach called some really good offensive plays and overall beat Raheem on the X's and 0s front. Lots of WR's uncovered around the goaline when we needed a stop and Richarsons TD runs should have never been so uncontested. But overall I though Raheem had a decent game plan to contain Richardson and make him beat us with throws, which he couldnt do at the end of the day. Mostly because his timing isn't quite there yet with his WR's. Otherwise you could definitely see his potential. He is really poised in the pocket and can make some NFL throws.

Let's give Hoecht credit for a critical tip. He does seem to make a few plays each game. But, otherwise he needs to be in a backup role.

Yeast reminds me alot of Kendrick. They both can be sticky at times on the WR's and offer some physicality that can influence the game. But they are both hotheads at times and can force some penalties that really hurt.

 

[Classic Rams]

This wasn't as obvious as that Chief's hold but I still noticed it on the replay. 1 possibly 2 holds on #52 and #0 here. But at least we got a few called on them against Donald so that was good to see. May have used up our holding call privileges for the game. Or since these defenders are relatively unknown they have to wait for the benefits.

 

[Ram_Rally]

I wish people were talking about Byron Young and Kobie Turner more. Those dudes are really muddying up the QBs pockets.

 

[HitStick]

I wish people were talking about Byron Young and Kobie Turner more. Those dudes are really muddying up the QBs pockets.

Yeah they are. This draft was incredible.

 

[ottoman89]

I'm glad you brought up Dotson in the running game. I'm glad to hear he moved people.. I thought run blocking was his weakness?? Perhaps there's more to PIT changing schemes up front than a person realized and Dotson is back where he's comfortable.

I agree about Durant.. dude seems to always be behind his guy. For all the hype we heard of him, I've been completely underwhelmed.

With Hoecht, he makes a play here and there but my goodness, we need an EDGE to replace him so bad. It's a bad experiment. He was deep in coverage on one of the TDs Indy scores and they should be a prison sentence for any DC.

Byron is a DUDE.

Best CBs we have on the team are Witherspoon and DK. DK has been impressive.. and it's still only year 2.

Witherspoon may be playing himself into extension talk.

 

[den-the-coach]

Re-watched the first half tonight. A few notes and details, including some "under the radar" players:

Austin Trammel looked GOOD. I was wary of him after seeing some bobbles from him in preseason both this year and last. But today he was extremely sure-handed. Had two real nice returns (of 18 and 12 yards) negated by penalty.

Kevin Dotson is a people mover. A man mountain. I didn't key on him too much in pass pro, but in the run game he definitely had some push. I'm a big fan of Anchrum the person (esp. his charity work in the community), but Dotson to me looked clearly better than Anchrum. Shout out to @oldnotdead on this one, lol.

I believe they need to add Trammel to the roster because of his ability to return Punts & Kickoffs, the receiver room will be crowded with Kupp eventually coming of IR, but Trammel is solid and is the Rams best option for those duties, leaving Williams & Rivers to just focus on being the RB's.

Dotson played well and IMO, they should just keep Boom or Jackson at LT. Especially because both Boom & Jackson have proven to not be the most durable. Boom played well at LT, so go with either Boom or Jackson, but let one of them be the backup LT, which with those two, could mean they would be playing quite a bit.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I haven’t re-watched the game again yet so I’m just replying to some comments on here.

Durant is playing the Star position. I don’t think it suits his skillset at all. He’s supposedly helping to train TT-H at that position. But I don’t think either has the size to pull it off. I wish they had retained Troy Hill for another season. He’s cheap, taller and knows the position. He wasn’t great but he’s better than what they’ve got. They could ease Durant TT-H into the role if they had a veteran in the rotation too. Remember that even Ramsey didn’t look his dominant self playing Star. I’m beginning to wonder if Staley’s concepts need a modification. The Chargers defense gives up points and maybe it puts too much responsibility onto one guy.

With Dotson and the whole Oline actually, keep in mind that there is a new Oline coach in Ryan Wendell. They also have Munchak who has had great offensive lines wherever he’s coached. McVay asked him to stay on the staff so I guess that he thinks Munchak is having an impact. This could explain Avila’s fast start and overall improved play from the rest of the starters. It could also have helped Dotson out. Finding the right coaches can make a huge difference. The Steelers supposedly improved their Oline yet there not playing that well. I was hoping McVay would have signed Callahan when he was available, but maybe he’s made up for it.

Noteboom will always have his struggles at left tackle. He has limitations that we are familiar with. He and Jackson play good enough to get it done. I’d still love to have an elite OLT protecting Stafford’s blindside. Noteboom’s played well at ORG but Dotson was better on Saturday. Too many Olinemen playing well is a great feeling.

Fuller may be intelligent but he’s not a quick thinker and he’s not athletic enough imo. Has JJ slowed that much that he’s not the better option?

 

[Classic Rams]

I hated that they took away this momentum changing play by Donald with a penalty on Tomlinson #6. This sequence just goes to show the impact that AD had on the game that didn't show up on the stat sheet.

Donald chases and grabs #5 Richardson here.

He takes down Richardson, who tries to let loose a weak pass that turns into a fumble. We've seen that before!

The ball bounces towards Rozeboom who sees it.

Rozeboom reaches out for the loose ball. Put that man on the hands team!

Rozeboom recovers, Donald celebrates, but all is naught. Ref gives the Colts a 1st down on the Tomlinson penalty.

 

[KJD_Ram]

This wasn't as obvious as that Chief's hold but I still noticed it on the replay. 1 possibly 2 holds on #52 and #0 here. But at least we got a few called on them against Donald so that was good to see. May have used up our holding call privileges for the game. Or since these defenders are relatively unknown they have to wait for the benefits.

View attachment 61658

You think AD relaxes on the sideline?

 

[Classic Rams]

You think AD relaxes on the sideline?

Hah! I just noticed that. Great still capture in mid-air.

 

[snackdaddy]

From this untrained eye, what I'm seeing are quite a few good young first and second year players that may or may not carry us to the post season. But think about the next couple years. No longer rookies and second year guys. More seasoned. More cap money to fill holes with quality vets. A Superbowl winning quarterback. Legit playmakers. This rebuild, retool or whatever you wanna call it ain't lasting long. We'll be back very soon.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I hated that they took away this momentum changing play by Donald with a penalty on Tomlinson #6. This sequence just goes to show the impact that AD had on the game that didn't show up on the stat sheet.

View attachment 61667
Donald chases and grabs #5 Richardson here.

View attachment 61662
He takes down Richardson, who tries to let loose a weak pass that turns into a fumble. We've seen that before!

View attachment 61665
The ball bounces towards Rozeboom who sees it.


View attachment 61663
Rozeboom reaches out for the loose ball. Put that man on the hands team!

View attachment 61666
Rozeboom recovers, Donald celebrates, but all is naught. Ref gives the Colts a 1st down on the Tomlinson penalty.

I don’t recall seeing the TT-H holding. Was it really holding?

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

Re-watched the first half tonight. A few notes and details, including some "under the radar" players:

Austin Trammel looked GOOD. I was wary of him after seeing some bobbles from him in preseason both this year and last. But today he was extremely sure-handed. Had two real nice returns (of 18 and 12 yards) negated by penalty.

Kevin Dotson is a people mover. A man mountain. I didn't key on him too much in pass pro, but in the run game he definitely had some push. I'm a big fan of Anchrum the person (esp. his charity work in the community), but Dotson to me looked clearly better than Anchrum. Shout out to @oldnotdead on this one, lol.

A Nick Hamptoin sighting! And he had the same impact I saw of him in preseason, which is to say... absolutely nothing.

Tre Tomlinson with a dumb-ass penalty for being over-aggressive with a guy out-of-bounds during a punt return, negating real nice return by Trammel. Later in the game TT had a penalty which negated the sack-fumble by Donald on a key 3rd down. TT competes his ass off, but I'm starting to think his habit of getting penalties is what's keeping him off the field on D. He's gotta figure out where the line is on being aggressive vs. drawing a penalty.

Puka is one tough SOB. Amazing how he consistently requires 2 or 3 defenders to bring him down. I re-watched some of his routes, and it's sorta amazing how unremarkable he looks. My theory is that it's mostly about the amazing CHEMISTRY he's got with MS. I hear Puka joined MS and CK in the "Breakfast Club" to watch film-- and it shows. Puka is definitely a technician. Shout out to CK for helping make Puka the monster he is.

Speaking of chemistry with the quarterback-- Kyren Williams and MS were back on the same page again on dump-off routes. They miscommunicated at least 3 times in the Bengal game. They must have spent some time together cleaning that shit up.
Keep an eye on #99, I think that guy has a chance to be good. Seriously though, AD was unstoppable today. I'm reminded of Jason Kelce's description of trying too block him: "it's like wrestling a Liger coated in baby oil."

Speaking of Kelce... my wife turns to me in the second quarter and says, "Taylor Swift really put that guy Travis Kielce on the map!" Haha. Yes, she was kidding... it's an internet meme thing.

We give VJ crap, but he had two GREAT catches in first half. A gain of 13 on the left sideline, real nice job of getting control and tapping his 2 feet in. And on a key 4th down conversion, VJ comes down with a terrific 16-yard catch with the defender draped all over him and with his hand wedged in there fighting to strip the ball. (Laser from MS on that one, BTW). Eric Yarber (the WR coach) was really pumped up after that one, rightfully so.

All for now, maybe I'll include some notes on the 2nd half in this thread later in the week. In the meantime, I hope other posters feel free to chime in about the Colts game with their own "player scouting notes" or "key little details" in this thread...

Great job, XXXIVwin. Always look forward to your "after action" reports.

~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[Ram_Rally]

Yeah they are. This draft was incredible.

Add Nacua, Avila and Ethan Evans and we got a haul.

 

[Classic Rams]

I don’t recall seeing the TT-H holding. Was it really holding?

You can see the interaction on the top right corner of the 1st 2 captures. Looks like he's tangling him up from that angle, but who knows may have been ticky-tack.

And look at Hoecht way back there in coverage! I like Morris, but seriously??

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

You can see the interaction on the top right corner of the 1st 2 captures. Looks like he's tangling him up from that angle, but who knows may have been ticky-tack.

And look at Hoecht way back there in coverage! I like Morris, but seriously??

Hoecht should never be in coverage. Hopefully they find a way to make that the last time he is.

 

[Classic Rams]

They never showed the replay on the penalty. Just another angle of the Donald take down and FR.

I wanted AD to have a great game because they were mentioning that Richardson said he looked forward to playing against him. Be careful what you wish for!