Playoffs! Here we come!

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12intheBox

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Wil Fay
Are you seeing these plays? In most cases the Rams are up 10+ points!!! it's that tendency to bite up on something they see rather than understanding DON'T let the WR get behind you!!! Despite what the coverage is... if the guy is in front of you, you have the opportunity to make the tackle. When you're up 10+ points...why are you allowing WR's to get behind you???
So - to be clear - you are in favor of the soft(er) cushion - bend but don't break? So am I.

Still, I'm not sure many of these deep balls were based on a called defensive set as much as a breakdown after a play broke down - or - as you say, over aggression and biting on a move. Raheem is ultimately responsible - it all trickles down, but if it is a case of coaching the players not to bite so hard - then I'm not sure that is an "adjustment" that he can make without sacrificing overall strategy. I mean, if the players are a full on liability, he needs to adjust - but I don't think that will be what we want - adjusting to cover up a weakness means that everyone is hamstrung, Raheem included.
 

El Chapo Jr

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Wasn't it always the gripe that we played too soft and kept everything in front of us? The bend but not break defense was not a fan favorite around here as I recall.

Are we asking to go back to that philosophy or are we instead saying that he needs to do both - never get beat deep but also not give up any cushion either?
Our secondary just needs to be upgraded. Unfortunately can't be done til the off season. Gonna be a roller coaster of some playoff games but that's the Rams specialty. Play games that give their fans heart attacks :laugh1:
 
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El Chapo Jr

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See this why I doubted the Rams at the beginning of the year because I didn't think we'd pull off something historical like this. I'm so fuckin glad myself and others were wrong. The Rams organization did a fuckin fantastic job putting this squad together. Yes we have warts, but they were able to navigate that into a playoff berth. Now lets try to take this shit as far as we can and fuck everyone else!
 

JimY53

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It’s more an issue with talent. They’d be far worse without AP.
Maybe, I don't know.

All I know is Pleasant has a good reputation as a coach despite being fired last year during the season. I just found it interesting that the DC is taking all the credit when I have never heard him say anything like that. I hear him credit his whole defensive staff which would include Pleasant and Lake. But all I can go by is what is in weekly quotes and news pieces by NFL/LA writers.
 

Corbin

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I participate in them.

There are far too many posts to read them all, but I would still hazard a guess that people are questioning individual decisions rather than McVay’s general knowledge of the game.
Saying that with a top thread in the Rams Talk forum “ I hope Les and Sean have learned”
:laugh4:
 

Londoner

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Saying that with a top thread in the Rams Talk forum “ I hope Les and Sean have learned”
:laugh4:
Again: the thread is on the specific subject of the kicker.

It is not saying that the original poster knows more about football overall than McVay.

Jesus, it isn’t that difficult to understand.
 

Corbin

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Again: the thread is on the specific subject of the kicker.

It is not saying that the original poster knows more about football overall than McVay.

Jesus, it isn’t that difficult to understand.
Again, it’s a poster stating that they have more football intellect than Sean or Les as per the normal.

For fucks sake, do they not teach reading comprehension across the pond?

Maybe you skipped that day? :thinking:
 

RamWoodie

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So - to be clear - you are in favor of the soft(er) cushion - bend but don't break? So am I.

Still, I'm not sure many of these deep balls were based on a called defensive set as much as a breakdown after a play broke down - or - as you say, over aggression and biting on a move. Raheem is ultimately responsible - it all trickles down, but if it is a case of coaching the players not to bite so hard - then I'm not sure that is an "adjustment" that he can make without sacrificing overall strategy. I mean, if the players are a full on liability, he needs to adjust - but I don't think that will be what we want - adjusting to cover up a weakness means that everyone is hamstrung, Raheem included.
I'm in favor of calling "situational coverage", that gives the secondary the best way to be effective in some cases that may be man to man, soft zone, or whatever. Sometimes its not the coach, but the player understanding his responsibilty whcich of course the coach has to correct.

Now...yes, sometimes when you have a mobile QB, coverage is going to breakdown because no secondary can cover forever. But when you're up big...ala Saints or Commodes...why should any one get behind your secondary???
 

Ramhusker

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So - to be clear - you are in favor of the soft(er) cushion - bend but don't break? So am I.

Still, I'm not sure many of these deep balls were based on a called defensive set as much as a breakdown after a play broke down - or - as you say, over aggression and biting on a move. Raheem is ultimately responsible - it all trickles down, but if it is a case of coaching the players not to bite so hard - then I'm not sure that is an "adjustment" that he can make without sacrificing overall strategy. I mean, if the players are a full on liability, he needs to adjust - but I don't think that will be what we want - adjusting to cover up a weakness means that everyone is hamstrung, Raheem included.
That’s exactly what the bend don’t break strategy was doing, trying to cover up our weakness n the secondary. I like the D they are playing now even though we have been burnt several times. Still, those plays are still high risk for Os to hang their hats on. Bend don’t break will have our tongues hanging out in these playoffs. You go with what got you here and this D scheme got us here with a 6-1 record. Rest assured, teams will hurt us deep but they’ll have to if our O plays like it can.
 

Jacobarch

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I think if our defense can heat up in the playoffs this team could go far. For once I'm not worried about our offense. Even on an "off" day we scored what should have been 28 points but still scored 26.
 

El Chapo Jr

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That’s exactly what the bend don’t break strategy was doing, trying to cover up our weakness n the secondary. I like the D they are playing now even though we have been burnt several times. Still, those plays are still high risk for Os to hang their hats on. Bend don’t break will have our tongues hanging out in these playoffs. You go with what got you here and this D scheme got us here with a 6-1 record. Rest assured, teams will hurt us deep but they’ll have to if our O plays like it can.
Honestly, we just need to get better at mixing the coverages. For example, if we have a lead late in the game, we know teams are going to take deep shots so play soft to get teams to burn time as they go down the field. Doesn't have to be exclusively that way as blitzes can be mixed in. If we can improve there, that might help. Just my opinion though.
 
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RamWoodie

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Honestly, we just need to get better at mixing the coverages. For example, if we have a lead late in the game, we know teams are going to take deep so play soft to get teams to burn time as they go down the field. Doesn't have to be exclusively that way as blitzes can be mixed in. If we can improve there, that might help. Just my opinion though.
That's the point...mixing coverages!!! I don't think of the young guys as rookies anymore. They have a season behind them now, they have to just play and not over-think things.
 

Loyal

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See this why I doubted the Rams at the beginning of the year because I didn't think we'd pull off something historical like this. I'm so fuckin glad myself and others were wrong. The Rams organization did a fuckin fantastic job putting this squad together. Yes we have warts, but they were able to navigate that into a playoff berth. Now lets try to take this shit as far as we can and fuck everyone else!
Doubtin' bastid!
 

fanotodd

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That’s exactly what the bend don’t break strategy was doing, trying to cover up our weakness n the secondary. I like the D they are playing now even though we have been burnt several times. Still, those plays are still high risk for Os to hang their hats on. Bend don’t break will have our tongues hanging out in these playoffs. You go with what got you here and this D scheme got us here with a 6-1 record. Rest assured, teams will hurt us deep but they’ll have to if our O plays like it can.

I’d go a step further and say the Rams secondary is also generating more interceptions with this approach. So it’s a risk vs reward thing I can live with.

The problem is WHEN they’re getting beat deep. There’s a time to back off and make the offense chew clock, nickel and diming their way downfield.