- Joined
- Jul 31, 2010
- Messages
- 8,874
Antonio Brown presents many problems for Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...antonio-brown-presents-many-problems-for-rams
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams have no misconceptions about what Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown can and will do when they meet on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
Ask any Rams defender and they'll admit Brown is going to make some catches and gain some yards. That's pretty much a given considering Brown's vast skills. But the key isn't about shutting Brown out so much as it is preventing him from making the type of game-changing plays that have become his hallmark.
"Exactly," safety Rodney McLeod said. "You know a guy like that is going to make some plays but you just challenge him, make everything hard for him and just try to frustrate him. Obviously he’s going to make some catches but just don’t make them explosive plays that can change the game."
On paper, the pairing of the Rams secondary versus Brown is a major mismatch. Brown has at least five receptions and 50 yards in an NFL record 34 straight games. For perspective, Denver's Demaryius Thomas is next with five such games.
While the Rams are a respectable 10th in the league in passing yards allowed in the first two weeks, that number is deceiving considering they rank 30th in run defense and 31st in completion percentage allowed (80.9 percent). Easy completions have been an issue for the Rams under coach Jeff Fisher, too, as they finished 31st in 2014 (68.1 percent), 32nd in 2013 (68.1 percent) and 30th in 2012 (66.2 percent).
Obviously, the current rate of almost 81 percent won't continue, but it has been clear that the Rams defense is willing to give up completions and try to make quick tackles to limit yards after the catch. That might be a dangerous approach against Brown, who since 2013 is seventh in the NFL in yards after catch with 336.
"He’s a dynamic receiver," McLeod said. "He can pretty much do it all. Deep threat, they throw him a lot of screens. You know he’s going to be targeted a lot and obviously we have some work on our hands. We’re up for the challenge."
One way to limit Brown's production? Well, a strong pass rush would be a good idea but the Steelers use Brown in so many ways that it can be hard to keep him from shaking loose. Having a quarterback such as Ben Roethlisberger, running backs DeAngelo Williams and Le'Veon Bell and tight end Heath Miller around him doesn't hurt, either.
“He has a great complement around him," Fisher said. "When you’ve got a run game, you’ve got a quarterback that’s experienced and can see and make the throws down the field, they work really well together. He can really run. They’re in sync. Rarely is there a throw where they’re not on the same page. They back-shoulder fade, he catches the deep ball, he catches the shallow cross, he catches the bubble screens. He’s just a really good player. You have to know where he’s at.”
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...antonio-brown-presents-many-problems-for-rams
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams have no misconceptions about what Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown can and will do when they meet on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.
Ask any Rams defender and they'll admit Brown is going to make some catches and gain some yards. That's pretty much a given considering Brown's vast skills. But the key isn't about shutting Brown out so much as it is preventing him from making the type of game-changing plays that have become his hallmark.
"Exactly," safety Rodney McLeod said. "You know a guy like that is going to make some plays but you just challenge him, make everything hard for him and just try to frustrate him. Obviously he’s going to make some catches but just don’t make them explosive plays that can change the game."
On paper, the pairing of the Rams secondary versus Brown is a major mismatch. Brown has at least five receptions and 50 yards in an NFL record 34 straight games. For perspective, Denver's Demaryius Thomas is next with five such games.
While the Rams are a respectable 10th in the league in passing yards allowed in the first two weeks, that number is deceiving considering they rank 30th in run defense and 31st in completion percentage allowed (80.9 percent). Easy completions have been an issue for the Rams under coach Jeff Fisher, too, as they finished 31st in 2014 (68.1 percent), 32nd in 2013 (68.1 percent) and 30th in 2012 (66.2 percent).
Obviously, the current rate of almost 81 percent won't continue, but it has been clear that the Rams defense is willing to give up completions and try to make quick tackles to limit yards after the catch. That might be a dangerous approach against Brown, who since 2013 is seventh in the NFL in yards after catch with 336.
"He’s a dynamic receiver," McLeod said. "He can pretty much do it all. Deep threat, they throw him a lot of screens. You know he’s going to be targeted a lot and obviously we have some work on our hands. We’re up for the challenge."
One way to limit Brown's production? Well, a strong pass rush would be a good idea but the Steelers use Brown in so many ways that it can be hard to keep him from shaking loose. Having a quarterback such as Ben Roethlisberger, running backs DeAngelo Williams and Le'Veon Bell and tight end Heath Miller around him doesn't hurt, either.
“He has a great complement around him," Fisher said. "When you’ve got a run game, you’ve got a quarterback that’s experienced and can see and make the throws down the field, they work really well together. He can really run. They’re in sync. Rarely is there a throw where they’re not on the same page. They back-shoulder fade, he catches the deep ball, he catches the shallow cross, he catches the bubble screens. He’s just a really good player. You have to know where he’s at.”
