Defense needs to be ready week one

[FRO]

It seems like the past few years we have been pumped about our defense coming into the season. In 2013 they had a brutal start and we blamed it on Walton being terrible. There was merit to that. In 2014 the big promotion was sack city, well sacks didn't come early. This offense has a new line, a new QB, and a new centerpiece player. I think it's highly unreasonable to expect the offense to be able to keep up early. Yes I'm aware that the 99' Rams offense was completely redone. That being said Pace, Timmerman, Bruce, and Faulk were already elite established players at their positions. The defense will have to carry this team early while the offense adjusts and catches up.

 

[-X-]

Agree.

They need to be in lock down mode.

 

[Faceplant]

I think it was a combination of things last year. Teams made it a priority to get the ball out quickly against us, and our DBs were playing 10 yds off the opposing WRs and giving up everything underneath. Not a great strategy in my eyes...

 

[DaveFan'51]

It seems like the past few years we have been pumped about our defense coming into the season. In 2013 they had a brutal start and we blamed it on Walton being terrible. There was merit to that. In 2014 the big promotion was sack city, well sacks didn't come early. This offense has a new line, a new QB, and a new centerpiece player. I think it's highly unreasonable to expect the offense to be able to keep up early. Yes I'm aware that the 99' Rams offense was completely redone. That being said Pace, Timmerman, Bruce, and Faulk were already elite established players at their positions. The defense will have to carry this team early while the offense adjusts and catches up.

I think it was a combination of things last year. Teams made it a priority to get the ball out quickly against us, and our DBs were playing 10 yds off the opposing WRs and giving up everything underneath. Not a great strategy in my eyes...

Both of these observations are reasonable, and well founded. I couldn't agree more!
We will all be on the edge of our seats watching to see how this plays out in week#1, and after!! Fun Time! GO RAMS!!

 

[snackdaddy]

Our chances at making some playoff noise go out the window if the defense has another slow start. If the Rams are really a contender the defense has to start strong. We're gonna have to rely on special teams and defense early on to give the offense shorter fields to work with.

 

[tonyl711]

IMO the slow start was because we had a new DC that threw things at them they had never seen before, heads were swimming early on i think, but about mid season it started to click and it showed. the Rams are returning all 11 starters on D plus most of the key back ups, they know the scheme now, i expect big things from them this year starting game 1.

 

[LACHAMP46]

We'll be ready week 1...Return of Williams and starters....addition of Fairley & Ayers....Health of Tru & Jenks...Barron here for 16 games....Plus,
WE ALWAYS PLAY THE DAMN SEACHICKENS TOUGH!

 

[Rmfnlt]

Lots of good reasons why they started out slowly in previous years... but all of those reasons are gone now.

They simply MUST start strong. I don't think there's more than a handful on this board that believe the offense will come out of the gates on fire.

I'm fine with a 16-13 win against Seattle!

 

[V3]

Some valid points but I'd also throw out the perception that Fisher doesn't seem to get his teams ready for the start of the season. His camps are pretty easy, even by today's new CBA standards. That always seems to hurt our tackling.

 

[JUMAVA68]

They need to run some real defense during preseason so the players are ready.Imo you can't run a vanilla defense all preseason and expect the the D to hit the ground running.They can practice and study film all day long, but nothing beats game speed and strategy in real game situations.