Defensive Philosophy

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oldnotdead

Legend
Joined
May 16, 2019
Messages
5,387
I tell you what guys, watch the defense in the first half and focus upon the LOS. Now watch how they played the 4th quarter. The difference is what I've been saying. Staley has taken the aggression out of the defense by forcing them to read before they react to the snap. That is idiotic. That hands all the advantage to the offense who attacks the defense instead of the reverse.

Now, look at all the penetration they got in the 4th quarter when he turned the dogs loose and attacked the offense. It wasn't just AD back there. It's the o-line all over again. Last year I kept saying it was the poor coaching and the scheme that sucked. No one believed me. But look at the o-line now with the same players. It's night and day. The difference was the blocking schemes installed by O'Connell.

Apply that to the defense and it's the same damn thing. The problem was Staley only turned the front dogs loose and let the rest wander around with their thumbs up their asses. That's why it allowed Allen to overcome all those huge sacks. Staley should have gone man coverage when he turned the front loose. Instead, he played prevent in the secondary in a freaking close game!!! WTF is the dude thinking?? He's an incompetent DC who is in way over his head. He simply can't adjust to meet the flow of the game.

The problem isn't Floyd or the "other guys". The problem is they are handicapped by an incompetent DC. We would have beat Buffalo if Wade was still here. He played zone but it wasn't this stupid soft prevent style. Wade needed to go, and I was for that even though I've loved his defenses in the past. But Staley is a huge downgrade as he simply isn't ready to be a DC.

He has his NT playing a 0 technique which is a two-gap technique. But he has his DE and DT playing a one-gap technique. WTF?? That was the clear tipoff to me he has no clue what he's doing. When I stop motioned some of the plays focusing on the D-line in Philly they were clearly not attacking off the snap but waiting a second to read which handed all the aggressive advantage to the offense. That is completely idiotic, there is no other way to say it. He's making up his own half-ass scheme and it ain't working. It's a passive scheme just like a prevent soft zone is passive. His pass rush is more about containing than pressure. Which makes no sense when you are playing a soft zone behind the d-line.

Ebukam has proved he's a true impact player, but like all impact players, he must be used properly. Staley has moved him from his traditional SAM OLB position to play a WIL which is a completely different technique. Eliminating Ebukam's SAM position has exposed the flats which basically have no coverage now and are wide open on the majority of plays. Anyone who knows how a 3-4 is played, be it one or two gap understands why they have a SAM. But Staley apparently doesn't and it's being exploited. Even Wade understood the role of the SAM and it's what made Ebukam an impact player.

This scheme is making everyone in the defense look bad in the same way Kromer made the o-line look bad with his blocking scheme. Don't blame the players, blame the coaches because Staley is the problem. Before the game, I said his defense will allow the offense to move at will controlling the clock into position to win a close game at the end. That is exactly what happened. Staley single-handedly lost that game for the Rams by being incompetent.
 

“Turbo set!”

Pro Bowler
Joined
Nov 22, 2017
Messages
1,304
I tell you what guys, watch the defense in the first half and focus upon the LOS. Now watch how they played the 4th quarter. The difference is what I've been saying. Staley has taken the aggression out of the defense by forcing them to read before they react to the snap. That is idiotic. That hands all the advantage to the offense who attacks the defense instead of the reverse.

It was an out of the box hire for sure.


He is a disciple of Vic Fangio who is a great defensive mind. I am pretty sure that was McVay's thinking with hiring Staley.

Let's see if Staley figures some things out.
 

TexasRam

Legend
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
7,743
I tell you what guys, watch the defense in the first half and focus upon the LOS. Now watch how they played the 4th quarter. The difference is what I've been saying. Staley has taken the aggression out of the defense by forcing them to read before they react to the snap. That is idiotic. That hands all the advantage to the offense who attacks the defense instead of the reverse.

Now, look at all the penetration they got in the 4th quarter when he turned the dogs loose and attacked the offense. It wasn't just AD back there. It's the o-line all over again. Last year I kept saying it was the poor coaching and the scheme that sucked. No one believed me. But look at the o-line now with the same players. It's night and day. The difference was the blocking schemes installed by O'Connell.

Apply that to the defense and it's the same damn thing. The problem was Staley only turned the front dogs loose and let the rest wander around with their thumbs up their asses. That's why it allowed Allen to overcome all those huge sacks. Staley should have gone man coverage when he turned the front loose. Instead, he played prevent in the secondary in a freaking close game!!! WTF is the dude thinking?? He's an incompetent DC who is in way over his head. He simply can't adjust to meet the flow of the game.

The problem isn't Floyd or the "other guys". The problem is they are handicapped by an incompetent DC. We would have beat Buffalo if Wade was still here. He played zone but it wasn't this stupid soft prevent style. Wade needed to go, and I was for that even though I've loved his defenses in the past. But Staley is a huge downgrade as he simply isn't ready to be a DC.

He has his NT playing a 0 technique which is a two-gap technique. But he has his DE and DT playing a one-gap technique. WTF?? That was the clear tipoff to me he has no clue what he's doing. When I stop motioned some of the plays focusing on the D-line in Philly they were clearly not attacking off the snap but waiting a second to read which handed all the aggressive advantage to the offense. That is completely idiotic, there is no other way to say it. He's making up his own half-ass scheme and it ain't working. It's a passive scheme just like a prevent soft zone is passive. His pass rush is more about containing than pressure. Which makes no sense when you are playing a soft zone behind the d-line.

Ebukam has proved he's a true impact player, but like all impact players, he must be used properly. Staley has moved him from his traditional SAM OLB position to play a WIL which is a completely different technique. Eliminating Ebukam's SAM position has exposed the flats which basically have no coverage now and are wide open on the majority of plays. Anyone who knows how a 3-4 is played, be it one or two gap understands why they have a SAM. But Staley apparently doesn't and it's being exploited. Even Wade understood the role of the SAM and it's what made Ebukam an impact player.

This scheme is making everyone in the defense look bad in the same way Kromer made the o-line look bad with his blocking scheme. Don't blame the players, blame the coaches because Staley is the problem. Before the game, I said his defense will allow the offense to move at will controlling the clock into position to win a close game at the end. That is exactly what happened. Staley single-handedly lost that game for the Rams by being incompetent.

You make some valid points but you loose credibility in my book when you say the Oline had the same players.

We had Allen, Noteboom, Evans, Corbett in a mid season trade with no training camp and Edwards in his first starts. Also Havenstein was hurt.

We did not have the same O-line. Saying it was all scheme is false. It was mainly personnel.

Also Ebukam has never been an impact player outside of a few games. Overall he is a liability every season he has been here. He has never had over 4.5 sacks and is a terrible run defender.

Other than that you have some valid concerns. Staleys lack of bringing pressure and weak zone pissed me off but vs the Cowboys and Philly our defense got it done, so I am not ready to stone the guy just yet.