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- Jan 11, 2013
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I had a request to post my thoughts/observations on this topic, so I will give it a shot.
Offense:
Pretty much what I expected, in that this offense will go thru Jared Cook. Everything that happens will be a by product of what teams do to take that away.
Given the approach taken by Arizona, they were not going to force the issue with Givens. This again, is why Jared Cook will more often than not be the first option.
They showed that are willing to get the ball to Austin, but more often than not, it will be short underneath routes trying to get him in space. Saw the Jet Sweep coming as soon as they broke the huddle. Again, something they worked on throughout camp.
Many people probably didn't notice, but Brian Quick got almost half the reps, without being targeted but 3 times. Again, it was more by design, IMO, that they just weren't focused on getting the ball to the wideouts Sunday. The "check downs" to Richardson/Pead, and quick routes to Kendricks are also going to be staples of this attack.
As teams adjust their coverage, especially if they lean more to Zone coverage, look for Brian Quick to be a factor on the "deep dig" route.
The biggest surprise to me, and I am sure it was more due to the personnel (Pead's suspension) was the number of carries that Richardson got. I just don't see that happening moving forward. What it tells me, they still aren't sold on Stacy as a viable option. There is a reason both he and Cunningham shared 2nd and 3rd unit reps throughout training camp.
Was a little surprised by the lack of stretch plays in the running game. They seemed determined to run it between the tackles, and while they did a lot of that throughout camp, they also made a point of getting to the edge. Something they really didn't do much Sunday.
Defense:
What I did see was how they settled very quickly into a rotation (role) with Hayes and Sims on early downs. For all the accolades that Quinn gets for his pass rush skills, he is still a liability when it comes to stopping the run.
Once they got Sims and Hayes on the field, they really did a good job of controlling the running game. Also having them both slide inside in Nickel situations is a big plus.
I thought that Walton got outcoached by Arians in the matchups, and when AZ put Fitzgerald in the slot, it forced the Rams to play much more zone than I think they wanted to.
They were better in the Base 4-3 package, and were able to play more MAN, which is what they showed a lot throughout training camp. The one thing that wasn't on display, that stood out during camp, were Ogletrees cover skills. Because AZ rarely got their TE involved (or RB) in the passing game, he was sort of lost in the shuffle in the zone again.
I think we saw what Rodney McLeod brings to the table with regards to his anticipation. The play that stands out to me, is when he closed down on Fitzgerald on a simple out route, and made the play on 3rd down. This is exactly what I saw throughout camp. He reads plays and sees them develop, rather than sitting back and reacting to them AFTER they happen.
I thought Langford and Brockers did a nice job at the point of attack. I think they are primed to have a very good year.
Overall, there weren't all that many new wrinkles to me, from what they showed throughout training camp. I will add, there are formations and other things they have kept for a later date. and I think they will be quite successful once they get the chance to utilize them.
Offense:
Pretty much what I expected, in that this offense will go thru Jared Cook. Everything that happens will be a by product of what teams do to take that away.
Given the approach taken by Arizona, they were not going to force the issue with Givens. This again, is why Jared Cook will more often than not be the first option.
They showed that are willing to get the ball to Austin, but more often than not, it will be short underneath routes trying to get him in space. Saw the Jet Sweep coming as soon as they broke the huddle. Again, something they worked on throughout camp.
Many people probably didn't notice, but Brian Quick got almost half the reps, without being targeted but 3 times. Again, it was more by design, IMO, that they just weren't focused on getting the ball to the wideouts Sunday. The "check downs" to Richardson/Pead, and quick routes to Kendricks are also going to be staples of this attack.
As teams adjust their coverage, especially if they lean more to Zone coverage, look for Brian Quick to be a factor on the "deep dig" route.
The biggest surprise to me, and I am sure it was more due to the personnel (Pead's suspension) was the number of carries that Richardson got. I just don't see that happening moving forward. What it tells me, they still aren't sold on Stacy as a viable option. There is a reason both he and Cunningham shared 2nd and 3rd unit reps throughout training camp.
Was a little surprised by the lack of stretch plays in the running game. They seemed determined to run it between the tackles, and while they did a lot of that throughout camp, they also made a point of getting to the edge. Something they really didn't do much Sunday.
Defense:
What I did see was how they settled very quickly into a rotation (role) with Hayes and Sims on early downs. For all the accolades that Quinn gets for his pass rush skills, he is still a liability when it comes to stopping the run.
Once they got Sims and Hayes on the field, they really did a good job of controlling the running game. Also having them both slide inside in Nickel situations is a big plus.
I thought that Walton got outcoached by Arians in the matchups, and when AZ put Fitzgerald in the slot, it forced the Rams to play much more zone than I think they wanted to.
They were better in the Base 4-3 package, and were able to play more MAN, which is what they showed a lot throughout training camp. The one thing that wasn't on display, that stood out during camp, were Ogletrees cover skills. Because AZ rarely got their TE involved (or RB) in the passing game, he was sort of lost in the shuffle in the zone again.
I think we saw what Rodney McLeod brings to the table with regards to his anticipation. The play that stands out to me, is when he closed down on Fitzgerald on a simple out route, and made the play on 3rd down. This is exactly what I saw throughout camp. He reads plays and sees them develop, rather than sitting back and reacting to them AFTER they happen.
I thought Langford and Brockers did a nice job at the point of attack. I think they are primed to have a very good year.
Overall, there weren't all that many new wrinkles to me, from what they showed throughout training camp. I will add, there are formations and other things they have kept for a later date. and I think they will be quite successful once they get the chance to utilize them.
