Monday Night Football Game Day Thread

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The real problem was the formation. Going empty sets allows the defense to get the upper hand on that situation. Had they lined up more in a power look, they could have done ANYTHING ... but they showed their hand and it played right into Seattle's strengths.... pass coverage and QB pressure. I would have tried a run ... then play action roll out... or quick dump.

Also ... did you see where Clemens put the ball? ... right in the corner. Qick was supposed to run a corner fade.... but broke it off to an out.
There will always be questions about that final play, and that's to be expected. You're right though. The ball, even despite being pressured, was put in an optimal location. There was interference on that play as near as I could tell, but it was also not beyond 5 yards, so.... who knows. I think Fisher was right when he described how the play gave Clemens lots of options. He really could have gone in 4 different locations with the ball, but he had next to no time to look around. All that said, I would have rather seen him run right up the gut with it with the RG, C and LG converging on a battering ram (no pun intended) formation.
 

ReddingRam

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There will always be questions about that final play, and that's to be expected. You're right though. The ball, even despite being pressured, was put in an optimal location. There was interference on that play as near as I could tell, but it was also not beyond 5 yards, so.... who knows. I think Fisher was right when he described how the play gave Clemens lots of options. He really could have gone in 4 different locations with the ball, but he had next to no time to look around. All that said, I would have rather seen him run right up the gut with it with the RG, C and LG converging on a battering ram (no pun intended) formation.
yep ... I agree .... but the 2 things that ruined that play was what I mentioned. Formation and route ran. And they both stem from bad coaching. Not understanding the situation by both the coordinator (you have been running on them all night long... show run and use play action) and 2 the route to be ran. our "young WR's ... and even Cook seem to not understand the situations and the need to pay attention to details. Why?.... I have NO idea. Week in and week out it has to be seen clear as day in film study.... yet they just don't get it.
 

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yep ... I agree .... but the 2 things that ruined that play was what I mentioned. Formation and route ran. And they both stem from bad coaching. Not understanding the situation by both the coordinator (you have been running on them all night long... show run and use play action) and 2 the route to be ran. our "young WR's ... and even Cook seem to not understand the situations and the need to pay attention to details. Why?.... I have NO idea. Week in and week out it has to be seen clear as day in film study.... yet they just don't get it.
Seems logical after the fact, and I'm cool with that take. I disagree on the "bad coaching" part though. This is just one of those situations where if it works, it's good coaching, and if it doesn't, it's bad. IMO, of course. I honestly believe that if it connects, then we're talking about how Quick has arrived and how gutsy Clemens and Schotty were in that moment. All that said, I agree that play-action would have been a better choice. But I'm just a dude playing MMQB.
 

PhxRam

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I am interested in seeing our run/pass ratio inside the 5. It seems like the last few years (at least under Schott) we have been throwing WAY more than running.
 

ReddingRam

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well ... I am too. Although, I do have lots of coaching experience at the youth and HS levels. And my son (who was watching the game with me) is an offensive coach at the JC level. Now althought those levels are not at the pro level ... one thing we both know ... and lamented on it immediatley as Stacy broke out wide is .... When you are trying to do something you are not good at ... you better show them a look at what you ARE good at. We ran all night. That one play to DR be damn ....if you are going to put ZS back into the game in that situation.... you better make it look like you're gonna do what you did all game. Bring that defense up and in a bit. Not motion out to spread-empty set and try to match up to their strengths. ... And throwing it to a guy who is wildly inconsistent. I would have had either Pettis or Kendricks on that route.

Remember Sam's success in Carolina? They got down there in 3 TE sets and showed heavy run formation .... and then the TE's snuck out. THAT was much better than what they tried last night. That is a good.... VERY good defesne. We needed to try and fool them into something....yet we showed them exactly what we were going to do.
 

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I am interested in seeing our run/pass ratio inside the 5. It seems like the last few years (at least under Schott) we have been throwing WAY more than running.
As would I. This site is great for this. http://redzone.rga.com/
You can adjust the LOS in the redzone and see the stats for pass and run, but it's not updated for THIS season yet.
 
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I am interested in seeing our run/pass ratio inside the 5. It seems like the last few years (at least under Schott) we have been throwing WAY more than running.

We've had 25 plays onside the opponent's 5 yard line.

We've run it 5 times for 1 yard (-3, 0, 0, 1, 3)

With 1 sack and 19 pass attempts.

On 16 of those pass attempts Sam has 8 completions for 24 yards and 8 TDs for a passer rating of 95.1.
 

PhxRam

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We've had 25 plays onside the opponent's 5 yard line.

We've run it 5 times for 1 yard (-3, 0, 0, 1, 3)

With 1 sack and 19 pass attempts.

On 16 of those pass attempts Sam has 8 completions for 24 yards and 8 TDs for a passer rating of 95.1.

Well I guess that does confirm my thoughts. To me that screams predictable.
 

Thordaddy

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My take on the final drive, we took what they gave us until the field got so short they werent giving us anything, I had a play preference they didn't do, and IMO it would have worked ( bootleg)but I hate to carp cuz IMO that was this teams best performance and certainly the best game planning -ergo coaching I've seen.

On Clemens, watching him you really appreciate how a great arm like Sam has let's Sam be accurate cuz he doesn't have to over thro(max effort) to get it there KC has to put all he has into it and it hurts his accuracy.

Would like to have won that game but I'm satisfied NOW this team WILL be worth watching, I feal certain I'll be benefitting from desperate sellers in a buyers market when I go to see them play which I plan to do
 

jrry32

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My take on the final drive, we took what they gave us until the field got so short they werent giving us anything, I had a play preference they didn't do, and IMO it would have worked ( bootleg)but I hate to carp cuz IMO that was this teams best performance and certainly the best game planning -ergo coaching I've seen.

On Clemens, watching him you really appreciate how a great arm like Sam has let's Sam be accurate cuz he doesn't have to over thro(max effort) to get it there KC has to put all he has into it and it hurts his accuracy.

Would like to have won that game but I'm satisfied NOW this team WILL be worth watching, I feal certain I'll be benefitting from desperate sellers in a buyers market when I go to see them play which I plan to do

Exactly. Clemens kept over-striding which made the ball come out too high to push it down the field because he has a weak arm. Sam makes it look effortless.
 

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Exactly. Clemens kept over-striding which made the ball come out too high to push it down the field because he has a weak arm. Sam makes it look effortless.
That's something that's immediately noticeable. The velocity on Sam's passes as compared to others. Even when I watch Peyton, I keep saying to myself, "how do those not get intercepted? They take forever to get to the receiver."
 

A55VA6

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It's time to replace Quick with Bailey. Quick and Pead are failed draft picks. I just really don't believe in Quick.
 

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It's time to replace Quick with Bailey. Quick and Pead are failed draft picks. I just really don't believe in Quick.
I wouldn't mind seeing some Bailey. He certainly can't do the things that Quick does as it relates to his physical presence, but I'd really like to see how he runs routes and beats press. Softli said that Quick still needs to be developed and it's going to continue to take time, but if he doesn't show dramatic improvement by the end of the year, then you have to wonder if it's ever going to happen. I'm still holding out hope that he'll get it.
 

Thordaddy

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Exactly. Clemens kept over-striding which made the ball come out too high to push it down the field because he has a weak arm. Sam makes it look effortless.
And ya know if he'd take something off it, I think he could be decent
 

Stranger

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well ... I am too. Although, I do have lots of coaching experience at the youth and HS levels. And my son (who was watching the game with me) is an offensive coach at the JC level. Now althought those levels are not at the pro level ... one thing we both know ... and lamented on it immediatley as Stacy broke out wide is .... When you are trying to do something you are not good at ... you better show them a look at what you ARE good at. We ran all night. That one play to DR be damn ....if you are going to put ZS back into the game in that situation.... you better make it look like you're gonna do what you did all game. Bring that defense up and in a bit. Not motion out to spread-empty set and try to match up to their strengths. ... And throwing it to a guy who is wildly inconsistent. I would have had either Pettis or Kendricks on that route.

Remember Sam's success in Carolina? They got down there in 3 TE sets and showed heavy run formation .... and then the TE's snuck out. THAT was much better than what they tried last night. That is a good.... VERY good defesne. We needed to try and fool them into something....yet we showed them exactly what we were going to do.
This is almost exactly what Tyoka Jackson said in his audio interview (posted at ROD) about last nights game.
 

RamFan503

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I rewatched the game last night - twice. IMO, Clemens had a few really bad throws but the majority of his passes were fairly decent and some even quite good. There was not a lot of space or time within which to throw. The pocket was not something he could stand in and he IS a pocket passer - that yes - can use his feet. He continually had to move to buy time. The running game was being helped by not simply running it up the gut. Lots of stunts and pulling guards along with Kendricks and Cook having nice blocks on a few plays. It also seemed that unless it was a designed play to go only to Austin, Clemens didn't even look his way. Austin had a LB on him on a couple plays and if Kellen looks his way he sees that there was a big play in the making. Those plays would have been the definition of getting Austin in space as there is no way the LB catches up and I don't think there was a DB anywhere near him to make the play.

For most of the game, the offensive play calling was pretty good with the exception of a few really obvious plays that really could have been bad if Seattle was able to take advantage of them. What really bothered me was how many times it looked like players were confused or out of position. I would think that after half the season, it should virtually be habit. I have a hard time buying that our receivers (all of them) have far less of a clue than all the other starting receivers in the league. Even Pettis looked like he had no idea where he was going at times. It just looks like a poorly coached squad. Put that on Schotty or the receivers coach, whatever, but it sure seems to lay at the feet of the coaching staff.

I watched that last series four times though. I seriously cannot fathom the play calls EXCEPT for the pass to Givens. The first play had virtually no chance without a miraculous throw even without pressure. A TE underneath might have at least confused the defense. The run up the middle with DR was just a mess. And that last play? I just don't get how they could come out of the timeout and have it seem like NO ONE knew where they were supposed to line up. It wasn't just Quick. It also looked like the defender simply picked the right position and Quick ran into him. No chance to hit that fade. Put that on Quick or the play calling - five on this hand half of ten on the other.

The missed FG was huge. You never know what happens if he hits that. Play changes depending on the score but our defense was playing lights out. I like our chances if GZ hits that. The long pass to Taint was pretty bad. It didn't look so much like Jenks mis-timed the pass as much as he thought he was the only one in the picture and then stumbled right when the ball got there. It was a mistake but not one where he was trying to be the superstar of the game by going for a risky INT.

All in all it was a good game and probably the best of the season played by virtually everyone but Quick and Cook. I really feel bad for the defense.

Obviously I get very emotional when it comes to my Rams. I have been watching them for 45 years and have never in all those years figured out a way to hide those emotions. I apologize for what I am as a fan at times and especially in that the creators of this forum have put so damn much work in to make this such a great place. I often use the analogy that this is a site where it is like Ram fans having a beer together and talking about our team more so than a bunch of guys sitting at keyboards. As this is the case, everything I said, I would have said to a fellow fan over a beer. I've never been good with losing and I am rarely quiet about it. I also think that anyone in the organization that is familiar with this site knows that most of the fans here are staunch Rams fans. Maybe I am way off but it may be good that they see us really pissed at times.

I still think Schotty either has to figure out how to put the talent we have amassed in position to win games or he needs to be replaced. I just don't like what I have seen from his offense and how the players are responding. At one point I saw Tavon and Pettis look at each other with the disgusted look I saw in Torry's eyes during the Linny years. Not good.