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Rams-Saints study session: Offense
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/4201/rams-saints-study-session-offense
ST. LOUIS – Some thoughts and observations on the St. Louis Rams’ 27-16 win against the New Orleans Saints, after reviewing the All-22 film.
The story of this game for the offense isn’t much different than what it was on the other side of the ball. This game was won at the line of scrimmage, where the Rams got an outstanding effort from their offensive line, tight ends and fullback Cory Harkey.
With the run game sagging like it did the previous two weeks, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and his staff made some tweaks to the run game to get Zac Stacy rolling again. The most obvious fix in this game? Using Stacy outside the tackles. Schematically, the Rams have been using mostly a potpourri of whams with Stacy; he’s gained most of his yards between the tackles. But yardage has been harder to find in that area recently. Getting Stacy outside is made easier with Rodger Saffold back at right guard. The Rams used Saffold on a variety of pulls and wasted no chance to get him out in space to clear out Saints linebackers. Saffold has quick feet and the power to completely wipe out smaller defenders. He was particularly noticeable on a 29-yard run by Stacy early in the game as well as Stacy's 40-yard touchdown run. All of that stuff about Saffold potentially being an elite guard in this league is coming to fruition. Nice job by Schottenheimer putting his players in position to do what they do best.
The rest of the line also deserves credit for the run game revving again. Tim Barnes was much better this week at center, Joe Barksdale and Chris Williams were solid and left tackle Jake Long was again extremely effective in the run game.
Tight end Lance Kendricks also played a strong role in Stacy’s touchdown run and a number of other solid gains. His acrobatic touchdown catch was icing on the cake on a nice day for him.
Stacy continues to impress. I have to admit, I wondered if he could be effective outside the hashes, but he showed a little better speed and quickness of foot than I expected when the Rams got him out in space. His hurdle leading to a 29-yard run showed more athleticism than we’d seen as well. The thing that continues to stand out about Stacy is his patience. He hits the hole but he also allows time for it to develop. That’s an instinctual thing that can’t be taught.
Like Kendricks, Harkey had another nice day. His touchdown rumble was well done, though he benefited from some awful tackle attempts, and he was stout as a blocker, per usual.
The other thing the Rams did schematically that made a lot of sense was move the pocket and keep the Saints from being able to focus their pass rush solely on the quarterback. Schottenheimer had plenty of bootlegs and play-action in the game plan. That, combined with solid pass protection, kept the Saints from getting much pass rush going.
Kellen Clemens had his most accurate day as a passer and was in total control from the beginning. You keep waiting for him to have a streak of five or six misses in a row, but it never happened. When the run game is rolling like it was, Clemens is so much more effective. He did a nice job of standing in the pocket and getting the ball to the right people to keep drives alive. I only noticed Clemens scramble himself into trouble one time against the Saints.
For most of the day, the Rams stuck to run-heavy, power formations, with only one or two receivers on the field. But there was little middle ground. They’d go five wide when they weren’t in jumbo ‘22’ packages and spread the Saints out. It helped keep them off balance.
Austin Pettis played only 13 snaps, but he made the most of them. He had four catches, three for first downs and played an integral role in keeping early drives alive.
Nice sight adjustment by receiver Chris Givens on a 31-yard catch-and-run early in the game. You can clearly see him alerting Clemens to an opening for a quick slant before the snap. That’s a positive sign of growth for Givens, who hasn’t had many of them this season.
Tight end Jared Cook didn’t do much in the pass game but had one of his better days as a blocker. He threw a nice block on Harkey’s touchdown and did some good work run-blocking as well.
In live action, it was hard to tell whether receiver Brian Quick should have hauled in the deep ball from Clemens that he just missed. It was a nice throw by Clemens; that should be acknowledged. But upon further inspection, it looked like a nice play by Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis, who got his hand in to knock the ball away before Quick could snatch it. Perhaps Quick could have done a little more to get it, and 50/50 balls have been hit or miss for Quick. But it was a nice play by Lewis.
The Rams were 7-of-14 on third down, but the key was their ability to get into manageable third-down situations. Five of their seven conversions came on third-and-5 or less, and they actually missed some easier chances when they only needed a yard or two to keep the chains moving.
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Rams-Saints study session: Defense
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/4195/rams-saints-study-session-defense
ST. LOUIS -- Some thoughts and observations on the St. Louis Rams' 27-16 win against the New Orleans Saints after reviewing the All-22 film.
" The Rams' defensive game plan against New Orleans was nearly perfect. A few things stick out in terms of what the Rams did to make it work. Keep in mind, you have to have a defensive line as deep and talented as the Rams to succeed, but if you do, the blueprint is there to be followed (especially given a spotty Saints offensive line). The Rams spent most of the game with both safeties high, leaving seven in the box and daring the Saints to run the ball. Likewise, they put the onus on their linebackers to stay disciplined to not allow those backs to do much damage when they caught the ball out of the backfield. In coverage, the Rams clearly made it a point to take away Drew Brees' first and second reads. The message was clear: force Brees to work through to his third and fourth progressions with the belief that by the time he did, the pass rush would get home. Brees threw 56 times, very rarely do you see him look at his first receiver, throw it and get a completion. Good scheme, even better execution by the Rams' defense.
" By now, you've probably seen all the reasons why Rams defensive end Robert Quinn should be firmly in the mix as defensive player of the year after another crowning achievement against the Saints. There's not much more that needs to be said about his efforts, but I do think the game's first play for the Saints' offense showed some growth worth pointing out in Quinn's game. He's made a living off bending the edge and winning on the outside, but he beat Charles Brown with a strong inside move to force Brees into an interception. Quinn's game has diversified, not only in his ability to stop the run in addition to his pass-rushing skills, but he's also developed a wider array of pass-rush moves.
" One more thing on Quinn: I dare you to find a play that combines overwhelming athleticism with relentless effort like his second sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery in which he essentially just robs Brees of the football. Signature play for the highlight reel.
" It shouldn't go without notice that Quinn was far from the only one doing damage upfront. The whole defensive line was in on the action whether it was tackles Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford stuffing the run or William Hayes doing the same and getting after Brees, everyone was involved. End Chris Long played very well despite another offsides penalty. There were multiple plays where he and Quinn seemed to be in a race to the quarterback and it just so happens that not many players in the league would beat Quinn in one of those races.
" One player who stood out as deserving special mention is end Eugene Sims. Sims has quietly put together a good year, but he had perhaps his best game against the Saints. He created pressure, he was excellent against the run and he drew a holding penalty deep in Saints territory to back them up even further. When things are humming for this defensive line, everybody eats. Even Matt Conrath made a couple of plays.
" Aside from pressuring Brees, the Rams did an excellent job of taking away the deep ball. Brees attempted only seven passes 15 yards or further downfield, completing just two and both of those came late on a couple of apparent communication breakdowns. As mentioned earlier, the Rams left their safeties to roam on the back end and this was the best performance from that position the Rams have received all year. T.J. McDonald was active and around the ball, so was Rodney McLeod, who also played a lot of slot corner. And Darian Stewart deserves credit for his work as well. With a huge task like Jimmy Graham on the other side, the Rams left safeties over the top to help take him away and that's precisely what they did.
" In the steady-as-he-goes department, James Laurinaitis was strong again with two plays standing out, both in coverage. On one, Laurinaitis tracked a third-down pass coming across the field, kept awareness of where the first-down marker was and made a solid tackle after allowing the completion to get off the field. On another, he dropped deep in zone down the middle of the field and delivered a big hit to jar the ball loose and force an incompletion for another stop. Quietly, he's also had a strong season.
" Linebacker Alec Ogletree was all over the field in this one. He did a nice job in coverage, seeing Graham on a fairly regular basis and coming up to help against the run. In one two-play sequence, Ogletree sniffs out a run and takes on a blocker to allow a teammate to make the tackle and he followed by sniffing out a screen and dropping Darren Sproles for a 5-yard loss. Perfect examples of Ogletree's improved instincts.
" Cornerback Janoris Jenkins deserves major props for his performance with back spasms bothering him. He's so competitive in coverage and he was particularly outstanding in the red zone with pass breakups against bigger targets Graham and Marques Colston in the end zone. The key? Textbook technique and recognition.
" The Rams weren't perfect in this one, they struggled early in the game with tackling and allowed the Saints to move the ball with some bad angles and whiffs, but they managed to survive with a nice interception from cornerback Trumaine Johnson and a blocked field goal from Brockers. Once they cleaned up the tackling, particularly against running backs catching it, the Saints struggled to get anything going.
" Most important, the defense did an excellent job of taking away the big play. Even as the Saints put some points on the board late, they had to work hard for every inch they got. An 18-play scoring drive in the fourth quarter is no way to get back in the game. Again, good scheme, better execution.
" Another nod needs to go here to the special teams, which were once again excellent. Punter Johnny Hekker continued his brilliance and it should be noted that his first punt pinned the Saints deep to help create the situation leading to McDonald's interception and a quick early lead.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/4201/rams-saints-study-session-offense
ST. LOUIS – Some thoughts and observations on the St. Louis Rams’ 27-16 win against the New Orleans Saints, after reviewing the All-22 film.
The story of this game for the offense isn’t much different than what it was on the other side of the ball. This game was won at the line of scrimmage, where the Rams got an outstanding effort from their offensive line, tight ends and fullback Cory Harkey.
With the run game sagging like it did the previous two weeks, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and his staff made some tweaks to the run game to get Zac Stacy rolling again. The most obvious fix in this game? Using Stacy outside the tackles. Schematically, the Rams have been using mostly a potpourri of whams with Stacy; he’s gained most of his yards between the tackles. But yardage has been harder to find in that area recently. Getting Stacy outside is made easier with Rodger Saffold back at right guard. The Rams used Saffold on a variety of pulls and wasted no chance to get him out in space to clear out Saints linebackers. Saffold has quick feet and the power to completely wipe out smaller defenders. He was particularly noticeable on a 29-yard run by Stacy early in the game as well as Stacy's 40-yard touchdown run. All of that stuff about Saffold potentially being an elite guard in this league is coming to fruition. Nice job by Schottenheimer putting his players in position to do what they do best.
The rest of the line also deserves credit for the run game revving again. Tim Barnes was much better this week at center, Joe Barksdale and Chris Williams were solid and left tackle Jake Long was again extremely effective in the run game.
Tight end Lance Kendricks also played a strong role in Stacy’s touchdown run and a number of other solid gains. His acrobatic touchdown catch was icing on the cake on a nice day for him.
Stacy continues to impress. I have to admit, I wondered if he could be effective outside the hashes, but he showed a little better speed and quickness of foot than I expected when the Rams got him out in space. His hurdle leading to a 29-yard run showed more athleticism than we’d seen as well. The thing that continues to stand out about Stacy is his patience. He hits the hole but he also allows time for it to develop. That’s an instinctual thing that can’t be taught.
Like Kendricks, Harkey had another nice day. His touchdown rumble was well done, though he benefited from some awful tackle attempts, and he was stout as a blocker, per usual.
The other thing the Rams did schematically that made a lot of sense was move the pocket and keep the Saints from being able to focus their pass rush solely on the quarterback. Schottenheimer had plenty of bootlegs and play-action in the game plan. That, combined with solid pass protection, kept the Saints from getting much pass rush going.
Kellen Clemens had his most accurate day as a passer and was in total control from the beginning. You keep waiting for him to have a streak of five or six misses in a row, but it never happened. When the run game is rolling like it was, Clemens is so much more effective. He did a nice job of standing in the pocket and getting the ball to the right people to keep drives alive. I only noticed Clemens scramble himself into trouble one time against the Saints.
For most of the day, the Rams stuck to run-heavy, power formations, with only one or two receivers on the field. But there was little middle ground. They’d go five wide when they weren’t in jumbo ‘22’ packages and spread the Saints out. It helped keep them off balance.
Austin Pettis played only 13 snaps, but he made the most of them. He had four catches, three for first downs and played an integral role in keeping early drives alive.
Nice sight adjustment by receiver Chris Givens on a 31-yard catch-and-run early in the game. You can clearly see him alerting Clemens to an opening for a quick slant before the snap. That’s a positive sign of growth for Givens, who hasn’t had many of them this season.
Tight end Jared Cook didn’t do much in the pass game but had one of his better days as a blocker. He threw a nice block on Harkey’s touchdown and did some good work run-blocking as well.
In live action, it was hard to tell whether receiver Brian Quick should have hauled in the deep ball from Clemens that he just missed. It was a nice throw by Clemens; that should be acknowledged. But upon further inspection, it looked like a nice play by Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis, who got his hand in to knock the ball away before Quick could snatch it. Perhaps Quick could have done a little more to get it, and 50/50 balls have been hit or miss for Quick. But it was a nice play by Lewis.
The Rams were 7-of-14 on third down, but the key was their ability to get into manageable third-down situations. Five of their seven conversions came on third-and-5 or less, and they actually missed some easier chances when they only needed a yard or two to keep the chains moving.
---
Rams-Saints study session: Defense
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/4195/rams-saints-study-session-defense
ST. LOUIS -- Some thoughts and observations on the St. Louis Rams' 27-16 win against the New Orleans Saints after reviewing the All-22 film.
" The Rams' defensive game plan against New Orleans was nearly perfect. A few things stick out in terms of what the Rams did to make it work. Keep in mind, you have to have a defensive line as deep and talented as the Rams to succeed, but if you do, the blueprint is there to be followed (especially given a spotty Saints offensive line). The Rams spent most of the game with both safeties high, leaving seven in the box and daring the Saints to run the ball. Likewise, they put the onus on their linebackers to stay disciplined to not allow those backs to do much damage when they caught the ball out of the backfield. In coverage, the Rams clearly made it a point to take away Drew Brees' first and second reads. The message was clear: force Brees to work through to his third and fourth progressions with the belief that by the time he did, the pass rush would get home. Brees threw 56 times, very rarely do you see him look at his first receiver, throw it and get a completion. Good scheme, even better execution by the Rams' defense.
" By now, you've probably seen all the reasons why Rams defensive end Robert Quinn should be firmly in the mix as defensive player of the year after another crowning achievement against the Saints. There's not much more that needs to be said about his efforts, but I do think the game's first play for the Saints' offense showed some growth worth pointing out in Quinn's game. He's made a living off bending the edge and winning on the outside, but he beat Charles Brown with a strong inside move to force Brees into an interception. Quinn's game has diversified, not only in his ability to stop the run in addition to his pass-rushing skills, but he's also developed a wider array of pass-rush moves.
" One more thing on Quinn: I dare you to find a play that combines overwhelming athleticism with relentless effort like his second sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery in which he essentially just robs Brees of the football. Signature play for the highlight reel.
" It shouldn't go without notice that Quinn was far from the only one doing damage upfront. The whole defensive line was in on the action whether it was tackles Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford stuffing the run or William Hayes doing the same and getting after Brees, everyone was involved. End Chris Long played very well despite another offsides penalty. There were multiple plays where he and Quinn seemed to be in a race to the quarterback and it just so happens that not many players in the league would beat Quinn in one of those races.
" One player who stood out as deserving special mention is end Eugene Sims. Sims has quietly put together a good year, but he had perhaps his best game against the Saints. He created pressure, he was excellent against the run and he drew a holding penalty deep in Saints territory to back them up even further. When things are humming for this defensive line, everybody eats. Even Matt Conrath made a couple of plays.
" Aside from pressuring Brees, the Rams did an excellent job of taking away the deep ball. Brees attempted only seven passes 15 yards or further downfield, completing just two and both of those came late on a couple of apparent communication breakdowns. As mentioned earlier, the Rams left their safeties to roam on the back end and this was the best performance from that position the Rams have received all year. T.J. McDonald was active and around the ball, so was Rodney McLeod, who also played a lot of slot corner. And Darian Stewart deserves credit for his work as well. With a huge task like Jimmy Graham on the other side, the Rams left safeties over the top to help take him away and that's precisely what they did.
" In the steady-as-he-goes department, James Laurinaitis was strong again with two plays standing out, both in coverage. On one, Laurinaitis tracked a third-down pass coming across the field, kept awareness of where the first-down marker was and made a solid tackle after allowing the completion to get off the field. On another, he dropped deep in zone down the middle of the field and delivered a big hit to jar the ball loose and force an incompletion for another stop. Quietly, he's also had a strong season.
" Linebacker Alec Ogletree was all over the field in this one. He did a nice job in coverage, seeing Graham on a fairly regular basis and coming up to help against the run. In one two-play sequence, Ogletree sniffs out a run and takes on a blocker to allow a teammate to make the tackle and he followed by sniffing out a screen and dropping Darren Sproles for a 5-yard loss. Perfect examples of Ogletree's improved instincts.
" Cornerback Janoris Jenkins deserves major props for his performance with back spasms bothering him. He's so competitive in coverage and he was particularly outstanding in the red zone with pass breakups against bigger targets Graham and Marques Colston in the end zone. The key? Textbook technique and recognition.
" The Rams weren't perfect in this one, they struggled early in the game with tackling and allowed the Saints to move the ball with some bad angles and whiffs, but they managed to survive with a nice interception from cornerback Trumaine Johnson and a blocked field goal from Brockers. Once they cleaned up the tackling, particularly against running backs catching it, the Saints struggled to get anything going.
" Most important, the defense did an excellent job of taking away the big play. Even as the Saints put some points on the board late, they had to work hard for every inch they got. An 18-play scoring drive in the fourth quarter is no way to get back in the game. Again, good scheme, better execution.
" Another nod needs to go here to the special teams, which were once again excellent. Punter Johnny Hekker continued his brilliance and it should be noted that his first punt pinned the Saints deep to help create the situation leading to McDonald's interception and a quick early lead.