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Rams DBs are exposed against Giants
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d01e990c-65f6-518b-a0a7-f7110c4825c8.html
Just a week ago, the Rams’ secondary looked like the most improved unit on the team this season. With everybody healthy, second-round draft pick Lamarcus Joyner — who hasn’t played badly at all when healthy — couldn’t even get on the field.
So the starters were improving, the depth was good, and looking forward there was the thought that maybe the Rams didn’t need to add much to the secondary for 2015.
Then came the abomination otherwise known as the New York Giants game. There were botched or misplayed coverages, what appeared to be a lack of communication on some plays, and soft coverage that consistently had Rams cornerbacks lining up seven to 10 yards off the line of scrimmage.
As a topper, it didn’t look as if the Rams did anything special scheme-wise to counter the hottest receiver in the NFL in Odell Beckham Jr.
At the end of the day it added up to 391 yards passing, three touchdown throws and a passer rating of 148.8 by Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
“I’ll credit Eli,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He really played an outstanding game and was in control. Didn’t have much
difficulty on the line of scrimmage getting in and out of things. And he made some big-time throws.”
All true, but the Rams gave Manning plenty of help. For one, it wasn’t the best of days for the front four in terms of the pass rush. And with rare exceptions, the blitzes dialed up by coordinator Gregg Williams were ineffective.
But the secondary made things way too easy for Manning, whose passing total was the most against the Rams since Drew Brees of New Orleans threw for 393 in a 27-16 loss to the Rams on Dec. 15, 2013.
Giving away “freebies” in the passing game is a defensive sin, one that the Rams had seemingly gotten past. But in this season of giving, the freebies returned in droves Sunday, including three plays where Giants wideouts found themselves isolated on Rams safeties.
That’s asking for trouble, creating a matchup that the wide receiver should win the vast majority of times. Three such plays resulted in two touchdowns and 138 passing yards for the Giants.
• Play No. 1: On the fourth play of the game, cornerback Janoris Jenkins was lined up over New York’s Rueben Randle, giving Randle a 7-yard cushion. In what looked like zone coverage, Jenkins followed Randle nearly 25 yards down the field — to about the St. Louis 45 — but then dropped coverage, turning back in the direction of running back Andre Williams, who was in the flat way back at about the New York 30.
That left Randle isolated on free safety Rodney McLeod, who was in pretty good position to make a play but got boxed out. The result was a 49-yard gain to set up a Giants field goal.
• Play No. 2: On the Giants’ next series, Manning threw a 9-yard TD pass to Beckham. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson dropped coverage on the play, which left Beckham isolated on safety T.J. McDonald. Beckham got free by faking inside and then heading out to the right corner of the end zone.
The play gave New York a 10-0 lead before the Rams had run their first offensive play. Fisher said Johnson, who was playing zone coverage, should have been deeper on the play.
“Yeah, he was supposed to sink (into coverage) and have that ball go to the flat,” Fisher said.
Had the lanky Johnson been even a few feet deeper, he probably would’ve been able to tip the ball away.
• Play No. 3: This was the back-breaker play in the game. With the St. Louis offense gaining momentum, the Rams had made it a one-possession game, 27-20, on a Lance Kendricks TD catch late in the third quarter.
But on the third play after the Giants received the kickoff, Manning threw an 80-yard TD pass to a wide open Beckham. This was another coverage bust. With Randle and Beckham lined up wide right, Johnson and Joyner both took the player running the underneath route (Randle).
That left Beckham wide open with only a safety to beat down field — again an unfair matchup. One move later and Beckham was by safety Mark Barron move for a 34-20 Giants lead.
It was a brutally tough day for Johnson, who until Sunday had played well since coming back from a preseason knee injury. Even though he had played only seven games entering the New York contest, Johnson leads the team with interceptions including a 43-yard “pick 6” against Oakland.
But Johnson was so off his game against the Giants that Fisher was asked if Johnson was healthy.
“He’s working through some things,” Fisher said. “I don’t know if he’s 100 percent, but I don’t think anybody was at 100 percent (Sunday). He needs to play better. His technique was poor at times. He gave up uncharacteristic plays. He gave up plays that you would expect him to make.”
All told, Johnsonallowed nine receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Four other completions resulted in third-down conversions.
“We didn’t execute, we didn’t finish, and that’s including myself,” Johnson said. “It starts with me. I put a lot of things on myself. All I can do is go back and fix them throughout the week.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d01e990c-65f6-518b-a0a7-f7110c4825c8.html
Just a week ago, the Rams’ secondary looked like the most improved unit on the team this season. With everybody healthy, second-round draft pick Lamarcus Joyner — who hasn’t played badly at all when healthy — couldn’t even get on the field.
So the starters were improving, the depth was good, and looking forward there was the thought that maybe the Rams didn’t need to add much to the secondary for 2015.
Then came the abomination otherwise known as the New York Giants game. There were botched or misplayed coverages, what appeared to be a lack of communication on some plays, and soft coverage that consistently had Rams cornerbacks lining up seven to 10 yards off the line of scrimmage.
As a topper, it didn’t look as if the Rams did anything special scheme-wise to counter the hottest receiver in the NFL in Odell Beckham Jr.
At the end of the day it added up to 391 yards passing, three touchdown throws and a passer rating of 148.8 by Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
“I’ll credit Eli,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He really played an outstanding game and was in control. Didn’t have much
difficulty on the line of scrimmage getting in and out of things. And he made some big-time throws.”
All true, but the Rams gave Manning plenty of help. For one, it wasn’t the best of days for the front four in terms of the pass rush. And with rare exceptions, the blitzes dialed up by coordinator Gregg Williams were ineffective.
But the secondary made things way too easy for Manning, whose passing total was the most against the Rams since Drew Brees of New Orleans threw for 393 in a 27-16 loss to the Rams on Dec. 15, 2013.
Giving away “freebies” in the passing game is a defensive sin, one that the Rams had seemingly gotten past. But in this season of giving, the freebies returned in droves Sunday, including three plays where Giants wideouts found themselves isolated on Rams safeties.
That’s asking for trouble, creating a matchup that the wide receiver should win the vast majority of times. Three such plays resulted in two touchdowns and 138 passing yards for the Giants.
• Play No. 1: On the fourth play of the game, cornerback Janoris Jenkins was lined up over New York’s Rueben Randle, giving Randle a 7-yard cushion. In what looked like zone coverage, Jenkins followed Randle nearly 25 yards down the field — to about the St. Louis 45 — but then dropped coverage, turning back in the direction of running back Andre Williams, who was in the flat way back at about the New York 30.
That left Randle isolated on free safety Rodney McLeod, who was in pretty good position to make a play but got boxed out. The result was a 49-yard gain to set up a Giants field goal.
• Play No. 2: On the Giants’ next series, Manning threw a 9-yard TD pass to Beckham. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson dropped coverage on the play, which left Beckham isolated on safety T.J. McDonald. Beckham got free by faking inside and then heading out to the right corner of the end zone.
The play gave New York a 10-0 lead before the Rams had run their first offensive play. Fisher said Johnson, who was playing zone coverage, should have been deeper on the play.
“Yeah, he was supposed to sink (into coverage) and have that ball go to the flat,” Fisher said.
Had the lanky Johnson been even a few feet deeper, he probably would’ve been able to tip the ball away.
• Play No. 3: This was the back-breaker play in the game. With the St. Louis offense gaining momentum, the Rams had made it a one-possession game, 27-20, on a Lance Kendricks TD catch late in the third quarter.
But on the third play after the Giants received the kickoff, Manning threw an 80-yard TD pass to a wide open Beckham. This was another coverage bust. With Randle and Beckham lined up wide right, Johnson and Joyner both took the player running the underneath route (Randle).
That left Beckham wide open with only a safety to beat down field — again an unfair matchup. One move later and Beckham was by safety Mark Barron move for a 34-20 Giants lead.
It was a brutally tough day for Johnson, who until Sunday had played well since coming back from a preseason knee injury. Even though he had played only seven games entering the New York contest, Johnson leads the team with interceptions including a 43-yard “pick 6” against Oakland.
But Johnson was so off his game against the Giants that Fisher was asked if Johnson was healthy.
“He’s working through some things,” Fisher said. “I don’t know if he’s 100 percent, but I don’t think anybody was at 100 percent (Sunday). He needs to play better. His technique was poor at times. He gave up uncharacteristic plays. He gave up plays that you would expect him to make.”
All told, Johnsonallowed nine receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Four other completions resulted in third-down conversions.
“We didn’t execute, we didn’t finish, and that’s including myself,” Johnson said. “It starts with me. I put a lot of things on myself. All I can do is go back and fix them throughout the week.”