FrantikRam said:
FLramFAN said:
rhinobean said:
Since teams weren't respecting the run, Fish had to make it go in order to give Sam more than 2 seconds to pass! Will have to continue this so as to get our speed guys more chances to run longer routes. Seems like pretty normal practice!
Not sure I can agree with this, fully.
When you run 3 TE and 1 RB, add a QB and the 5 OL, you have 1 "speed" guy at WR.
When you have 4 TE, 1 RB, your QB and 5 OL, you have NO "speed" guy at WR.
These formations are power formations and while you may catch the D off-guard by scraping a blocking-type TE in to a short pattern, you aren't going to pick up big yards this way. But, can be successful in the RZ for sure.
Addtionally, it's pretty rate that your 1 "speed" guy at WR in a 3 TE set isn't going to get open deep very often.
Until the Rams can effectively run the ball from offensive sets with only 2 TE, then they are going to be EITHER a power offense or a SPEED offense, but not both. Both is what it usually takes to be dominate. But, in today's penalty-ridden NFL (Pass Interference, Defensive holding, accidently getting too close to the QB) you have a better chance to dominate with one or the other if that's a speed game that is pass heavy.
I love the wins these past 2 weeks but wonder if the power offense isn't really going away from what this team will look like, ultimately, if they should become an offensive powerhouse. They've paid for and drafted guys built for the spread/speed game.
Yes but dont forget that with Givens and Cook on the field together, they could potentially be the two fastest players on the field (out of a 3 TE/1 WR formation). We can utilize playaction and create mismatches with Cook (and Kendricks), even taking a deep shot from time to time.
What most are overlooking, when they go to the "3 TE" sets, that in reality the only reason it is a THREE TE set is by how these players are listed on the roster.
When Harkey is lined as a FB, Kendricks as an inline TE, Cook is then lined up wide, this is the prototypical "21" personnel package. This is the pure definition of the "I" or "offset I" formation.
And MOST teams have to run out of some form of a FB/H-back, with an inline TE. We continue to make it sound like this is some sort of admission of weakness. When in fact its as pure as it gets when you want to be able to RUN THE BALL out of a traditional formation.
That they have a hard time running the ball out of a spread formation, when the approach was to continue trying to run a power scheme should not be a surprise. If they were committed to wanting run out of the "spread" then they would have been forced to run much more of a zone scheme, which is completely foreign to anything they have tried since they have been here.
People still want to put it on the O-line, when they are blocking against 6 and 7 man fronts, even out of 3 WR formations. When you try to run a power running game between the tackles, and you are relying on a 5 man unit to block even a 6 man box, you aren't going to win many battles.
Combine that with the lack of production from Kendricks in the same role he was used in last year, and voila, no running game when you use all these spread concepts.
I think the biggest mistake was made in the preseason, when they virtually ignored trying to establish any kind of running game, and if you recall, made a point of showing that they would and can take their shots with the deep ball to Givens.
This pretty much assured teams of taking that part of the offense away from them, which in and of itself would NOT be a bad thing. But then to think they could rely EXCLUSIVELY on a short passing game as a substitute for the running game was a HUGE miscalculation of their talent.
This approach was backwards, IMO. Their entire passing game, regardless of the "new toys" still has to be a by product of a successful running game.
As I have mentioned since training camp, the most effective way for this "talent" to be productive, was to do the SAME THINGS they have shown to do well, but do it with better players.
If and when they get back to using the play action passing game, players like Cook, Austin, Kendricks, Quick and Givens now all become even more dangerous.
It will force teams into playing more 7 and 8 man fronts, which is a GOOD thing in the play action passing game.
When they prove they can effectively RUN THE BALL, then mismatches can be created by personnel and formations.
They came out here, thinking they could throw all this "speed" and "talent" at teams, and throw it all over the field. The problem was, teams took away the deep game, played primarily zone against them, which took the threat off the board.
I realize it may not be as exciting to watch as some might want to see, but putting up 24 offensive points, against what was the #1 rated defense in the league is nothing to ignore. I for one, don't care "how" they accomplish it, or "who" is scoring, just that the team does in fact put the points on the board.
lus1: 
