Will McVay Make Changes to His Offense After the Bye?

[oldnotdead]

Sean McVay admits he got 'a little bit impatient' with play calls against Titans

Sean McVay wishes he would’ve made a few different calls against the Titans, admitting he “got a little bit impatient”

theramswire.usatoday.com

An interesting article about McVay's introspection of his own performance against the Titans. He confirms he didn't change his concept soon enough and kept trying to push the deep game despite the inordinate pressure Stafford was under.

That said does he return to his old system of layering his receivers, i.e. short, medium, deep? He's gotten away from that to a certain degree. Also, I think Stafford will be told to make his first read deep but to come off of it quickly in games where he's under pressure. It was clear that Matt was waiting for the deep pattern to develop and it led to his sacks.

The next game is against a struggling SF defense. Their front 4 is strong but their secondary play is inconsistent. Kliff Kingsbury's offense highlights quick passes normally under 10 yards, looking for YAC to gain additional yardage. The Cards exploited that inconsistent secondary.

I expect the biggest change will be how McVay tells Stafford to just move the chains, take what is given if the deep pass doesn't look like it will be there quickly. The other is a bigger role in the run game. Make defenses defend the run. He's got the RBs to play that style. Michel is the grinder, Henderson is the slasher, HR hitter. I would be surprised if McVay doesn't sign a RB. I think we will see Howell get some snaps to see if he can be that 3rd man in the rotation but from what I've seen of Howell he seems to lack the explosion a RB should have. Henderson is dinged and McVay needs to play Michel more and Howell at times to give Henderson some rest. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ram's opened with Michel and Howell against the Niners. IMO McVay should back away from his all or nothing philosophy. He's been drinking his deep strike wine too long.

Yes, I expect changes in the Ram offense, but more philosophical with only a tweak schematically, with more of a focus on short and mid-range routes. As Stafford hits on those it will eventually open up those deeper routes. McVay is right in regards to not forcing the Titans to defend the run. Also, I see McVay taking the points when he can vs his ego-driven going for it on 4th downs. He has to understand that with Morris as his DC he won't hold the field advantage if the 4th down isn't converted. Morris' defense is pansy soft. His DBs wait for the reception before reacting instead of anticipating the throw and getting a jump on it. Bend not break is a loser and could cost the Rams a SB. Why Morris doesn't have his DBs defending the reception is beyond me.

I think after the season, Morris needs to be replaced. IMO Aubrey Pleasant should be hired away from Detroit to be the Ram's DC. He knows Staley's scheme and also Phillip's scheme, both of whom were more aggressive than Morris. It was a mistake to pass him over for Morris.

 

[AvengerRam]

Not to get into a semantics debate, but I'd say he makes adjustments, not changes.

The former, in my mind, is about situational play calling. The latter would be more of an alteration of an overall system or approach, or major personnel changes.

Every coach should make adjustments as the season wears on, within games, and to counter what the opposing team does. That is an area where McVay, in my opinion, can improve.

 

[bubbaramfan]

McVay ran 11 personel every offensive snap vs Titans. Titans rushed just 4 DL and got 2 sacks and an INT., yet he didn't have the Ol move the pocket or roll Stafford out til after half time and didn't run one 12 personel the whole game.

Tunnel vision and slow to react.

 

[Ellard80]

swear we already have 3 threads where people can bitch about mcvay's play calling...

we really need another one?

 

[Kupped]

swear we already have 3 threads where people can bitch about mcvay's play calling...

we really need another one?

Maybe this one can avoid being pure bitch-fest?

I think looking at trends and recurring issues and wondering how he'll fix them is fair.

Stuff that bothers me is when I see guys tweeting out nonsense like "McVay has too big of an ego to make changes"... that's just some nonsense, imo.

I don't know what the personnel concerns are right now, if any, that are contributing to him running only 11 personnel on Sunday. Seemed like a strange thing.
I don't know how much of the issues against the Titans were play calls and how much was QB execution.
I do know that he seems to go completely away from the run in some specific scenarios, ones Rich and Jourdan talk about in the new 11 Personnel.. and the big takeaway that I agree with, 100%... is if Rich can identify those trends.. sure as shit, other teams can.

One line that I think about after a game like this, philosophically, is McVay's quote about "that's not a world I want to live in", when it comes to having an offense that dinks and dunks down the field. I agree with that, big picture, but I also think you could look at a series or two in games like this and, perhaps.. think about dinking and dunking the shit out of the other team to make them adjust.

 

[thirteen28]

It's encouraging that he's engaging in some introspection, and that's what makes me think he'll take that final step to greatness.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”​

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I'm glad McVay is making an effort to know himself. Martz, another offensive genius we once had, never did this and instead doubled down on his mistakes.

 

[Flint]

Sean McVay admits he got 'a little bit impatient' with play calls against Titans

Sean McVay wishes he would’ve made a few different calls against the Titans, admitting he “got a little bit impatient”

theramswire.usatoday.com

An interesting article about McVay's introspection of his own performance against the Titans. He confirms he didn't change his concept soon enough and kept trying to push the deep game despite the inordinate pressure Stafford was under.

That said does he return to his old system of layering his receivers, i.e. short, medium, deep? He's gotten away from that to a certain degree. Also, I think Stafford will be told to make his first read deep but to come off of it quickly in games where he's under pressure. It was clear that Matt was waiting for the deep pattern to develop and it led to his sacks.

The next game is against a struggling SF defense. Their front 4 is strong but their secondary play is inconsistent. Kliff Kingsbury's offense highlights quick passes normally under 10 yards, looking for YAC to gain additional yardage. The Cards exploited that inconsistent secondary.

I expect the biggest change will be how McVay tells Stafford to just move the chains, take what is given if the deep pass doesn't look like it will be there quickly. The other is a bigger role in the run game. Make defenses defend the run. He's got the RBs to play that style. Michel is the grinder, Henderson is the slasher, HR hitter. I would be surprised if McVay doesn't sign a RB. I think we will see Howell get some snaps to see if he can be that 3rd man in the rotation but from what I've seen of Howell he seems to lack the explosion a RB should have. Henderson is dinged and McVay needs to play Michel more and Howell at times to give Henderson some rest. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ram's opened with Michel and Howell against the Niners. IMO McVay should back away from his all or nothing philosophy. He's been drinking his deep strike wine too long.

Yes, I expect changes in the Ram offense, but more philosophical with only a tweak schematically, with more of a focus on short and mid-range routes. As Stafford hits on those it will eventually open up those deeper routes. McVay is right in regards to not forcing the Titans to defend the run. Also, I see McVay taking the points when he can vs his ego-driven going for it on 4th downs. He has to understand that with Morris as his DC he won't hold the field advantage if the 4th down isn't converted. Morris' defense is pansy soft. His DBs wait for the reception before reacting instead of anticipating the throw and getting a jump on it. Bend not break is a loser and could cost the Rams a SB. Why Morris doesn't have his DBs defending the reception is beyond me.

I think after the season, Morris needs to be replaced. IMO Aubrey Pleasant should be hired away from Detroit to be the Ram's DC. He knows Staley's scheme and also Phillip's scheme, both of whom were more aggressive than Morris. It was a mistake to pass him over for Morris.

The defense didn’t play horrible overall, they only gave up 14 pts and played pretty well vs run and pass giving up less than 300 yds. The defense wasn’t the problem, 12 penalties including the roughing penalties that kept the defense from getting off the field.
The Fangio system isn’t doing so great this year, Denver is #9 and the Chargers and bears are both rated behind the Rams. This years rams are better against the run but as you might expect it’s hard to replace quality guys like Johnson and Hill.
McVay is so excited to not have to manage the qb position he’s calling empty sets more than anyone and teams with a rush like Tennessee are licking their chops. We need a dependable run game that doesn’t depend on Henderson, some size would be nice. Maybe McVay would consider running it on short yardage plays, and if we don’t have a decent TE or 2 or 3 to put in line use linemen. Everyone saw what the Titans did, Stafford and the line got rattled, let’s see how McVay counters.

 

[jrry32]

Sure, McVay deserves some criticism for the Tennessee game, but frankly, Stafford stunk up the field. He played like Goff did in some of his worst games last year. With how great he has been, he's entitled to a stinker.

 

[OldSchool]

swear we already have 3 threads where people can bitch about mcvay's play calling...

we really need another one?

That's pretty light tbh for a loss week if it's a 3 thread bitchfest only.

 

[So Ram]

swear we already have 3 threads where people can bitch about mcvay's play calling...

we really need another one?

Lmao - perfect

 

[So Ram]

Sean McVay admits he got 'a little bit impatient' with play calls against Titans

Sean McVay wishes he would’ve made a few different calls against the Titans, admitting he “got a little bit impatient”

theramswire.usatoday.com

An interesting article about McVay's introspection of his own performance against the Titans. He confirms he didn't change his concept soon enough and kept trying to push the deep game despite the inordinate pressure Stafford was under.

That said does he return to his old system of layering his receivers, i.e. short, medium, deep? He's gotten away from that to a certain degree. Also, I think Stafford will be told to make his first read deep but to come off of it quickly in games where he's under pressure. It was clear that Matt was waiting for the deep pattern to develop and it led to his sacks.

The next game is against a struggling SF defense. Their front 4 is strong but their secondary play is inconsistent. Kliff Kingsbury's offense highlights quick passes normally under 10 yards, looking for YAC to gain additional yardage. The Cards exploited that inconsistent secondary.

I expect the biggest change will be how McVay tells Stafford to just move the chains, take what is given if the deep pass doesn't look like it will be there quickly. The other is a bigger role in the run game. Make defenses defend the run. He's got the RBs to play that style. Michel is the grinder, Henderson is the slasher, HR hitter. I would be surprised if McVay doesn't sign a RB. I think we will see Howell get some snaps to see if he can be that 3rd man in the rotation but from what I've seen of Howell he seems to lack the explosion a RB should have. Henderson is dinged and McVay needs to play Michel more and Howell at times to give Henderson some rest. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ram's opened with Michel and Howell against the Niners. IMO McVay should back away from his all or nothing philosophy. He's been drinking his deep strike wine too long.

Yes, I expect changes in the Ram offense, but more philosophical with only a tweak schematically, with more of a focus on short and mid-range routes. As Stafford hits on those it will eventually open up those deeper routes. McVay is right in regards to not forcing the Titans to defend the run. Also, I see McVay taking the points when he can vs his ego-driven going for it on 4th downs. He has to understand that with Morris as his DC he won't hold the field advantage if the 4th down isn't converted. Morris' defense is pansy soft. His DBs wait for the reception before reacting instead of anticipating the throw and getting a jump on it. Bend not break is a loser and could cost the Rams a SB. Why Morris doesn't have his DBs defending the reception is beyond me.

I think after the season, Morris needs to be replaced. IMO Aubrey Pleasant should be hired away from Detroit to be the Ram's DC. He knows Staley's scheme and also Phillip's scheme, both of whom were more aggressive than Morris. It was a mistake to pass him over for Morris.

Watching Staley’s sieve open up big.
Got to enjoy those Chargers roots.Maybe if you want to take a peak back.
Start with a Mcvay blast & then totally attack Raheem Morris.It was nice seeing AP score though.
Blame Morris because D. Williams looked like he was still injured.I like the scheme.

 

[leoram]

We have all seen great coordinators get outcoached on occasion. It's inevitable. It happens in games and it happens for stretches of seasons. The lack of a credible second tight end necessitates the 11 personnel. Also, Stafford has the ability to check down on every play but even the best QB's get surprised by pressures and changing coverages. As painful as that game was to watch, I never had the feeling the Titans were the better team. I would be more concerned about the offensive line if they hadn't played well against other good fronts. McVay was right, he could've put them in better situations and I believe he will. Both sides of the ball have areas where they need to improve. But a wholesale pivot in scheme and philosophy would be both foolish and doomed.

 

[DeaconJones]

Watching the TN game gave me flashbacks to the Chicago loss in 2018 and many games in 2019, like "oh no, they've figured us out". I have to wonder if our lack of 12 personnel using both Higbee and Blanton is due to a lack of confidence in Blanton's blocking abilities? He only saw 2 snaps on offense overall. I also wonder how much push-back Stafford gives McVay regarding the rollouts and things he really (supposedly) doesn't like doing.

 

[Ellard80]

again... stafford made poor decisions and it cost us the game.... mcvay could be better for sure.

But the focus a lot of people keeping going back to is the wrong one. On the pick at the 3 yard line for example, Stafford had his check down release wide open.

Stafford loves to push the ball down the field but he has to learn to be smarter and I think he will.

 

[Kupped]

again... stafford made poor decisions and it cost us the game.... mcvay could be better for sure.

But the focus a lot of people keeping going back to is the wrong one. On the pick at the 3 yard line for example, Stafford had his check down release wide open.

Stafford loves to push the ball down the field but he has to learn to be smarter and I think he will.

I think the "what's wrong with our team" takes are often overreactions.
You nailed it.

If you throw two pick-sixes, and that's what the impact was, you're not winning many NFL games. Period.

 

[MachS]

View: https://twitter.com/AroundTheNFL/status/1458516339375542275?t=8E6K2V7EN2sbGJDfM0GxaQ&s=19

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

McVay didn't change things up going into the 2018 Superbowl, despite teams proving how best to attack his scheme. If there ever was a coach and defense to adjust for the Patriots were it. I was not excited for that game because we all knew back then that he wasn't going to change anything. He'd just demand more perfect execution.

So what makes anyone think he'll change now? McVay seems to think he has a flawless offensive plan if everyone does their job. He seems to miss that sometimes they need some help by McVay changing things.

 

[Flint]

There was a lot of excitement that Stafford and McVay shared a football brain, well this is the flip side. McVay doesn’t want to live in a check down world, but if you’re on your own 3 and they’re dropping 7 into coverage and they have a guy who’s wrecking your o line, maybe the check down should be higher in the progression. And did McVay and Stafford get manipulated into the pick 6? After a disastrous play the series before Stafford wants something quick and they fell right into the trap and that was that.
McVay’s a good coach but the other guys are smart too.

 

[Kupped]

What does this game look like if Stafford plays clean?
Or just has one awful turnover instead of two?

Yep, McVay still has some quirks and things to work on, but, execution matters too.

 

[Flint]

That’s the irritating thing, the Titans are missing their best player, they need to get a turnover or 2, and win the field position battle. The Rams strategy is to run empty sets and look deep. The rams couldn’t block the Titans front from the first series it was a matter of time til something bad happened.
Guys like Belichek will find your weakness and exploit it, McVay wants to overpower you with his strength.