Are We Going To Take A Step Back On Defense?

[Malibu]

Overall I believe the D will be better.

I have said the secondary was the weakness of the D last year over the run D. By having an elite Secondary which we gave, top 5 imo we will shut down teams trying to catch up to us.

Joyner really hurt us last year Weddle wont.

Imo Rapp is going to be looked back on as one of the biggest steals of the draft. Loved him a wash. and he will add another element to the secondary especially on 3rd downs.

Peters and Talib have another year in Wade's system.

Tons of depth throughout the Defense.

Fowler in a contract year and adding Matthews will add stability to the front 7.

The Run D and ILB positions will be tested but remember you can only run when you are early or close score. If you are chasing a high powered offense such as the run you need a better secondary and we have an elite one.

 

[FarNorth]

I'm just curious to hear from the great posters on this board about whether we are going to take a step back on defense this year or are we going to keep getting better as a unit.

You guys know a lot more than me, but I wonder about our run support. I know that we got a lot better as the year went on, but is our line backing corps going to be good enough to stop the run? I'm excited about the pass rush, and the secondary, but we are going to have to draft some CBs next year.

What do you guys think?

Last year's D was flawed by countinuing breakdowns in coverage and inability to stop the run. Both were in large part due to lack of assignment or gap integrity.

We will be stepping forward not back this year due to more veteran leadership, more coherence in the secondary, and a better outside pass rush with Fowler and Matthews. Peters will also step up in his contract year, and second year in the D, with Weddle making sure they are on the same page. A more organized secondary will in turn force qbs to hold the ball longer and make the pass rush even more dangerous.

We will still need young NT's and ILBers to step up against the run. Matthews and Taylor Rapp will help. Having Donald at camp will help, not just for himself but for the others around him to better understand what he is doing positionally so we are not leaving open gaps when he is going after the qb.

Losing Suh was inevitable but still too bad. All he did was play nearly 90% of the snaps and every position on the line, without complaint, while adjusting to Donald's freelancing for sacks as well as ongoing breakdowns in the defense behind him. And then he dominated in the playoffs. But hopefully Gaines and others can be effective inside against the run.

If we can stop the run consistently this will be a top tier defense as it was last year in the playoffs, and maybe this time a championship level D.

 

[whitedk57]

To the OP's question, and without any discussion, I'd have to say...

NOPE!

 

[oldnotdead]

I can see no reason that this year's defense isn't better than last year's. Suh was inconsistent last year. Sure he played most of the snaps, but how many did he take off like he's prone on doing? The Suh we saw in the playoffs was how he should have played all season but didn't.

That's why I think they will be more consistent. Also, Fowler showed how impactful he can be last year. I think he has a breakout season this year. Because he will have help all across the line. Gaines has shown he's a force inside. At DE, Ogbo and Carraway bring two different styles of play. Carraway is speed, and Ogbo is power and quickness. I really hope Wade uses his two 3T & two 5T front more. Ogbo is IMO a better 3 down DE than Brockers. Ogbo brings speed and quickness with power to the position and is a better compliment to Fowler on the opposite end of the LOS. What I'm saying is AD & Brockers as the 3T's and Fowler and Ogbo as the 5T's. This is backed up by LB's Ebukam, Mathews and Littleton. Now tell me that's not an imposing 7 man front.

Now you look at the secondary of CBs Talib, Peters, and safeties of Weddle and Johnson. They can pull Littleton or Mathews on passing downs and bring in Rapp as their nickel DB. In their Dime package, they can bring in Long as well taking Littleton and Mathews out. They can shift Ebukam into the middle because he's strong at the POA if they run a draw and can play sideline to sideline with his 4.5 speed if the QB rolls out.

This defense is loaded with really only Ogbo, and Rapp as the newbies. But Rapp already plays wise beyond is years. This team suffered from poor play in the secondary more than a matter of stopping the run. They gave up way too many big passing plays. This year they are improved at safety with Weddle and Rapp. If Peters doesn't freelance he's a good CB. Talib hasn't shown any real dropoff. Having Fowler the whole year will be huge.

This is easily a top 10 defense. If they play up to their abilities it can be a top 5 defense. IMO if the defense is a top 5 unit this team will go to the SuperBowl and win it.

 

[OnceARam]

No. No. No. We'll be better than last year. I'm really excited about the three safety look (as opposed to the Dime CB playing FS look) and the motley crew of wicked fast LB'ers we have. Gotta say, I don't think Hager is going to see more than 20% of the snaps at Mike though. He might have beat out Kisar regardless of Kisar's injury, but that doesn't mean he's fast enough to be out there. I heard Demarco Far say that they might play Sam E. in that position as well as Clay M. I wouldn't mind seeing Allen there as he's flashed good instincts and explosion already.

 

[OnceARam]

From a pure $ standpoint, the “market” would indicate the Rams’ D would take a step back.

Lost Suh ($9 M), Barron ($6 M APY), and Joyner ($10 M APY). All of their replacements will cost considerably less.

However, as with all y’all that follow this team closely— yes, I think Rams D should be improved this year. High hopes for Weddle, especially.

True. But the market overvalues veterans with some gas in the tank. Joyner has looked good in Oakland as a Dime CB. He was playing out of position for us.

 

[oldnotdead]

Sorry, I respectfully disagree with flv. Wade Phillips runs a 3-4 hybrid system and has since 2004. But he takes it outside the box as he changes his defensive alignment on each play. The only time Wade predictably uses his base look is on first down. After that his alignment is situational. If it's second and long he's going to come with a 4 man pass rush with the SAM LB setting a strong edge for contain. If it's 3rd and 3 or fewer yards he will close the LOS with his 4 man d-line and play both his ILBs over the A gaps to penetrate and blow up the middle with the SAM playing contain. On third and long he might stay with his nickel package or he might switch to his dime.

Bottom line Wade's base defense is 3-4 in name only. It's not a 2 gap scheme. In his base alignment, it's played like a standard 4-3 single gap attacking defense. Then as I have pointed out it will immediately change on second down depending on the outcome of the first down.

Last year Wade was severely handicapped by the limitations of his roster. They have strengthened the secondary with talent at both CB and safety. Wade's defense is situational with each snap as he isn't constrained by a single scheme concept. That is why offenses have struggled with it as how do you gameplan against a defense that is constantly morphing into something else each play?

You discount players because of their draft rounds which history has shown that talent is found in all rounds. Look how many UDFA's have outplayed their un-drafted status. One comes to mind immediately. I remember watching Antonio Gates at his first TC which was in Carson, next to where they currently play. Gates was a UDFA and will be a first-ballot HOFer. Oh yeah, let us not forget Kurt Warner, another HOFer who was a UDFA as well.

 

[rams1fan]

I think our secondary and pass rush will be improved. If our offense is as potent as last year then even if rush D is bad it will get negated by teams playing catch up. So for me the big question is offensive run game.

 

[bubbaramfan]

flv, Exactly what I was seeing in TC . TE's and RB's over the middle and jet sweeps will come early and often.

Rams LB's being asked to cover will be a problem.

 

[shovelpass]

Sorry, I respectfully disagree with flv. Wade Phillips runs a 3-4 hybrid system and has since 2004. But he takes it outside the box as he changes his defensive alignment on each play. The only time Wade predictably uses his base look is on first down. After that his alignment is situational. If it's second and long he's going to come with a 4 man pass rush with the SAM LB setting a strong edge for contain. If it's 3rd and 3 or fewer yards he will close the LOS with his 4 man d-line and play both his ILBs over the A gaps to penetrate and blow up the middle with the SAM playing contain. On third and long he might stay with his nickel package or he might switch to his dime.

every DC changes their alignment, base, nickel, dime, double A-gap, quarter, etc it's all fairly conventional. It's funny because the last 2 seasons the Rams were ranked 2nd in base defense frequency.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2019/2018-defensive-personnel-analysis

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Team	Base	Rk	Nickel	Rk	Dime+	Rk
Defensive Personnel Frequency​
DEN	45%	1	27%	31	28%	5
LAR	43%	2	34%	29	22%	8
MIA	40%	3	58%	21	0%	31
CAR	39%	4	60%	19	0%	32
SEA	34%	5	49%	27	14%	14
TB	31%	6	57%	22	10%	15
CLE	31%	7	66%	15	1%	27
PIT	30%	8	33%	30	36%	3
HOU	30%	9	50%	26	19%	11
CIN	30%	10	63%	16	5%	16
DAL	28%	11	69%	12	3%	21
WAS	28%	12	70%	11	1%	26
IND	27%	13	52%	25	20%	9
SF	26%	14	72%	10	2%	24
OAK	25%	15	68%	13	5%	18
TEN	25%	16	73%	9	2%	25
KC	23%	17	61%	18	15%	13
ATL	22%	18	74%	8	4%	20
MIN	21%	19	77%	5	1%	28
BUF	21%	20	77%	4	1%	29
NYJ	21%	21	75%	7	3%	22
JAX	21%	22	78%	3	0%	30
LAC	20%	23	15%	32	64%	1
GB	18%	24	40%	28	41%	2
PHI	18%	25	61%	17	19%	10
CHI	17%	26	76%	6	5%	17
NYG	17%	27	68%	14	15%	12
NO	16%	28	79%	2	2%	23
BAL	16%	29	57%	23	26%	6
DET	15%	30	58%	20	26%	7
NE	12%	31	54%	24	33%	4
ARI	10%	32	84%	1	5%	19
AVG	25%	--	60%	--	13%	--

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2018/2017-defensive-personnel-analysis


Defensive Personnel Frequency
Team Base Rk Nickel Rk Dime+ Rk
CLE 66% 1 31% 29 1% 27
LAR 58% 2 37% 25 2% 23
CAR 50% 3 49% 20 0% 32
IND 42% 4 44% 23 11% 14
DEN 41% 5 27% 32 30% 5
PIT 38% 6 36% 26 24% 7
HOU 38% 7 34% 28 24% 8
NYJ 37% 8 53% 18 8% 16
MIA 36% 9 60% 14 1% 25
SF 36% 10 45% 22 15% 10
TB 36% 11 62% 11 0% 30
OAK 35% 12 57% 16 7% 17
WAS 34% 13 63% 10 2% 24
JAX 33% 14 66% 6 0% 29
BUF 33% 15 66% 5 0% 31
BAL 30% 16 40% 24 28% 6
Team Base Rk Nickel Rk Dime+ Rk
CHI 30% 17 64% 9 5% 20
CIN 30% 18 67% 4 1% 26
TEN 30% 19 64% 8 5% 19
DET 29% 20 52% 19 15% 11
NYG 29% 21 60% 15 11% 13
SEA 29% 22 68% 3 3% 21
KC 27% 23 29% 30 42% 3
ARI 27% 24 65% 7 7% 18
PHI 27% 25 60% 13 10% 15
LAC 26% 26 27% 31 46% 1
DAL 25% 27 55% 17 20% 9
ATL 24% 28 72% 2 2% 22
NO 23% 29 61% 12 13% 12
GB 23% 30 34% 27 42% 2
MIN 21% 31 77% 1 0% 28
NE 15% 32 48% 21 37% 4
Avg 33% -- 52% -- 13% --

 

[LesBaker]

I pointed this out at the time to people going crazy about how that was the "new NFL", but the Rams and Chiefs combined for like 28 possessions in that game, and the offenses "only" scored 44 and 40 points. If you do the math on how often the Rams and Chiefs each scored on their possessions, this game was actually below average (% of possessions that ended in scoring drives) - but the number of TDs was higher obviously. It's similar to how in the NBA the best way to measure efficiency is "per 100 possessions" - because if a team plays faster or slower, their defense and offense can look better or worse than it really is. That typically wouldn't come into play in an NFL game, but the Rams/Chiefs was an exception to that given how fast the offenses moved and how efficient they were.

KC was perhaps the most amazing ever on O that day.

If it wasn't for those 5 turnovers, two of which lead to immediate TD's and the Donald sack/fumble recovered by the Rams in Chiefs territory that led to another TD the Chiefs could have put up over 70 points.

It was a remarkably unusual game in so many ways.

5 turnovers and 135 yards in penalties and they put up 51 points.

I'm glad the Rams won, but that may be the best overall job a team hasever done on offense.

A truly great game to watch, and an all time classic. As in top 3 games of all time.