Donald & Turner

[oldnotdead]

Ask any QB what is the kind of pressure they hate the most. The answer will be interior pressure coming right at them. People decry the lack of edge pressure the Rams get. But they have two of the best IDL in Donald and Turner. They are good enough to beat any three center and OGs. They proved that on Sunday. Young and Hoecht just need to play contain first, pressure second.

Yeah the Rams lack a second edge but they have something better. Most teams focus on spending money on OTs. IOL is one of the most overlooked units on most teams. That is the strength of the Rams pass rush. Sprinkle in an occasional blitz by Jones and the Rams can get to most QBs in the way they hate the most.

Looking at these two guys it's clear Donald is preparing to pass the mantle to the conductor. Until that happens, the Rams will have a fearsome interior DL pass rush as good as any two edges. Now throw in Young and the Rams have 3 legit pass rushers.

IMO Morris is wasting his DL by playing two gap with them. Even Brown showed he can be a factor if allowed to single gap. If Morris will simply shift to a one gap front we would see dramatic improvement. With these two the pocket can become the "danger zone" (cue in the music).

Morris has become predictable. All OCs know Morris will almost always play two gap mixed DL front on first downs. That's why so many pass on that down because the QB isn't going to get a lot of pressure. Morris is conceding a minimum of 2-3 yards with that scheme. How many times has it kept offenses behind the chains? Look at how many third and shorts the Ram D faces. They seem to face more than most. IMO that isn't a good way to stop an offense. If the offense doesn't make a mistake they will simply roll over the defense no matter who you have.

IMO Morris should be playing to keep the offense off schedule. That's how IMO you force turnovers and punts.

With Donald and Turner they have the IDL to make offenses be off schedule as these two are OL beaters.

 

[shovelpass]

 

[snackdaddy]

 

[Malibu]

I like your positivity but the Rams got zero pressure on Flacco yesterday zero. His Pockets and wide and he was clean most of the day at the end we knew they had to throw. Mind you their starting LT and RT were out.

The Rams have 3 deficiencies imo No pressure on the QB good teams will kill us. Marginal run defense and our kicker is suspect. Those 3 areas are our achilles heal especially the no pressure. Let's see how Baltimore and Lamar fair with no pressure.

 

[Merlin]

Browns received a heavy dose of the Rams "No-Pressure" front. But it was funny to see AD working his way through a gameplan designed to neutralize him and still affecting things. Dude was so worn out when he burst through the line in the third quarter I think it was, and saw the QB like ten yards away, he decided to save his juice for the next snap.

This is why I think we're gonna need to trend to AD being a situational rusher vs certain fronts.

 

[Allen2McVay]

I like your positivity but the Rams got zero pressure on Flacco yesterday zero. His Pockets and wide and he was clean most of the day at the end we knew they had to throw. Mind you their starting LT and RT were out.

The Rams have 3 deficiencies imo No pressure on the QB good teams will kill us. Marginal run defense and our kicker is suspect. Those 3 areas are our achilles heal especially the no pressure. Let's see how Baltimore and Lamar fair with no pressure.

All good points.
Conklin and Wills are former first round picks, and quality offensive tackles.
Denzel Ward is their best DB and second-best defensive player; and he also, did not play.
Their best defensive player (Garrett) may have been limited by his injury.

Terrific victory nonetheless.

 

[hotanez]

 

[Da-Rock]

I like your positivity but the Rams got zero pressure on Flacco yesterday zero. His Pockets and wide and he was clean most of the day at the end we knew they had to throw. Mind you their starting LT and RT were out.

The Rams have 3 deficiencies imo No pressure on the QB good teams will kill us. Marginal run defense and our kicker is suspect. Those 3 areas are our achilles heal especially the no pressure. Let's see how Baltimore and Lamar fair with no pressure.

Zero Pressure? They had 2 sacks and a safety. The number 1 defense in the NFL had zero pressure.

I do agree though, they lack the needed pressure to have a winning season and to win in the playoffs.

 

[PARAM]

Zero Pressure? They had 2 sacks and a safety. The number 1 defense in the NFL had zero pressure.

I do agree though, they lack the needed pressure to have a winning season and to win in the playoffs.

It is a work in progress, no? Young had 5 sacks through 9 games but has hit a wall. Oddly enough, we're 3-0 without him having a sack. Perhaps he gets a second wind in these last 5 games? Javon Kearse had 6.5 his rookie season through 9 and ended up with 14. I certainly don't expect Young to get there but 10 isn't too much to expect.

 

[Kupped]

It is a work in progress, no? Young had 5 sacks through 9 games but has hit a wall. Oddly enough, we're 3-0 without him having a sack. Perhaps he gets a second wind in these last 5 games? Javon Kearse had 6.5 his rookie season through 9 and ended up with 14. I certainly don't expect Young to get there but 10 isn't too much to expect.

Yeah, he seems a little gassed and/or hasn’t been able to come up with counters to how people are playing him.

 

[JimY53]

IMO Morris is wasting his DL by playing two gap with them. Even Brown showed he can be a factor if allowed to single gap. If Morris will simply shift to a one gap front we would see dramatic improvement. With these two the pocket can become the "danger zone" (cue in the music).

All OCs know Morris will almost always play two gap mixed DL front on first downs.

Rams do not play 2-gap in base defense or the Penny.

Rams play gap-½ with various calls - i.e. a two-way go or a slant to one side or other. NT will "lag" as well.

Not sure where this 2-gap idea comes from. It's not in the playbook and does not show up on film.

The NT, depending on if it's TITE or Penny NT will have the playside A-gap. In Tuff he has backside A-Gap. Penny is the 5-1, TITE and TUFF are in the base.

All 3-DL try and squeeze the gap next to them to try and cover all gaps so in the case of Penny they can play with a light box.

Rams have not played 2-gap since 1990. Not even Wade's 3-4 was a two-gap system.
Key is just because a NT is head=up on center does not mean two gap. And the other two? They are usually in 4is or a 3 and 4i. By alignment they cannot 2-gap.

Now--caveat --- never say never when it comes to football schemes. Like in the backside of an undershift front the DE will two cap--even in say, Fisher's defense. And since 1990 has any Rams DL two-gapped? Sure, there are always instances.

But Fangio's scheme is not 2-gap.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Zero Pressure? They had 2 sacks and a safety.

On the final two plays of the game.

Given the Browns were without their starting OTs, the Rams got very little pressure on the edge.

 

[oldnotdead]

Watch how Morris aligns his DL especially on first down. The tipoff is how he aligns his NT in a 0T. That is strictly a two gap alignment. Then watch how the ends play. Many times Young isn't even trying to penetrate the backfield he's standing there reading it. In other words, lack of pressure is by design not because of lack of talent. This is exactly what PFF is clueless about. Morris intentionally wants to stop early down runs at the expense of penetration.

Watch how Morris aligns his players then watch how they play the down. Much of the so called lack of pressure is because of the scheme Morris plays with his front 7. He plays to limit gains not stop them. This contrasts with the aggressive style Aubrey teaches his DBs. This is exactly why if Pleasant becomes DC this whole defense will change into one that attacks plays not defend them. Good offenses don't punt when playing against the Rams. For the defense to get a 3 n out is the exception not the rule, and usually comes from the offense making mistakes, things like penalties, dropped passes, etc.

All you have to do is compare how Morris plays the defense once the opposition gets inside the Ram 40. My question is why doesn't it play that way all the time? Instead of forcing FG they would be forcing punts.

 

[JimY53]

Watch how Morris aligns his DL especially on first down. The tipoff is how he aligns his NT in a 0T.

Wrong.

As I explained 0-tech does not mean two-gap. It can be 1-gap or 1-½ as well and it today's NFL it's rarely two-gap.

As I explained a 0-tech in Fangio scheme (and others) can have a 2-way go or a Rip/Liz call calling for 1-gap without even having to
squeeze next gap.

Rams do not 2-gap their NT.

Here are a couple of Fangio diagrams

 

[JimY53]

This a real-life example for folks. NT Kobie Turner at 0-tech, backdoors the center...or "lagging".

Head up on center does not always mean 2-gap. In the 1980s it would mean that (unless a game, stunt or movement was called).


View: https://x.com/53_jim70721/status/1730736113197723856?s=20

 

[WestCoastRam]

Rams do not play 2-gap in base defense or the Penny.

Rams play gap-½ with various calls - i.e. a two-way go or a slant to one side or other. NT will "lag" as well.

Not sure where this 2-gap idea comes from. It's not in the playbook and does not show up on film.

The NT, depending on if it's TITE or Penny NT will have the playside A-gap. In Tuff he has backside A-Gap. Penny is the 5-1, TITE and TUFF are in the base.

All 3-DL try and squeeze the gap next to them to try and cover all gaps so in the case of Penny they can play with a light box.

Rams have not played 2-gap since 1990. Not even Wade's 3-4 was a two-gap system.
Key is just because a NT is head=up on center does not mean two gap. And the other two? They are usually in 4is or a 3 and 4i. By alignment they cannot 2-gap.

Now--caveat --- never say never when it comes to football schemes. Like in the backside of an undershift front the DE will two cap--even in say, Fisher's defense. And since 1990 has any Rams DL two-gapped? Sure, there are always instances.

But Fangio's scheme is not 2-gap.

Forget it, Jake... he's Chinatown

 

[Kupped]

Forget it, Jake... he's Chinatown

Goddamn.. perfect.

 

[JimY53]

Forget it, Jake... he's Chinatown

 

[JBRam77]

It is a work in progress, no? Young had 5 sacks through 9 games but has hit a wall. Oddly enough, we're 3-0 without him having a sack. Perhaps he gets a second wind in these last 5 games? Javon Kearse had 6.5 his rookie season through 9 and ended up with 14. I certainly don't expect Young to get there but 10 isn't too much to expect.

Young is soo undisciplined..So many plays where he just blazes upfield without seeing the ball. Flacco was toying with him all game. He needs to study game film more and he’ll be a beast. But right now he is frustrating to watch

 

[snackdaddy]

We have a lot of young players on defense with a lot to learn. I expect they will improve. Right now they are better than expected. But still middle of the pack at best.

The way I see it, whatever success they have this year is a bonus. Its still about next year and beyond. They're developing a nice core of decent to good players and role players. Next year an edge rusher and maybe a good free agent DB could make them a top ten unit. Maybe an upgrade at ILB to pair with Jones might help the run defense.