McVay's best game this year

[Merlin]

Defense was great... offense was inept for the most part.

I offer three facts for consideration here Ellard...

1. Rams OL was constituted of a 37 year old LT who has been showing his age, a Colts' castoff at Center who has been trucked all season prior to this game, a castoff 33rd overall pick from the Browns who couldn't win a job on their $hitty line, and two rookies.

2. Rams were missing their two starting wideouts.

3. Bears have an elite playoff defense. They are allowing 17.4 ppg (4th) which is consistent with Super Bowl winners in any season. They stuff the run at an elite level with 3.6 ypc (4th).

Other teams can win plays too and make your unit look bad. Rams' offense didn't dominate vs the Bears' defense and there was no way they were going to because it was a mismatch in Chicago's favor. But what they did on the ground was one of the biggest underdog stories of this season IMO.

 

[Da-Rock]

The more I am reading the more I am shifting my view on the game calling yesterday.

With all of the adversity we could have seen 3 runs called and been negative in yards, but the newly constructed Oline did their job and allowed Gurley to get positive yardage on most carries.

I think I am just hung up on the loss of simple offensive calls like TE flats, hooks and slants. I will say it was nice to see Gurley get passes on screens that worked!

 

[LesBaker]

Amazing how much better a play call looks when the line blocks it correctly eh?

LOL yes of course but I was referring to not dumping the run game.

Something came to mind. How many years have we been posting together across I believe 3 boards?

 

[EastRam]

That was a great game to watch.

Fuck FF.

Nothing better then defenses squaring off.

Somebody got punched and it wasn’t the Rams for a change

 

[yrba1]

Yep, going into that game, I felt McVay understood how to handle attrition better and utilized the running game effectively. My main criticism would be playing zone/off coverage against the Bears during their scoring drive.

 

[Merlin]

LOL yes of course but I was referring to not dumping the run game.

Something came to mind. How many years have we been posting together across I believe 3 boards?

A long time my man. Most of which were painful years lol.

Point here is McVay didn't have the option to call what he did last night in the earlier games this season. He did what he had to do to have a winning record with outside run threat and forcing the pass. But now he might have the guys up front to establish a run game.

IMO we are extremely fortunate to have that dude as our leader. And all the media questioning him can suck it.

 

[Ellard80]

Yeah its like when you read a lot of these threads and the game thread last night.

It really doesn't matter what McVay does, if it doesn't work - the hindsight police going to be like "why did he run on up the middle on 3rd and 1! be creative?"

If he runs a reverse or play action the hindsight police be like "why is he getting so cute - just run the damn ball."

Or when we go 3 and out 3 straight times running gurley in the 3rd quarter - the drive and a half when we try to throw "McVay abandoning the run game again."

It's pretty silly.

 

[JonRam99]

Great game plan and Goff had time to throw and credit the OL they opened up big holes for Hurley.

I always knew they'd roll with Hurley! they are in L.A. now ya know.
Hurley was in total beast mode last night.

 

[LesBaker]

A long time my man. Most of which were painful years lol.

Point here is McVay didn't have the option to call what he did last night in the earlier games this season. He did what he had to do to have a winning record with outside run threat and forcing the pass. But now he might have the guys up front to establish a run game.

IMO we are extremely fortunate to have that dude as our leader. And all the media questioning him can suck it.

Starting from 2000 on the Herd I think.

 

[Rams43]

The OL has been the Rams Achilles heel all season long, until last night.

IF this ‘new’ OL can continue to make baby steps weekly improvement, AND the Rams can somehow play a mistake free game vs the Ravens utilizing their outstanding D to the fullest, maybe get a stellar play or two from ST?

Well, not only would they be 7-4, but they would possibly be a threat to run the table thereafter. Has there ever been a 12-4 team that missed the playoffs as at least a wildcard? Lol.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Amazing how much better a play call looks when the line blocks it correctly eh?

Havenstein shoots to the top of my early trade bait chart for the 2020 off-season, the better he plays for the remainder of this season, the better our shot at a decent draft pick. jmo.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

I (think) I really like Blythe back at center. Seems like more of a strength of his.

 

[LesBaker]

Hmmm, strange, I thought McVay seemed lost with the play calling. 3 runs in a row over and over isn't good play calling.

He ran 3 times in a row twice and 4 times in a row once.

Hardly over and over and he didn't seem at all lost.

 

[den-the-coach]

Hmmm, strange, I thought McVay seemed lost with the play calling. 3 runs in a row over and over isn't good play calling.

Just what is good play calling in your opinion?

 

[FarNorth]

He ran 3 times in a row twice and 4 times in a row once.

Hardly over and over and he didn't seem at all lost.

Yes, and it's about time!!! I've wanted McVay to be more balanced and to at least sometimes repeatedly run the ball since our playoff loss in his first year.

Tactical play calls are always debatable but the strategy of going to the run was correct.
Running the ball lets the O line establish its timing and power blocking and keeps the D guessing. Gives our D breaks. Interrupts the other team's offensive timing. Maybe most important, sets up play action. We didn't convert in the two third downs runs starting the second half (although this easily could have happened) but these sequences IMO made the subsequent play action passes credible again.

IMO this was also the first time all year that we really trusted Gurley. It's about time we let our best offensive player help us win the game. Not just runs but short passes, and don't take him out in the red zone.

To be sure, McVay's back was against wall. Down two receivers, new third receiver, least experienced o-line ever, against a tough defense. Without effective play action and blocking, our previous approach this year of endlessly repeated passing calls just wasn't working in some crucial games we lost against good defenses. IMO it was so predictable as to invite defended passes, sacks or interceptions. To his credit, McVay tried a different approach.

I don't think we can or should run the all 30+ times to 18 passes every game-- there will be games, such as likely Baltimore, where we will have to pass a lot more. But I hope this game causes McVay to be more unpredictable in using the run and sometimes sticking with it enough to be credible.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Rams film room: Why McVay deserves more credit than OL for neutralizing Khalil Mack

The Rams held Khalil Mack in check on Sunday, and it wasn’t just because the offensive line played well.

theramswire.usatoday.com