Mcvays play calling

[kmramsfan]

We're seeing in the Bills-Jags game today how an early aggressive call that eschews the FG can hurt you. If Jax had kicked the FG early they'd have been tied at 27 after Allen's score. If McVay had kicked at the end of the half, they would have needed only a FG to win instead of the TD. This isn't just 20/20 hindsight; in the playoffs you need to take early points when they are there or you're chasing them the rest of the game. It's the decision before the play call that kills you as much as the play call itself.

I still believe that it makes sense to be a tad more conservative when making the "Go for it" decisions.
There is no next week when you're wrong.

 

[majrleaged]

I dont have a problem going on 4th down. It just depends on the situation. Before the half with a 10 point lead there was no need for it. Only risk.

 

[Steve808]

I dont have a problem going on 4th down. It just depends on the situation. Before the half with a 10 point lead there was no need for it. Only risk.

I can' understand passing up a 55 yard FG or something like that but the Rams would have had only around a 45 yarder. Yeah, I would want those points to go up 13. And to make things worse, we give up a TD right before halftime then go 3 and out to start the second half. But, it's hard to be too critical when we won the game. Not many QBs could pull that one out. It was like when Tampa Bay erased our big lead in the super bowl year. Stafford got it done. That throw to Parkinson was money.

 

[duanevalle22]

There's not much we can do to fix the defense and special teams.

However, the offense 3 of 13 on 3rd downs is just absolutely unacceptable..... especially against an 8-9 team.

McVay forgets about the TE's and having Stafford bootleg.... I just don't know where his brain goes at time.

 

[majrleaged]

I can' understand passing up a 55 yard FG or something like that but the Rams would have had only around a 45 yarder. Yeah, I would want those points to go up 13. And to make things worse, we give up a TD right before halftime then go 3 and out to start the second half. But, it's hard to be too critical when we won the game. Not many QBs could pull that one out. It was like when Tampa Bay erased our big lead in the super bowl year. Stafford got it done. That throw to Parkinson was money.

Well the last time we played them Stafford got strip sacked on the last drive to win or tie. So you can't always count on that. So they should stop opening windows for the other team.

 

[12intheBox]

I don't know if it is the play calling, our personnel not really being built for it, or just poor execution - but we seem to really struggle in short yardage situations. Its odd because inside the 5 yard line we have been good about getting 6 but on 3rd and short or 4th and short - we seem to get stuffed a lot when we run it or throw an incompletion when we throw it. Maybe its just recency bias and I am focusing on the times we didnt get it and ignoring the times when we do - but it seems to be our offense's main hole - getting that one yard when we really need it.

 

[duanevalle22]

I don't know if it is the play calling, our personnel not really being built for it, or just poor execution - but we seem to really struggle in short yardage situations. Its odd because inside the 5 yard line we have been good about getting 6 but on 3rd and short or 4th and short - we seem to get stuffed a lot when we run it or throw an incompletion when we throw it. Maybe its just recency bias and I am focusing on the times we didnt get it and ignoring the times when we do - but it seems to be our offense's main hole - getting that one yard when we really need it.

The issue is not having a mobile QB and a big RB to push the other teams DL when our OL misses their assignments. I thought it was sad that our 37 year old QB and to do a sneak to get a 1st down because are 3rd and short running plays are so subpar.

 

[RhodyRams]

The issue is not having a mobile QB and a big RB to push the other teams DL when our OL misses their assignments. I thought it was sad that our 37 year old QB and to do a sneak to get a 1st down because are 3rd and short running plays are so subpar.

thought it was more of a "catch em by surprise " play call

 

[Ramit]

I don't know if it is the play calling, our personnel not really being built for it, or just poor execution - but we seem to really struggle in short yardage situations. Its odd because inside the 5 yard line we have been good about getting 6 but on 3rd and short or 4th and short - we seem to get stuffed a lot when we run it or throw an incompletion when we throw it. Maybe its just recency bias and I am focusing on the times we didnt get it and ignoring the times when we do - but it seems to be our offense's main hole - getting that one yard when we really need it.

The issue is not having a mobile QB and a big RB to push the other teams DL when our OL misses their assignments. I thought it was sad that our 37 year old QB and to do a sneak to get a 1st down because are 3rd and short running plays are so subpar.

This is the result of Kevin Dotson being out for the last few weeks. PFF has the guy as the 3rd best run blocking guard in the league and his absence is obvious.

I actually thought the QB sneak was a super timely play call. I don't think anyone was expecting that! Nevertheless, Dotson looks like he may be ready to go on Sunday so Stafford can leave his Icy Hot in LA.

 

[fanotodd]

Mcvay can be a little stubborn to his detriment but hes still excellent.

The short yardage 4th down runs with Corum need to stop. He is not a big back and defenses are selling out the run on 4th and 1.

No coach is perfect and Mcvay is as good as they come.

Shula needs to step it up or we are done. We need more random blitzes to rush QBs and get them uncomfortable, saw some of that today late.

I commented on this last week. The blitzing—or lack thereof.
I’m guessing that with Lake out, Shula wasn’t comfortable putting extra stress on the secondary by sending extra pass rushers. It didn’t matter though. The opposing QB had the time and carved them up.

So, WTH, get after the QB and take your chances. Creating TOs and sacks vs a big play seems worth the risk given what we have seen.

I agree, it looked like Shula was getting back to that last game.

On a side note:
The emergence of Josiah Stewart is a big help. The Rams have 3 good pass rushers on the edge moving through these playoffs.

 

[fanotodd]

Playcalling is one of McVay's strengths. He knows how he wants to attack defenses. Offensive design, play calling, McVay is elite.

There’s a reason why Nacua still is wide open or getting single coverage multiple times in a game.

There’s a reason why kupp was getting the ball in space or one on one coverage on that last drive in the SB.

Those are the reasons football people think McVay is a great coach and playcaller. He knows how to scheme people open or create favorable situations for his stars. It might not always work, but such is life.

 

[PARAM]

His scripts are poor because he still believes his offense cannot be stopped with proper execution. Every defense in the league defends us the same. Bottle up the middle, and it disrupts the entire passing game because there is no vertical threat.

And you don't believe that? Even though "every defense in the league defends us the same way", we were the #1 offense in the NFL, highest scoring and yards.

 

[PARAM]

There’s a reason why Nacua still is wide open or getting single coverage multiple times in a game.

There’s a reason why kupp was getting the ball in space or one on one coverage on that last drive in the SB.

Those are the reasons football people think McVay is a great coach and playcaller. He knows how to scheme people open or create favorable situations for his stars. It might not always work, but such is life.

Multiple plays from the same formation coupled with route concepts designed to get guys open. Execution (including protection) is all that is needed.

 

[PARAM]

I feel like the opposing team always is pretty successful in their scripted plays, not us. We rarely drive for a TD on the first drive of the game, were our opposition almost always does.

On the season.....(including postseason)

Rams 7 TDs on 18 opening possessions
Opponents 5 TDs on 18 opening possessions

first drive of 2nd half?
Rams 7 TDs
Opponents 4 TDs

 

[duanevalle22]

I still believe that it makes sense to be a tad more conservative when making the "Go for it" decisions.
There is no next week when you're wrong.

I'm of two minds about your post:

I still think with our offense 3rd and 1 and 4th and 3 shouldn't be an issue and maybe going for it early in the game I'm 75/25 about it as long as were deep on the other teams side of the field. Really who would have thought 3 points against a 8-9 team that passed for 50 yards two weeks ago against the Seahawks would had been so important.... I know at times I think McVay can be soft in not going for the throat, but a part of me appreciated that McVay went for the jugular on that one.

 

[kmramsfan]

I'm of two minds about your post:

I still think with our offense 3rd and 1 and 4th and 3 shouldn't be an issue and maybe going for it early in the game I'm 75/25 about it as long as were deep on the other teams side of the field. Really who would have thought 3 points against a 8-9 team that passed for 50 yards two weeks ago against the Seahawks would had been so important.... I know at times I think McVay can be soft in not going for the throat, but a part of me appreciated that McVay went for the jugular on that one.

Yeah, I think the 4th down play was there, except that the O line failed to prevent the pressure up the middle, if we're talking about the same play.
Staff was forced to roll out and tried to force it to Higs in double coverage, and he didn't see that DA was open crossing the middle.
And even Puka was relatively open on the play, too.
I would likely still take the points that early in the game, though.
Nobody knows how things will play out at that point of the game.